Waterproof camera

[CruznLexi]

We have the Kodak water play one the view finder is not so great. But we have taken it down waterslides, snorkeled at Castaway and played with it in the pools too. Not a bad camera.

 

[Embraer]

The firmware is upgradeable so any bugs are ironed out pretty quickly. The main difference between the 2 and the 3 (I believe, without looking into it too much) is the built in wifi capability. I bought the add-on so have no reason to upgrade. There is no standard way of instantly viewing pictures after you take them but you can purchase an LCD backpack to fit on the back. I use the Apple sd camera adaptor and an iPad to view if I want and I'll have a laptop with me on most occasions (the link is for the older iPad connector not the Lightning adaptor). You'll get a good hour out of the built-in battery, spares are available, and if you get the wifi adaptor it has a battery boost built into it.

The GoPro is an activity camera. It won't give you the best picture, true, but it will allow you to take pictures you normally wouldn't be able to. All you have to do is put GoPro into a YouTube search to see just what you can do with it, there's some cool Aquaduck footage like this. Is it worth the money? Well that can usually be gauged by how much you use something. I don't use it too much when I'm not vacationing, it's not the kind of camera you'd use in doors for Thanksgiving Dinner and the like! However it's one of the 3 cameras I'm planning on taking in the summer and you can get pretty creative with how you use it and mount it.

You should be able to get some good package prices on the Hero2 at the moment because of the introduction of the Hero3. I picked up some accessories from REI on our last visit to the US last November & there are plenty of internet options such as Amazon.

Hope that all helps, it's not the cheapest, especially after buying all the extra mounts and attachments but as we say in England - "it does what it says on the side of the tin" and you're pretty much only limited by your imagination as to how you use it

 

[peachygreen]

I got the Pentax WG-II on sale last week. I haven't taken it underwater yet but I have taken a few test pictures above water and been happy with them. I got this one as a beach/pool camera so I don't worry about getting my Lumix damaged. It is good to 40' depth, a 4.9' drop and is good to 14°F (which honestly isn't that cold).

I plan to take both cameras out this weekend and practice with them so I know what I am doing and which camera I want to use at certain times on our cruise in a few weeks. I'll report back when I get back from the cruise.

I'm excited to be able to take some pictures in places I normally wouldn't take pictures. I hope to get to go snorkeling too, but I don't intend to dive down while snorkeling.

 

[n8nally]

I plan on getting the disposable Fuji cameras.

Do they make digital ones?

 

[meajuly5]

I use the Olympus tough 8010 I believe is the model. I love it we take it to the park and don't have to worry if it rains we can keep shooting, and its amazing in the pool at the resort.

I use this too. I get frustrate with the slow shutter speed but I am used to a slr and that is not a fair comparison. I find the photos a little grainy but fine. Good for underwater and kid proof! I have an older model and I hear the quality to shots has improved. Nice little camera to throw in your pocket

 

[ranidayz]

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:

Totally agree about Olympus. I had two waterproof cameras die in the middle of Disney cruises! I have a Pentax now.

 

[JnDRader]

The firmware is upgradeable so any bugs are ironed out pretty quickly. The main difference between the 2 and the 3 (I believe, without looking into it too much) is the built in wifi capability. I bought the add-on so have no reason to upgrade. There is no standard way of instantly viewing pictures after you take them but you can purchase an LCD backpack to fit on the back. I use the Apple sd camera adaptor and an iPad to view if I want and I'll have a laptop with me on most occasions (the link is for the older iPad connector not the Lightning adaptor). You'll get a good hour out of the built-in battery, spares are available, and if you get the wifi adaptor it has a battery boost built into it.

The GoPro is an activity camera. It won't give you the best picture, true, but it will allow you to take pictures you normally wouldn't be able to. All you have to do is put GoPro into a YouTube search to see just what you can do with it, there's some cool Aquaduck footage like this. Is it worth the money? Well that can usually be gauged by how much you use something. I don't use it too much when I'm not vacationing, it's not the kind of camera you'd use in doors for Thanksgiving Dinner and the like! However it's one of the 3 cameras I'm planning on taking in the summer and you can get pretty creative with how you use it and mount it.

You should be able to get some good package prices on the Hero2 at the moment because of the introduction of the Hero3. I picked up some accessories from REI on our last visit to the US last November & there are plenty of internet options such as Amazon.

