Waterproof camera

[woody73]

I want to purchase a water proof camera/video recorder for the cruise... Do any of you have one that you love/hate? And why? Can they be used for scuba diving?

For years, I've used an Olympus camera for snorkeling and get great results for both still photos and video. Earlier this month I used it snorkeling in Hawaii.

It's waterproof to 10 feet, which would be inadequate for scuba diving.

Woody

 

[Ancaster]

At Costco I found the Panasonic lumixTS4 for only 200.00!! And the Nikon AW 100 for $230 . We are constantly hiking and doing water sports... Now.. Which one should I do?

That is a great price for the TS4, was it always there and now on clearance?
Seems too low for regular price.

Do a comparison check on DPreview.

Unless you tinker with the settings, the TS4 doesn't take good indoor (lowlight) shots on auto mode. It's outdoor and underwater shots are brilliant. I actually have crisp, clear and smooth video of my daughters underwater. It also picked up the audio really well.
(I used my dslr or iPhone5 indoors on the cruise so it didn't matter).
I don't know much about the Nikon.

Whichever underwater camera, remember to rinse it out with fresh water if you use it in ocean water or a salt pool. Salt contributes to seal breakdown.

 

[Silverfox97]

At Costco I found the Panasonic lumixTS4 for only 200.00!! And the Nikon AW 100 for $230 . We are constantly hiking and doing water sports... Now.. Which one should I do?

We love our Nikon AW 100!!!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[McDonald5]

My every day camera is a Nikon D3100 DSLR (I'm actually a photographer). Anyway, my mom got me the Polaroid iF045 on black friday for, I think $50. It's 14mp and waterproof up to 3 meters. I actually really like it. You can even do some exposure compensation on it a little editing in camera which is pretty rare for a point and shoot. And video on it is really nice too. Only downside that I've found is the batteries. But it takes AAA's so they are pretty easy to just pop a couple more in (as opposed to my DSLR lithium battery that needs charged).

But I did also want to mention that my sister went on her honeymoon in October and she bought a disposable waterproof camera. Kinda thinking that they probably wouldn't get anything good but it was worth a shot. But the pics were actually REALLY good. So if you are on the fence or aren't sure if you want to shell out the money, it'd be a good option. I'm actually thinking about getting each of my kids one for the cruise just to see what kind of pics they get. They have cameras already and I love seeing the world through their eyes, but they don't take them out on the beach or in the water. So I thought that would be fun.

 

[AntonioOtero]

I am Nikon guy and shoot with a d7000. Unless you plan on spending a few thousand dollars on underwater housings, your best bet is an Oly tough tg-2. It comes with an additional underwater case for additional protection. The Pana lumix and Nikon aw100 are great too. I invest in a second system: the Nikon J1 with an underwater housing. Not cheap, but it has a lot of control. It won't sting as bad a losing a dslr because of a bad gasket!!!

Or just get a disposable. It's just vacation and supposed to be fun ...

 

[scrapbookmomma74]

We have a Fuji WP and we use it for our regular point and shoot as well as underwater. The underwater pics are amazing. We got it in 2010, for $129, and it is still going strong. It is shock proof as well, as our 12 year old has proven repeatedly with her own Fuji WP. We also use it above water, when using the SLR isn't feasible. (Sorry, he isn't allowed on the snorkeling boat!)
The Fuji will not go deep enough to snorkel (most of the cheap ones don't).
This is one of my favorite underwater shots from Grand Cayman:

 

[Princess Denise]

That is a great price for the TS4, was it always there and now on clearance?
Seems too low for regular price.

Do a comparison check on DPreview.

Unless you tinker with the settings, the TS4 doesn't take good indoor (lowlight) shots on auto mode. It's outdoor and underwater shots are brilliant. I actually have crisp, clear and smooth video of my daughters underwater. It also picked up the audio really well.
(I used my dslr or iPhone5 indoors on the cruise so it didn't matter).
I don't know much about the Nikon.

