Underwater/waterproof cameras, cases and housings

[ukcatfan]

I want an actual waterproof camera that we can bring into the water. We have a waterproof bag for our SLR already. I just want something that we can get pictures with the girls in the water, with the dolphins, stinkrays, etc.

Nothing personal b/c I make typos all the time, but this was so funny to me that I almost fell out of my chair. Watch out for the stinkrays, they smell like fish! Thank you for the laugh.

Kevin

 

[Jeanne B]

It also went past the warranty period, so to Canon, it completely meet its legal obligations to you. I just do not think you should rate their entire brand based on this one bad experience. Also, be sure to keep it as Sony could add that sensor to the recall.

I know they met their legal obligations, it's just frustrating seeing so many other cases on the internet in which people are having the exact same problem with their A610's as is described in the service advisory. I received my camera back from the Canon repair center last week and I'm definitely hanging onto it in case they ever add the A610 to the list and maybe I need to send my complaint letter to both Canon AND Sony.

I personally would go for the A720 just because the UW housing is going to be more reliable and useful than the camera made with it. I do believe that the Oly will have at least as nice IQ though b/c it does have a newer and larger sensor. I would not consider the zoom in the decision though b/c it is unlikely more than 3x zoom will be effective underwater.

Your statement and DueyDooDah's is exactly why I'm leaning more towards the A720 and in spite of my bad experience with Canon I've been very happy with the IQ of the A series line and the extra zoom is attractive to me for those times we're using it on land rather than u/w. I ordered the A720 on Amazon earlier in the week for $195 and it's supposed to ship Monday but I started second guessing myself last nightafter taking a second look at the latest Olympus model.

Sharon - I have a Pentax dSLR that I use primarily for land shots so for me the G9 really isn't an option based on it's price. I'm looking for a less expensive set up for u/w use as well as a backup for those times I don't want to carry around the bulky dSLR but I appreciate the suggestion!!

 

[smnornes]

I normally use a digital Rebel for everyday photography, but have been wanting to purchase a smaller camera to use when I don't want to lug the "big" one with. I still want nice quality prints... no larger than 8x10 and a zoom would be nice, but what I really want is something that I can take snorkeling with me, so something that will come with a waterproof housing. Someone recommended an Olympus D580 with the waterproof housing, said they picked up the whole package on ebay for about $150. I don't think I want to spend more that $200 on the whole thing. Does anyone have any recommendations? Thank you in advance!

 

[DueyDooDah]

I'm not sure you can get a camera with a housing for that price but I think there are "waterproof" cameras that might fit the bill. I can't make a suggestion on any though, sorry. I have a housing with my P&S (I SCUBA so need something that goes a bit deeper) and did not investigate other types of cameras.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Olympus and Pentax both make waterproof p&s cameras, but they are both in the mid $200 range. You might be able to pick up a used one for a little less than that.

 

[extreme8]

As I've said here before, I really like my Pentax Optio W10 as a "no worries" knock around P&S.
It's waterproof to 10 feet or so, and the IQ is actually pretty good.
Amazon has 'em for $188, and other places online are less, but check out any vendor you're not familiar with on reseller ratings first.

 

[pyrxtc]

olympus 77sw OR THE 1030 sw. They are both waterproof to 33 ft. The 1030 has more features that you may never need to use and cost more and the 770 but not much more. I have the 770 and have been very happy with it. Would probably get the 1030 for my DD for x-mas next year.

770 is 7.1 MP and the 1030 is 10.1 MP

 

[smnornes]

great! Thank you for taking the time to reply! I'll check these suggestions out.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

I was looking for a slightly larger backpack to replace my Lowepro Minitrekker AW (which I really like) and discovered that Lowepro now makes a "waterproof" backpack. They actually make three - Dryzone 100, Dryzone 200, and Dryzone Rover.


