Underwater/waterproof cameras, cases and housings

[Brave teacher]

My DH and I are in the market for a waterproof camera. We were upset that we were unable to capture those fabulous moments in the pool, the water play area at Kidani, and the water parks on our last trip. We are in discussions right now about different waterproof cameras out there.

So, does anyone here have any experience with one? Thoughts? SUggestions?

We were thinking about the Canon D10 or the Olympus Tough 6000.

Anybody?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I have the Canon D10 but won't be giving it it's water initiation for another couple of weeks. In general I think it does pretty well as a p&s camera for pictures and has some nice features. It is an odd shape that has made it more difficult to find a case though.

 

[disney67]

We have used the desposable ones , and if it is a good sunny day they are great , but if it is cloudy the pictures can come out dark. we used them in the boardwalk villes pool . good luck on choosing .
As per the new water poof real non disposable ones i have been looking at but have not really thought about it cause i do not really go that crazy with picture taking .

 

[Bstanley]

Not a waterproof camera - but a waterproof case/camera combo.

Years ago I bought my first 'real' digital camera - a Canon A40 - I bought it because a local store was having a special on the Underwater Housing for the A40 (WP-DC200?) for $50.

We still use that camera/housing 6 years later. Supposedly it is good to 30 feet (we only snorkel so it's never been below 10ft). You can use all of the controls, it's sturdy and fits well to the hand. Really first rate.

All that just to say - you could buy a 'normal' camera and get an underwater housing.

Here are some samples from this summer's trip to the Keys. It helps that it was a bright shiny day - the day before all the pictures were really blue because it was cloudy and not enough sun was getting into the water.

And a couple from the AKL Pool

 

[Brave teacher]

Thanks for the suggestions. As far as the disposable option is concerned, DH wants the ability to do video as well as still, so the disposable is out. We did debate on the case for a bit and are still undecided. Thanks for showing your pics. They are very nice. I guess we just need to research some more.

 

[islac]

i use an Olympus digital camera that's waterproof. it takes mediocre quality photos. So i suggest you buy a Canon and just get yourself an underwater case and handle your Canon well.

 

[donaldduck1967]

Check The Disney Cruise Line section of the Dis. I know there was a few posts about underwater cameras.

 

[dburg30]

Cant really give any specific information, just make sure exactly how waterproof it is. Also, I dont think there are any 'rules' about taking pictures in pools and such at WDW, but sometimes people get a little 'wierd' when they see someone taking pics / videos in the water / around pools.

I'm really hoping to become scuba certified this coming year, and at some point I know I'll want an underwater camera. Those rigs get expensive, but they are actually rated to be used not just around water, but underwater up to a certain depth.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I've used a dedicated waterproof camera (Pentax W30), a p&s in a waterproof case (Canon G9), and a DSLR in a waterproof bag (Canon 10D in EWA Marine). The DSLR gave by far the best image quality, but it was a pain to use and I never really trusted the bag. The dedicated waterproof camera was the easiest to use, but it died, was replaced, and died again. I suspect that (at least for the latter time), water intrusion somewhere was the issue.

If you really want to use a camera underwater a lot, you have to be religious about keeping the seals clean and properly greased. I grain of sand or a stray hair is enough to let water intrude and, given enough time, ruin the camera. Honestly, I find keeping the waterproof case for the G9 clean the easiest because there is one O-ring to worry about (albiet a big one) and because the clean shell will show water intrusion. I stuff a color changing bag of those water absorbing beads in mine.

The downside with the shell is that it is bulkier and a bit more of a nuisance to use. It's still my preferred route. We're looking at a D10 for my youngest, who really wants something to take pictures with. I won't encourage it's use as an underwater camera that much, but waterproof capabilities are good a kid that doesn't always think about things like rain, water hoses, etc.

I'd post sample picks, but I don't know that pictures from cameras several generations out-of-date would help much.

 

[manning]

I've got an Olympus rough 6000 waterproof. The pictures are average but I didn't expect the greatest with it. I just wanted to carry something around in the rain and by the pool. I like the way it takes panorama shots. real easy to do.

If I didn't have quite a few canon lenses I would have looked at the pentax SLR cameras. I understand they are sealed enough to walk around in the rain. I don't think you can take them into the water.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I have an Olympus Stylus that I got for a great price, but the photos are just so-so. For now, it's fine, but my plan is to upgrade to a Canon waterproof camera.

 

[Terri.M]

I just got the canon d10 for our upcoming trip to Hawaii. I did a lot of research on both the Olympus and the Canon and the d10 won me over. I'll let you know how it held up in the ocean when I get back!

 

[truck1]

I have a Seal Life DC 600 and love the camera. Bought my fiance one as well.The camera itself is not waterproof, but it comes with a waterproof case that is depth rated to 200'.,( I am a scuba diver.)and has switch on demand setting to go from video to still to view.Depends on how you have it configured. The camera, comes standard with the waterproof case, digital zoom,battery and charger. It also has a few add on lenses such as macro and wide angle that you can add on to, as well as a digital flash set.Theres 2 newer ones 800 and 1000 that are out that have a few improvements on the 600s.

This is a video I took in 80 feet of water in the Fl Keys, and pics of the same wreck on the same dive,plus, a few of CC with the DC600.

 

[REL1203]

I have a cheap Olympus somewhere that we took to Maui in May, and it worked great. While the non-underwater pics were not great, its under water pics we were very happy with.

 

[Brave teacher]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I'll have to go check out the DCL forums as suggested earlier to see what I can find. DH did a test drive on the Olympus Tough 6000 today and didn't care for it too much. For now, we're looking at the D10. Who knows? Maybe we'll find one with a discount the day after Thanksgiving - not counting on it though.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Here are a few out of the water pictures from the Canon D10

Using the Macro mode:

Using selective coloring in camera:

 

[jessica29]

I have the olympus stylus 720 sw waterproof and shock proof digital. I think it was the first one that came out back in 2006. It has been my main camera and I am going to buy another one becasue the zoom isn't excellent(but its waterproof, I wasn't looking for perfect quality) and the pictures could be somewhat better but I am happy with them. Now I have had it 3 yrs and no problems and will still use it for the water still , I think it serves its purpose. We have had the kids drop it on concrete and no problems. I don't know if they still carry it though.

 

[dawnsb]

We just purchased the Panasonic TS1. It looks exactly like any non waterproof p&s.

We tested it in the sink and I have to say I'm very impressed!

It was down to the Canon or Panasonic for my final choce. The Panasonic won because of its 'everyday' look rather than Canon's bulky look and the Panasonic video capture is somewhat better.

We'll really use it for the first time in a month on a cruise to the southern caribbean!

Dawn

 

[keagansmom]

We have an Olympus 770 SW. It's waterproof up to 30 feet and good to something like 20 below and you can drop it. We've been impressed with the photo's. It has a small flash so I do have to fix the lighting in Photoshop elements - easy fix. Most camera's have trouble with lighting underwater unless you have an external flash. Above is a photo sample.

 

[jiminyfan]

I got one of these for my son this Summer and it works great in and out of the water. Not a real high end, but side by side of our other p&s cameras (nikon 500 and Kodak 1033) it held it own.

In the water most pics were very good. I am happy I made the purchase and the price was a lot more reasonable than the others.