Whichever underwater camera, remember to rinse it out with fresh water if you use it in ocean water or a salt pool. Salt contributes to seal breakdown.

I guess a new one came out for 2013 so they added a $50 rebate... Costco always has wonderful deals and a delightful return policy- as long as you have your receipt - or they can look it up. LOVE Costco!

 

[Silverfox97]

We have a Fuji WP and we use it for our regular point and shoot as well as underwater. The underwater pics are amazing. We got it in 2010, for $129, and it is still going strong. It is shock proof as well, as our 12 year old has proven repeatedly with her own Fuji WP. We also use it above water, when using the SLR isn't feasible. (Sorry, he isn't allowed on the snorkeling boat!)
The Fuji will not go deep enough to snorkel (most of the cheap ones don't).
This is one of my favorite underwater shots from Grand Cayman:

Yep. My hubby took it snorkeling in St John and the pressure cracked it. I think he said he was about 15 ft down. I loved my green Fuji and was sad to see it go It was a great point & shoot and took great pics. Now we have the Nikon AW 100 that goes to 33 ft so he can snorkel safely....

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[tnkrbell]

I just purchased a pentax Wg-II I havent used it yet but plan to try it out this weekend.

 

[JnDRader]

I recently bought a GoPro Hero 3 Black. Good to 200 feet with the included enclosure. We dive so I need that. Outstanding video and picture quality. And I mean truly outstanding. Some drawbacks though. No zoom. Not a big deal to me because I don't really take macro shots and usually visibility isn't good enough under water to make a zoom all that helpful. Pictures taken have a fisheye distortion that requires "fixing" later. Quick and simple though. Relatively short battery life too. Anyone can PM me if they want more info.

The thing is tiny though. I bought it mainly for scuba diving but have started carrying it around with me more often. If something requires a zoom my wife can use her camera. Without a tripod, or at least a monopod, zooming with a camcorder just results in incredibly shaky footage that ends up being nearly useless. They also have 2 other editions which, while not as nice, are still very good camcorders for the money.

 

[jeegyar]

Great find! But look at the 'fitting guide' - they have several models depending on the camera:

I agree. I have gotten a DicaPak case and have used it and loved it. There are different sizes depending on what kind of camera you have, but they are safe to use and my photos came out great! I highly recommend this alternative to an underwater camera

 

[DLW8]

go to amazon and look up the kodak playsport, its a waterproof/shockproof/damn near indestructible. Takes great outdoor pictures and is also really good for video. I shot our entire disneyland vacation on this and it worked great.

I also have the Kodak Playsport and love it. I use it on the video setting and then when I am home, can take a still from within the video. Much easier than trying to actually click a good still underwater photo.

I plan on getting the disposable Fuji cameras.

We have used these in the past and have not had good luck. It's hard to actually SEE through the tiny viewfinder and take a good photo when you have a snorkel mask on and the quality of the photos you do get aren't great.

That is why I bought the Playsport. Taking a video is easier to be able to get a good still from within in.

 

[JnDRader]

I also have the Kodak Playsport and love it. I use it on the video setting and then when I am home, can take a still from within the video. Much easier than trying to actually click a good still underwater photo.



We have used these in the past and have not had good luck. It's hard to actually SEE through the tiny viewfinder and take a good photo when you have a snorkel mask on and the quality of the photos you do get aren't great.

That is why I bought the Playsport. Taking a video is easier to be able to get a good still from within in.

We have(had) 3 Playsports and they are convenient. 1 died for no apparent reason though. Also, they don't go deep enough for scuba.

 

[DisneyOrBustColorado]

I personally am a Canon gal. But I don't want to carry around my heavy DSLR's not to mention getting them wet. So I bought the Canon D20 for our Halloween cruise. I loved it!!!! I got some awesome beach pictures. It works really, really well in good lighting (Like all point & shoot cameras).