Hope that all helps, it's not the cheapest, especially after buying all the extra mounts and attachments but as we say in England - "it does what it says on the side of the tin" and you're pretty much only limited by your imagination as to how you use it

There's actually a significant difference between the Hero 2 and Hero 3 Black Edition. The Hero 3 BE has a completely new sensor that performs much better in low light. It is also capable of recording in 2.7k resolution at 30fps. Protune is available on more modes as is the RAW white balance setting which is critical for setting correct white balance post dive. GoPro's auto white balance is not very good under water. Stills are taken at 12MP. The Hero 3 Silver uses the same sensor as the Hero 2. Like the Hero 2 all Hero 3 GoPro's come with an enclosure rated to 197 feet. No correctional lens is necessary on the Hero 3 though.

Edit:
Just read my response again. Didn't mean for it to come across as though I was arguing with you in any way. Just that the Hero 3 Black is a completely different beast. Completely agree with the rest of your post!

 

[Embraer]

Fair post, I just don't know much about the 3, as I posted. The 2 is quite sufficient for my needs although the corrective feature is a pretty useful feature for underwater photography. Buying the Hero2 would however keep the costs down, especially in these times

 

[JnDRader]

Fair post, I just don't know much about the 3, as I posted. The 2 is quite sufficient for my needs although the corrective feature is a pretty useful feature for underwater photography. Buying the Hero2 would however keep the costs down, especially in these times

Agree. But I'm buy once cry once kind of guy. I'll always try to get the best that I can afford as long as the value equation isn't completely out of whack. 1-200 more for a camcorder/camera that should last years is worth it IMO. I would definitely consider going Hero 2 over the 3 Silver or White though.

Princess Denise. I have the 3 Black and it's "frozen" on me twice. Both times I held down the power button for 4-5 seconds when starting it rather than just tapping it. Other than that I've had no issues. The firmware update was easy. I have heard that those getting cameras with the updated firmware preloaded are having zero issues. The video quality, and picture quality, is outstanding. These cameras require true class 10 cards. That's where many people's problems come from. Certainly not all though.

If you're familiar with scubaboards check out their gopro forum.

 

[npstudent2012]

I have the Sony DSX-20 and love it.

 

[MarineFam]

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 one of these and I love it. It fits in your pocket so I ended up using it to video most of our vacation because of how easy it was to have with me all the time.

 

[Grumpy Sha]

I have an Olympus Tough TG-310. I love this camera its waterproof to 10ft and shockproof to 5ft. Here are a few shots taken on Castaway Cay.

http://s1173.beta.photobucket.com/user/ShanequaJoyner/media/P7120233.mp4.html

http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r597/ShanequaJoyner/P7120232.jpg

http://i1173.photobucket.com/albums/r597/ShanequaJoyner/P7120231.jpg

 

[Love2Plan4Disney]

I just bought this one off Ebay last week for my upcoming cruise. I didn't want to invest a lot, I just wanted it for snorkeling on Castaway Cay to capture that memory. I had been watching them on Ebay for a few days, there were tons and they were selling like hot cakes..lol

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390545529900?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

 

[trickiwoo]

I have a Fuji Finepix XP50. It cost about $150. I took it snorkeling on my last cruise and to the pool and beach plenty of times! It's been fantastic! Takes amazing pictures underwater (and above water!) and is super easy to use!

 

[polkadotrocks]

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

We have an Olympus Tough camera that we use for snorkeling (it does go down to 30 feet) and we purchased a housing for it so my husband can take it SCUBA diving down an additional 100 feet I believe. It's been great! Takes super pictures as well as videos and of course as I you well know it is not bulky to travel with. We did find out when buying it that not all of the models have housings for the camera's if the camera is a little older. But it is at least worth a try. Hope this helps.

Julie

 

[su_A_ve]

I picked up a Nikon CoolPix S30 for under $80 - had some worse buy coupons and price matched amazon, so paid under $30. But only took one or two underwater pictures while at the ocean in GC. We thought about doing snorkeling but ended up not.

The other pictures we took came out pretty good.

I wouldn't spend too much on one. I did get the $20 bag in amazon, but was awful to use.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0073HSJGU

 

[DarthTod]

I'll add a vote for the DicaPac bags. I used one this last trip, and while it can be a little cumbersome to use the controls, the price and being able to use your regular camera is well worth it.

 

[Princess Denise]

Nikon cool pix AW110 or hero3 white camera? We will be using it for scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming .

 

[Silverfox97]

Nikon cool pix AW110 or hero3 white camera? We will be using it for scuba diving, snorkeling, and swimming .

We have the AW 100 and love it!!

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