Waterproof/resistant camera

[scrappinmom]

Hi all - I'm looking to purchase dd (16) a waterproof/resistant camera for her upcoming Hawaii trip. . She's going with her hs band, & while I'd trust her with my life, I don't trust her with my D90.

So I thought if I could buy her a reasonable point & shoot, & if she could use it at the beach without worrying about it getting wet, that would be a bonus. I know Olympus and I think Fuji both have waterproof ones out...I looked at the Olympus but I'm wondering if anyone knows any other (better) choices.

tia

 

[zackiedawg]

Well there seem to be quite a few choices nowadays - many different brands have a waterproof version. Ones to look at: The afformentioned Fuji and Olympus, plus: Canon D10, Casio EXG1, Sony TX5, Panasonic TS(FT) series, Samsung AQ series, and Pentax Optio W series. Sony recently announced a new TX10 coming soon as well.

Plenty of choices!

 

[scrappinmom]

Thanks Justin - Have you had any experience with any of these? I will head over to cnet & do some research there

 

[Spinning]

we have a ujifilm FinePix XP10 12 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD that I bought last summer and really like it a lot. It takes nice pictures and is easy to use. Plus small and light weight.
For Christmas I bought my DD a Olympus Stylus 6000 10MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD
She likes it but the photos don't seem as nice as the fuji and it weighs more.
Not sure why I just didn't get a second fuji....but I had xd cards and had hoped my batteries from another camera I would be able to use.
The price of the fuji is really cheap now.

 

[zackiedawg]

Thanks Justin - Have you had any experience with any of these? I will head over to cnet & do some research there

Also check out dpreview.com...look in their 'reviews' history as last yer they did a waterproof P&S shootout that included many different models.

Personal experience-wise, I've checked out the Panasonic and Sony models, and have a friend with the Canon D10. All have their positives - the big questions would be how much you think you need to prioritize the waterproofness, the controllability and button layout, the simplicity, the compactness, and the features.

The Canon D10 is well reviewed, and probably one of the better ones for photographic control, having some manual and priority modes in the menus for those interested in their own settings, but it's also much bulkier and less pocketable than most - probably all - competitors. The Panasonic seems to review pretty well, and seems to do well in regular daylight dry shooting situations so would work as an every day camera - but is a thickly-built camera with heavy metal case. The Sony TX is as slim, small, and light as you can get in this category, but generally has less manual control modes and is more tuned to working in scene and automatic modes, though the touch-screen does afford some level of control over a few parameters.

My personal preferences with a compact camera is to prioritize size over everything, then features, then image quality, then style, then manual controllability. So I'm willing to accept less control and slightly less image quality to prioritize extreme portability and lightness and good featureset. I've currently got a Sony TX1, which is the non-waterproof version of the TX5, and it's the perfect combination for me - though I'd like to replace it with a waterproof version and am waiting for more news on the upcoming TX10. When I want to take photography seriously and exercise manual control over everything, I use my DSLR...when I carry the ultracompact, I just want to have a camera on me for those times I don't want to or can't bring the DSLR. I'm OK with mostly automatic cameras, as long as I still have a spot meter, spot focus, and EV adjustment, so I can still get the aperture/shutter I want in a given situation. Others really want to have a DSLR-level of control in a compact, and are willing to compromise on size, weight, and technology to get it. So it's all up to your needs!

 

[cinder4066]

I currently have the Olympus stylus tough 6020, and have had it over a year now. I am deployed right now to an island in the Pacific. I also brought 2 others out here with me I broke my panasonic lumix tz5 with one drop(non waterproof) so Have been using this camera as my main point and shoot with also when I do some dives not far down( only rated at 16ft). I have had no problems with it at all. I dropped it quite a few times from decent heights and nothing. I can't say anything bad about this camera plus it comes in many colors my fav the Lime green. If you would like to see the quality of some of the pics you can pm me and I can either send you some of the pics I took out here or can give you my facebook link so you can browse thru many pics underwater, and not underwater.

 

[TmlndSpdwy03]

I love the Canon D10. Had it almost 2 years now. Can not say enough good things about it. I have never tried another brand so I can not compare - I bought the Canon one b/c it had the best reviews when I was looking.

Yes, it is bulkier then other cameras but its really not that bad (especially compared to a DSLR, lol). I can throw it in my purse or if I am wearing pants, I usually wrap the wrist strap around my belt loop and stick it in my from pocket. I have never had it fall out, but figure if it did, the wrist strap would keep it from getting lost.

I do recommend getting something to look onto the camera so it floats. I am always paranoid I am going to drop it in the ocean or on a lake and hvae it float to the bottom and lose it, lol.

 

[networktek]

i got the Fuji xp10 its a great little camera to take in the water
its light and easy to use

 

[scrappinmom]

Thanks all - I'm still reading & doing some research. I'm thinking I might go with the Canon...yes it's bulkier, but I really would like her to be able to get some good pics of the dry scenery while she's there. If I was going (which I'm not) I'd have the DSLR to shoot with and then the waterproof one could be just a fun little thing to bring to the beach.

thanks for all the advice!

 

[Spinning]

so far I am pleased with my fuji's prints in and out of the water. I did just get back some prints from the cannon. I think I like the fuji better....These prints were from a dance and low light.

 

[scrappinmom]

so far I am pleased with my fuji's prints in and out of the water. I did just get back some prints from the cannon. I think I like the fuji better....These prints were from a dance and low light.

hmm, really? the fuji is currently cheaper as well. Would you be able to post them? I'd like to see both an in water and out of water....if you have the time, I'd truly appreciate it.

 

[Spinning]

I don't have any water pictures yet with canon.
I can't post the canon pictures from the dance because they aren't of my daughter but of her friends. I will take some compassison shots tonight and post either later tonight or tomorrow. This way you can see what each photo looks like same distance, lighting etc...
I don't think you can go wrong with either camera. The fuji is a 5x and the canon is 4x I think but it has a wider angle which I thought for a kid would be better since they love those hand held face shots!