Here are some videos that I took with the camera. The first of Maya Chan Beach Resort in Costa Maya & the second a stingray that was following our boat on Castaway Cay. Sorry for the orientation. I just quickly leaned over the boat & took a short video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBjmaxYRjIM&NR=1&feature=endscreen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEqb1d53GA4

 

[SG101]

We bought a lifeproof case for my iPhone. Hubby used it for snorkeling at castaway cay and it worked perfectly.

 

[dceks cruisers]

We purchased this just over 2 weeks ago: Nikon 16 Megapixel Waterproof Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Model: AW100). Used it on our Eastern cruise last week and loved it! It is being replaced with a new model that will have same features with addition of wireless upload or something of that nature. We are very happy with it and the results (rain forest, snorkeling, fireworks, sunrise/set and all around general use, including videos). Fun times captured! We purchased a wristband floatation band that is a quick attach/detach and happy with that too. Loved the GPS location info so I didn't have to remember all the locations we visited in San Juan - it named the place for me!

 

[Minnie321]

I got a Fuiji water proof camera for our cruise last week. It worked great - took some really great underwater shots when we did the swimming with the sting rays. I do not recommend Olympus - my last water proof camera was Olympus and it did not last a year.
Here are some pictures with the camera. It also took some great video on the same excursion - even underwater!
These pictures were taken complely underwater:

 

[Minnie321]

We have a Fuji WP and we use it for our regular point and shoot as well as underwater. The underwater pics are amazing. We got it in 2010, for $129, and it is still going strong. It is shock proof as well, as our 12 year old has proven repeatedly with her own Fuji WP. We also use it above water, when using the SLR isn't feasible. (Sorry, he isn't allowed on the snorkeling boat!)
The Fuji will not go deep enough to snorkel (most of the cheap ones don't).
This is one of my favorite underwater shots from Grand Cayman:

I agree - same camera I got and I love it!

 

[Embraer]

I'd go with the GoPro, there are so many applications you can use it for aside from all things aquatic.

I've recently used mine skiing, attached to my boot, ski and my son's helmet. I've got a chest mount which I'm looking forward to using both forward and backwards on the AquaDuck. I've also got a grenade grip to which I've attached an old camera lanyard for security, this is quite adequate for just walking around with, and a long monopod which should be absolutely amazing used parasailing on CC. These are my main mounts but I also have a suction mount for glass and an attachment to allow me to fix the camera to a bike or buggy, so I'm thinking time lapse around the MK attached to the latter. The Hero 3 has just come onto the market but the Hero 2 is a cracking little camera and with add-ons like a WiFi pack you can remotely control and view (with a 3 second delay) what the camera sees from up to 200ft away.

Try not to look for a camera that does too many things. I've an DSLR with a myriad of lenses from 10mm up to 270mm, a Panasonic Lumix for quick shooting and HD video and the GoPro for pretty much everything else. Just have a look on youtube at all the things you can do with it

 

[Princess Denise]

I'd go with the GoPro, there are so many applications you can use it for aside from all things aquatic.

I've recently used mine skiing, attached to my boot, ski and my son's helmet. I've got a chest mount which I'm looking forward to using both forward and backwards on the AquaDuck. I've also got a grenade grip to which I've attached an old camera lanyard for security, this is quite adequate for just walking around with, and a long monopod which should be absolutely amazing used parasailing on CC. These are my main mounts but I also have a suction mount for glass and an attachment to allow me to fix the camera to a bike or buggy, so I'm thinking time lapse around the MK attached to the latter. The Hero 3 has just come onto the market but the Hero 2 is a cracking little camera and with add-ons like a WiFi pack you can remotely control and view (with a 3 second delay) what the camera sees from up to 200ft away.

Try not to look for a camera that does too many things. I've an DSLR with a myriad of lenses from 10mm up to 270mm, a Panasonic Lumix for quick shooting and HD video and the GoPro for pretty much everything else. Just have a look on youtube at all the things you can do with it

When I looked on their website at their reviews for the 3... Most if them were bad... They mostly said wait a while before you buy it so they can "fix the bugs"... Have you had any problems with yours? Can you see the picture after you've taken it? How is the battery life? Is it worth all that money?