It's definitely overkill for a rainy day. For me, it will replace the bulky and uncomfortable Pelican case on canoe and kayak outings. I don't think it's waterproof enough to withstand a series maytagging in some monster rapids, but it should do well enough for something as simple a canoe capsizing on a lazy river or being dropped into the water while loading the boat. If you spend time on water or in very wet environments, you might consider one of these. I ordered mine tonight. If anyone is interested, I'll post some comments after I've had a chance to play with it (and fill it with rocks and drop it in the pool).

 

[starrock77]

I used a couple Kodak underwater one time use cameras at Discovery Cove and wanted to know where would be the best place to have them developed. I know they only produce so so results so I was looking for something better then Walgreens or Walmart type places. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[SharonLowe]

I used a couple Kodak underwater one time use cameras at Discovery Cove and wanted to know where would be the best place to have them developed. I know they only produce so so results so I was looking for something better then Walgreens or Walmart type places. Any suggestions?

Thanks

I've used a dive shop that uses this service:

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/consumer/sea/index.shtml

look for a dealer in your area or see if someone will let you mail it in. They do look better than "normal"

 

[rtphokie]

I've used a dive shop that uses this service:

http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/consumer/sea/index.shtml

look for a dealer in your area or see if someone will let you mail it in. They do look better than "normal"

The problem with underwater photos is the blue-green cast they have. You can get some pretty good results in Photoshop via the average filter in an overlay layer:

quick instrucitons here

 

[SharonLowe]

The problem with underwater photos is the blue-green cast they have. You can get some pretty good results in Photoshop via the average filter in an overlay layer:

quick instrucitons here

The special kodak process gets rid of the blue cast and means no time wasted on redoing the images. Plus, the prints you get are the correct color so you can use them rather than having to pay for prints that will just get tossed in the can.

 

[starrock77]

Thanks for both posts. I think I will try to use the Kodak processing.

 

[rtphokie]

The special kodak process gets rid of the blue cast and means no time wasted on redoing the images. Plus, the prints you get are the correct color so you can use them rather than having to pay for prints that will just get tossed in the can.

What are these "prints" people keep talking about? Is that a special kind of digital file format?

 

[dreamscometrue]

I am looking to get a waterproof digital camera for my birthday. My DH has a Panasonic digital with a 12X optical zoom. I am getting tired of always taking a bigger camera everywhere. My DD has a small Samsung. It takes great shots but I am hoping to get my own which will be somewhere between the two. I know I have seen a waterproof digital advertised somewhere. I think it was an Olympus. Anyone have a waterproof digital?? Any information pros/cons would be appreciated. I guess I would like the best of all worlds in a smaller camera-- particularly waterproof with a larger zoom. Thanks so much for any input you can share.

Have a great day!!!

 

[Alacrity]

You might look at a housing for an existing camera. Many of the manufacturer now make housings for popular models. There are also a number of third party housing makers and a few "water-proof" cameras. You might look at reefmaster/Sealife and Sea and Sea. Both have housing and camera sets they sell and water-proof cameras. Ikelite is a company that makes housings for many cameras and there are others. You might looks at http://digideep.com; that site lists cameras and housings that may be available.

Some of these are designed for scuba and may be overkill but there are many options that may do what you are looking for.

 

[TinksDH]

Here are a couple of threads discussing waterproof cameras from the past few months:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1694846

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1748111

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1744342

 

[tiff13]

I just got an Olympus Stylus 790
Here are a few pics I took last week with it. Haven't used it in water yet, but have dropped it a couple times, used it in the sand, and still working great.

I also have a Canon S3, and it was so nice not having to worry about carrying a bigger camera around and damaging it. I was worried about the quality of the pics but I'm pretty satisified. If you are interested in more examples, theres a link in my sig.

 

[nikkistevej]

I just got an Olympus Stylus 790
Here are a few pics I took last week with it. Haven't used it in water yet, but have dropped it a couple times, used it in the sand, and still working great.

I also have a Canon S3, and it was so nice not having to worry about carrying a bigger camera around and damaging it. I was worried about the quality of the pics but I'm pretty satisified. If you are interested in more examples, theres a link in my sig.

I got that one too, I haven't used it yet in the water or out, I also have a Canon, and I love it.