As a Canon SLR and P & S owner, I would be more comfy with this new offering vs. Olympus or Pentax. Any owners care to share their feelings about this camera for paddlesports? I like th fact that it has the same optical image stabilization and Digic 4 processor as the regular Elph offerings but not sure about the bulky size for a Pfd vs. other offerings.
(the risk of using a non-waterproof P & S finally hit me as mine fell in the water and is now toast).
just got Fuji Finepix Z33
to replace Optio WP that flooded. Never could find the highly rated Canon and did not want to drop over $300 on the newer Optio line. Wife and I like the one button feature for movie mode on Fuji priced at $160. We just needed waterproof P&S at decent price.
Check the reviews…
– Last Updated: Aug-10-09 10:20 AM EST –
Here:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0907/09072210waterproofgroup.asp
Fuji, no offence, has done this particular WP camera with sub-par IQ even for the price and is a dog to use - slow. I played with it in the store and, while nice in the hand and cheap, that's about it going for it...
The D10, except for the lack of wide angle and HD video and ISO1600 perofrmance beats the rest as far as I can tell by a healty margin.
Depending on the needs however, extra image quality can be a waste of $$$ just as well, so the Fuji is still a contender for some -;)
Reviews vs. paddlers
Thanks, I’ve read the reviews but was hoping specifically that paddlers would comment on usage.
Z33
– Last Updated: Aug-10-09 12:30 PM EST –
So Andy,
What do you think of the Z33? I'm looking for a waterproof for canoeing and $160.00 sounds about right for me also. I like Canon products, but I'm not ready to spend $329.00 for a WP canoeing camera just yet. Your thoughts?
Just curious
Are you the same Martin who has been photographing the local running community lately? New Paltz and Rosendale?
no
not me, although that area of the Hudson river is about 100 miles away.
P&S waterproof cameras
– Last Updated: Aug-10-09 1:17 PM EST –
I'm not here to praise or diss the Canon D10, or any Canon.
After much research, I concluded all the consumer grade waterproof point and shoots are a crapshoot as far as surviving in a kayaker's environment.
Since the quality of the picture is going to take a distant back seat to a landloving SLR, what's really the most important criteria -
...that the camera will function if it dunks or swims.
None of the major players - again in the affordable category - has brought out a clear winner. There are many consumer reviews which include total failure and continued warranty battles w. companies over waterproofing failures.
Pentax was the first major company in this category.
They have image stabilization (antishake) which Olympus doesn't. I'd check into the Canon on that.
Olympus came in w. the Stylus and then the Tough Series which are bodywise more robust w. than the
Pentax Optios and have a more elaborate - but not always better - internal waterproofing... BUT some of them have a moveable lens which is one more way for water to enter. Again see what the deal is w. Canon.
In any case:
Get a silicon skin for your camera - one more piece of armor. I know some people who double wrap.
get a package of LCD clear protector sheets. LCD is the most prone to getting scratched in and around the put in/take out, it's not typically a warranty issue (abuse) and very expensive to replace. There is some marginal gain in reducing glare which is great since many cameras in this range don't have an optical viewer.
No matter what you buy, get a floating wrist strap!
A few things
my Olympus 1050SW has some type of image stabilization – the new Tough Series does as well.
I agree about zoom lenses – you don’t want the telescoping type of zoom lens because they do have to change volume which means bring more air internal to the camera body. If the camera is under water, it might suck water instead of air…
I really hate the idea of the floating strap, but others swear by them. I’d just rather have it strapped to something else like me or my PFD. I have a loop with small 1/8 inch diameter bungie cord attached to my vest and it takes 10 seconds to hook the wrist strap that came with the camera into the loop. Takes a little longer to undo the knot, but it’s simple and it works without all the bulk…
jim
floating wrist strap
Jim - don’t wear the floating strap on my wrist while I’m actually paddling. That’s a PITA, agreed.
The strap to keeps the camera tethered
to me or the boat (depending on the water venue).
I think the wrist strap is great to wear when settling in to take a shot or 5.
