Waterproof cameras

Right tool for the job
You won’t get this shot from a hand-held. If it were a photo instead of a video screen shot the quality would be a lot better.



I have a lot of semi-OK shots taken from a waterproof point-and-shoot that I’d never have with anything else, because I wouldn’t have had a camera with me kayaking, if it weren’t waterproof. I’ve decided I’d rather have the shot than not.

AA Bats & Optio WR
I’m with VK on the old Optio WRs. I’ve just sent mine to the box of electronics waiting to go to the landfill. It never really did die, it just stopped taking good pictures, due to wear on the lens cover. I used to carry a piece of shammy cloth to wipe the lens with, since it was always exposed and would get drops of water on the lens cover. Over thousands of shots, I ruined the lens cover with tiny scratches.



I thought those lens covers were replaceable, but I was never able to find a replacement. So, the honorable WR43 is headed for the trash. That camera made people with more expensive, better-reviewed cameras mad, because it took better pictures than they got off their newer cameras.



So, this is a timely thread as I am currently in the market for a waterproof p&s camera. AA batteries are high on my criteria. I am not finding any cameras with AA bats, other than an inexpensive Kodak unit that has limited features. I take trips where I am away from electricity, so that basically means you have to buy and carry back ups of the camera’s proprietary battery. I don’t like it.



~~Chip

It wouldn’t do the job for me. But
if I buy one and screw it on my skull, will I be a Hero and a Pro?



There were already dedicated waterproof cameras when I bought my Elph. I bought it and I put up with its additional bulk because it takes good pictures.



The G15, at the $450 I paid for it, is about a light year ahead of the Elph (which cost the same 5 years ago), will take great stills, and pretty good videos. In the waterproof case, it is bulky, no argument. But it will allow me to get good results in conditions where even my Elph can’t do the job.



The GoPros have been a solution to one problem, how to run down serious whitewater while gathering continuous video. That was never my problem, though I sometimes enjoy seeing videos of streams where stopping for stills would be very difficult.

What I’ve done with the lens covers on
my ancient Minolta Weathermatic 35, and on the waterproof case for my digital Canons, is to blow really hard on them and then give them a moment to dry. In bad circumstances, I clean them with the tip of my tongue, slosh the camera in the river, and then blow to clear off residual drops. I haven’t had a problem with the lens covers wearing, not even the coated cover on the Canon waterproof case.



It helps if the lens cover is large enough. A small cover can be hard to clear with any method.

Panasonic Lumix TS


I’ve had a TS-3 about 2 years and used it in Class II and Class III whitewater with great success for HD movies and stills. It has taken a beating on rocks and survided some pretty turbulent Class III flips and swims.



The advantage it has over the GoPro my buddies use it that I can be 20 feet away in the eddy and still get a full frame shot. If they aren’t withing 5 to 15 feet with the GoPro, the wide angle really pushes the subject away. I’ve also watched a case break open on the Upper Nantahala, another camera lost on the Hiwassee, and a Lifecase get knocked off a mount in the last year. I tether mine to my PFD and hand hold to shoot – or occasionally take a small tripod.



Jim

new Canon Coolpix AW 110

– Last Updated: Mar-01-13 3:34 PM EST –

I am also shopping for one...I am considering the new version of the Nikon Coolpix AW100 just out, the AW 110. Looks good on paper and the reviews of the AW 100 were generally quite good.The AW110 is expensive ($350) for a point-and-shoot with a so-so sensor, but has GPS, Wifi-connectivity, and what looks like good general functionality. Specs for depth and drop resistance seem to be enhanced from the AW100. I'm not sure that the changes are worth an extra $120 or so from the AW100, though.
Edit: Sorry, should have been Nikon, not Canon, in title.

as soon as you buy it it becomes
outdated.



Soon we will have no more dedicated cameras. The chief “gripe” I have with the AW 100 is the GPS eats the battery and the flare when the sun is in front of you even remotely.



A 40.5 mm filter fixed the latter. The GPS feature is not something I use for trips. Often I have no recharge capability for one or two weeks.

Did Canon buy Nikon? -:wink:

– Last Updated: Mar-04-13 11:39 PM EST –

Tha AW Coolpix is a Nikon (not Canon).

That aside, my friend has one and, while it makes decent pictures and has a nice screen, his fogs-up way too much. He also has an older Pentax that flooded patially for no apparent reason. We went to all the same places and my Sony TX5 (a veeery old model by now) had no issues, knock on wood. That little camera I carry in my PFD pocket often and it has seen lots of snorkeling and rolling and white water and is still going good despite the scratched-up metal exterior...

Most waterproof cameras, somewhere in the fine print, tell to replace the seals every year to maintain waterproofness. The replacement cost is about 1/2 the camera cost if not more. Something to keep in mind as one's camera ages beyond a year or two (mine is already at near 3 years of active use and I see no issues with the seals or anything else aging)...

Olympus all the way
I’ve been using my underwater olympus camera thats shockproof, freezeproof and waterproof. It’s gone under many an ocean on snorkling, scuba and kayaking trips. I’ve also had it for years and it’s still going. Good luck!

What model?

Old school - film…,.

– Last Updated: Mar-01-13 10:46 AM EST –

Still use me 35mm Nikonos V wit film (on occasion)! Built like a tank an' ah' kin go fer months on a battery.

Now fer all dat new-fangled deecheatool daguerreotypes - ah' use an Olympus T-610 which be purty good, but iffin' ah's gonna shoot some decent video an' stills ah' use a Nikon P7100 (which has an actual oopticool viewfinder still) an' a Fantasea waterproof housing. A wee bit bulky but woyks great. Ah' wuzn't gonna spend $1600 on a dive housin' fer me Nikon D7000 or $4000 on a Gates fer me big JVC HD-100 camcorder.

FE

Olympus Stylus 1030SW
I’ve used this camera for roughly 5 years.

https//picasaweb.google.com/TommyC1Taylor



The good is that it is Tommyproof. I am rough on gear and this camera has swum rapids, banged off of decks and rocks, and handled icy to hot weather all with minimal complaint.

I do not coddle, rinse or otherwise fool with the seals. So far no leaks.

I’ve never had any internal fogging issues even when I keep it inside my shirt while skiing. Take it out, shoot, put it back.

Freshly charged, the batteries hold up for three to four days when I’m out tripping. Two will get me through a week. With a freshly charged battery at 12 degrees F I got low battery warnings when I left it outside of my shirt for half an hour. The battery seemed to recover once I warmed it up. But that was a day trip so I can not say how the cold would affect it long term.

Color rendition is pretty good with decent light.



The bad is that the CCD is too small to live up to the 10 megapixel images. My old 3 megapixel Cannon shot comparable images with regards to clarity.

The 4x optical zoom is OK if the light is strong but suffers badly if not.

I also have an Olympus 1030SW and

– Last Updated: Mar-04-13 6:05 PM EST –

it works for what I shoot.
GO WITH WHAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS.
"VK1NF" is right on regarding the float strap. Mine is from Olympus.
I have a friend who had lost 3 'waterproof' cameras and finally realized the truth that, it's only as retrievable as its PFD (foam strap). To which his boyfriend said, "I told you so!" Now to get him to remember, during cooler weather, not to wear his blue jeans for paddling especially when slinking under a low bridge in your kayak, which he usually dumps. Some younguns never learn. :)

saltwater
I used a Sony tx-10 for three days in Florida bay. It worked flawlessly and still does. Not bad image quality. I wore it on my PDF and didn’t wash it off until day 4. I’m getting a contour roam this week. It should be better at just turning it on and getting a picture every 5 seconds. IQ will probably be worse.

Can’t say much about Olympus
My 310 (I think) woke up dead a week before a trip. No good excuse - It had never been really wet or dropped. Maybe a little splash. Under time (& $ ) pressure I ended up with a base Fuji. Works pretty good if you understand that it isn’t really built for low light & will blur if you don’t pay attention. The snow mode worked ok on our Ausable trip a week ago. 20 deg weather didn’t seem to bother the battery.

not for stills

– Last Updated: Mar-05-13 7:56 AM EST –

Small aperture, no zoom, few to no settings. If you were a pro photographer you'd acknowledge this.

There is no magic to setting up a decent waterproof point-and-shoot. It's simple, try it.

things to consider besides waterproofnes
Shockproof?

OPTICAL zoom range? 28 is the usual wide end. DIGITAL zoom is just cropping.

Manual settings/picture style settings?

Battery life

Mp count/sensor size

Most important feature
My experience after five years with a Pentax Optio W10 is that after waterproof the most important feature is a good image stabilization feature - especially when shooting from a canoe on moving water.



I’m still waiting for that Pentax to die so I can replace it with a Panasonic. Maybe I’ll accidentally forget to tether it to my PFD someday and let it drown.

Withdrawing endorsement of AW100
Six months old and it leaked and fried first day of a five day kayak/snorkeling trip last week. Was salt water but was only snorkeling depth.

More things to consider. Fast startup.
Short picture to picture delay. Wide angle lens.



Fast lens. Try for at least 2.8 at the wide end of the zoom. My new Canon G15 has 1.8 to 2.8 over its 28-140 zoom range, better than some SLRs. When paddling, you will struggle with low light conditions, and many waterproofs seem designed only for sunny days.



The number of pixels is less important. In fact,fewer pixels can mean faster shot-to-shot. My 5 year old Canons have “only” 7 megapixels, but that’s plenty for even 8 by 10 prints, and allows cropping for closeups. New waterproof cameras usually have at least 12 megapixels, and that’s plenty! Take more only if they come with other desirable features.



A bright, detailed LCD screen.