Seems a lot of times cameras are dropped into the water when people are in the midst of actual pic taking. The strap makes for quick retrieval and the camera may never approach that 3 meter submersion limit. (I know the higher quality ones can go 33 feet
but am not discussing that price point).
Did you know that Pentax can test submersion depth of warranty claims - if their tests show the camera went deeper, then SOL. Olympus may do this as well, IDK. but anyway a $7.99 strap can keep the thing from sinking - and the red, orange or yellow floats make the camera much more visible.
Pentax
I have one of the early Pentax models. Has worked just fine for me. I’ve not put any shields over the lcd screen or put the camera in any type of case. I’ve held it underwater and shot photos many times. I’ve submerged it in a five gallon water bucket. No problems. I do have a small piece of "pool noodle " attached to it tho so it won’t sink.
I think you will do fine with any of the major brands.
protection
many people use a piece of pool noodle or chunk of minicell as a quick float. A good idea. I just prefer the sectioned floatation of the float strap and the 2 positive points of attachment. Gives me more configs.
the OP is considering a camera released this year w. a MSRP of $299. Add an extra battery or two, memory cards, case, etc and it’s easily $100 more. Even if he gets a deal it’s still looking like $300 range for everything.
LCD protectors cost $5 for 4-6. A silicon skin is $10 or less.
$15 to protect the investment and fend off damage to the LCD which is not usually warrantied.
Specs are specs…
– Last Updated: Aug-10-09 2:58 PM EST –
I think you can figure out a lot about the cameras from these reviews. What camera-specific detail can a bunch of paddler's who are not necessarily photographers and who have at best played with one or two of the models provide that a good review can't???
Unless the image stabilization is optical or with sensor shake (second best) it is a gimmick and does not really work. Check the test results. The so called "triple" stabilization a specific brand deploys is nothing but mush over noise -;). For paddling, the stabilization is important, especially if it works in movie mode.
The ruggedness of the camera also can be deduced from the specs only 2 models go to 10m.
The smaller - the more likely you will have it without but the harder to use.
Lastly, if it can't take a good photo on land, I doubt it will somehow do any better on the water in the shaky hands of a paddler -;). Shake reduction, reliable exposure, good resolution - if it ain't got it I'd think twice, unless specific needs of the user emphasize some other need more than these.
Having a rubber skin (factory or accessory) is a big plus for small banging protection.
Stick-on LCD protectors can actually work very well and are also a good thing to have. I have one on my Garmin GPS and it has so far been in the water every time I take it with me and it shows no signs of coming off. I would go with a stick-on thicker (1mm) models for best shock protection but these are only attached on the sides as opposed to glued at the entire surface like the flexible ones, so I suspect the thick rigid protectors that are "the best" for land use (had them on all my SLRs) may create problems on the water with water seeping b/w the protector and the screen.
A float on the tie-down is pretty much mandatory insurance IMO or the camera will sooner or later go the way of Andy's cameras, RIP them all, which are probably still ready to take photos at the bottom of the Atlantic -;(
Ability to mount to helmet or some kind of pod on the deck, or tie to more than one point on the body of the camera is nice to have - all of these have tripod mounts, the Canon has 4 tie-down/accessory points on top of that too (the others have usually a single tie-down).
Using a flexible case on a regular camera (like I have) does not provide tripod mount is too bulky and does not hold the camera inside in perfect position all the time, plus may impede operation of some controls - thus I do not use it nearly as much as I'd like to, while I'm paddling...
Canon D10
I’ve been researching waterproof cameras after dunking and ruining my old digital camera early this summer. The Canon D10 appears to be the best of the bunch, despite its larger size and limited lens range. In other words, it takes the best pictures, which is most important to me. Its main drawback is the price ($329), and very few dealers are offering any discounts right now. I have toyed with the idea of just buying the smaller Canon SD1200 for about half the money and using a waterproof bag (like Aquapac), but then the camera would be much bulkier and harder to use.
so far, so good on Fuji
Selling points was features for price and one button access for movie, flash, macro etc that were deep in menu of former Optio. 10mp better than 5 of before. Movies are double res too. Also used same SD memory cards we had for Optio.
Small size and lens in upper corner requires care not to block with finger. Both units were tethered to PFD or to suction cup deck mount with 1/4-20 thread. Fuji takes good pictures to my eye. I did read the DP reviews and liked Canon on paper but none found around my zip code.
Wife and I were photographing some of her fabulous artwork Sunday afternoon. Even with careful tripod arrangement, we did see some slight distortion of rectangular picture frames (24 by 40 inches) such that middle of edge was slightly bowed out. But for typical kayak shots, that level of geometric demand is not there.
Both with Optio and Fuji, we just leave in in AUTO mode and let the camera decide ISO, et al as time is not there to fiddle with setting up shots of dynamic nature. We use the continuous mode and later edit out the poor shots. We had on water yesterday. The Fuji’s door and gasket are more robust than Optio of 2005 vintage. We suspect we did not slide door switch to LOCKED position. Fuji is spring loaded to always lock. For the money, the Fuji works for us and is not so expensive to be a huge loss if it fails. I am on the hunt for the optional silicon shock sleeve.
newest model
that’s a good observation, tarwheel.
The D10 had spring intro. and the price of waterproof cameras always holds strong in the later spring/summer months when people go on cruises (spring) and the usual summer vacations.
My strategy is to buy 1-2 models down after the “latest thing” comes out - 90% of the time that works fro me and saves a helluva lotta $$. The exception would be if there was some new killer feature my particular use had to have.
As far as reviews, the official reviewers don’t/can’t speak to longterm durability. It’s not the same as ordinary consumers who will use a camera for years. They may not be “professionals” but in most cases they want to get a good run for their money.
I don’t run out to buy cameras like Matt buys boats… '-)
Yeah,but I do!
I’m into my third Pentax. This is the WP80, I’ve had and lost the WP40 and a WP60. Lost them both because they were not tethered and I didn’t close the pocket of my PFD.
I got the third Pentax because I was quite pleased with the photo’s that the other two took. The WP80 is 12.1 megapixels and I expect even better photo’s. I also have a Canon Digital SLR that I take on the water. But that stays in a waterproof deckbag and only comes out if I see something that can be photographed better with the DSLR and a 300mm lens. Eagles for instance!
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2719483040041263145tTxxVw
Andy
Andy…
the fact that you stick w. the WP series tells me something, bec. you are an excellent amateur photog!
So… why did you go w. the Optio WP 80? Are you just very familiar w.the Optios? (you SHOULD be by now!)
Buying topline makes sense for you - just need a BIG tether for it one w. blinking lights and maybe a beeper when it gets more than 3 feet away!!
I just bought one
– Last Updated: Aug-10-09 7:28 PM EST –
I haven't really used it much.
So far I am happy with it. It's a 12 meg camera that takes great pictures with good looking color for a typical point and shoot. 3x optical means I can't really bring in subjects all that great. The lens is left unprotected when not in use so I can imagine the lens will suffer from regular use. I hate the fact that it uses a rechargeable battery that is expensive to buy for a back up. But the battery life is excellent and more than capable of filling up a 2 gig card. Not sure about how many flashes will kill it.
In movie mode, the camera is a disappointment. Maybe I am doing something wrong but the video I have taken have been unusable. So much in fact that I am thinking about returning the camera. Maybe my player is not liking the format or something? Playback is fragmented and has no smoothness to it. My gopro takes more usable video. If I had to take video on the water, I would use the gopro3 with its far inferior optics but user friendly playback.
The few pictures I have taken with the camera are good quality compared to what I am use to. For a waterproof camera it is excellent. I just have to work out the video bugs.
Man, I am such an idiot…
– Last Updated: Aug-10-09 7:26 PM EST –
so, all along I figured my existing canon software would work fine with the d-10 so I never installed the disk that came with the camera. duh!. That was pretty stupid to assume that. I mean when I got back from vacation the computer read the card and the pictures looked great and played back the videos but it never really worked right. Tonight I loaded the software. I will try the video again and see if I have better results. It probably helps with the right software installed. Ya think?
HeeeEE-haw hee-haw!