I know there were other threads on cameras,but all I want is a simple,inexpensive,waterproof digital camera.Advise please?
Turtle
Quality an issue?
Inexpensive waterproof cameras are easy to find. Here ya go:
http://www.travelgearblog.com/archive/waterproof-digital-camera.html
Now finding a (reasonably priced) waterproof camera that actually takes GOOD pictures? Now THAT is a hard question.
Waterproof cases are hit or miss. I lost my favorite camera with a leaky camera bag. >(
Olympus
– Last Updated: Jun-12-08 6:43 PM EST –
The model number of mine is U790SW, but thats in Australia. It is independentally waterproof to 10 feet, shock resistant to be dropped from 5 feet, 7.1Megapixels, point and shoot type set up. Find it easy to use, covered for 24months for water entry. While its no SLR etc, its easy to use, good quality pics and small, no cases etc. And costs only a touch more than a simialr non-waterproof camera.
I have used mine in breaking surf, dropped it many times and still works perfectly.
See http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_digital_sw.asp
for the range
I have been using an Olympus SW720
(a superseded model) for a few years now. The current models (SW1030 etc) are just as good and have a few additional features.
For samples of pictures taken kayaking http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarlydog/page2/
Gnarlydog
GoPro cameras
– Last Updated: Jun-13-08 1:20 PM EST –
www.goprocamera.com
For $140 you get a waterproof (to 100') digital camera which also does video. It has a bunch of other features too. I have one, and strap it to the top of my kayak every time I go. It's GREAT! It takes 3 megapixel stills, and shoots up to 1 hour of TV resolution 30fps w/ sound.
They also sell a 35mm film waterproof camera (re-usable) for only $15.
I sell both here at Sunapee Outfitters. Feel free to give me a call if you'd like to purchase from me, and I can send it to you asap.
- Jim
Sunapee Outfitters
Newbury, NH 03255
www.sunapeeoutfitters.com
603-938-5292
Pentax optio w60
due out July / August. 10 megapixels, 5x zoom loat of other features.
Paul
GoPro…
…is the ONLY way to go for a versitile and low cost camera. At half the cost of the other camers, you can do ANYTHING you would want regarding mid quality photos and videos. Plus all the mounting options are endless. Try to mount other cameras to your helmet, deck, bicycle, motorcycle, or the hood of your car. GoPro will do all you want and more for a little $.
“mid quality” is right. But I’m into
high quality. High quality comes at mid-price these days. That seems like a good bargain to me.
olympus
I bought the Olympus 1030sw and returned it. I won’t bore you with the details but everything that could be badly designed or counter intuitive was. It’s fine for macros, for snapshots of people it’s poor to mediocre and for landscapes it is terrible. Couldn’t-be-worse terrible. The video is also very bad for the price.
I know people who have the older 700 series and like them but my advice is to stay away from the 10MP model.
After I returned the Olympus I bought a Canon A540 ($60 from ebay new) and a Bonica silicon skin ($39) and am getting great pictures and video and it has survived many misadventures snorkeling and kayaking. Also it floats which is handy.
I’m using a Canon Elph SD800 IS
in a waterproof plastic case providing control of all functions. Not the smallest or lightest package, but it is about the same size as my old Minolta Weathermatic 35. The Elph has true image stabilization, 28-105mm, and an f2.8 lens. Olympus and Pentax have yet to provide those key features.
I bought a second (refurbished) SD800 for about $220, so we could have one in the boat and one for hikes, and so that I would not lose the $170 investment in the waterproof case if something happened to the camera. Unfortunately, the waterproof cases are not at all interchangeable between similar camera models. If one can make do with a flexible case like silver’s, it’s a great solution.
Silver, understandably you were
left with a bitter taste when your new 1030 failed but that does not mean that all Olympus waterproof cameras are bad. In my club there are at least 10 users of Olympus waterproof cameras and MOST of the user can produce decent images (for the others… well, I would say “user error” 
Do a search on www.flickr.com for pictures taken with Olympus and you might come to the conclusion that your particular 1030 might have been a dud.
Gnralydog
My Olympus
did not fail. It just sucked, too many MPs on a small sensor and terribly programmed modes with no manual override meant that to get a decent picture you had to spend forever fiddling around, which is not why I buy a P&S.
For example the “auto” modes usually set the speed too low for handheld photography and the autofocus face-ID mode doesn’t ID faces worth beans. It is also fixed aperture and shoots everything wide open, even in landscape mode!
So basically it doesn’t expose or focus correctly on it’s own 90% of the time and there is no simple manual override.
I’m an advanced amateur photographer and my SO is a pro photog. We own about 12 cameras between us and this one couldn’t even compare to an 7 year old 2MP Canon P&S.
Like I said, I know people who have the 720 and like it. My 1030sw was awful though and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it, especially for $350. Luckily for me the store gave me a full refund without any hassle once I told them the autofocus wasn’t working right. I think they had a LOT of returns on this camera.
Pentex Optio
I have a Pentex Optio W20 which I like. On bright sunny days, the pictures are great. In less than perfect conditions, it often takes lousy pictures - out of focus or under exposed. I’m a point and shoot photographer so I compensate by taking a lot of pictures and always seem get a few that look good. The camera also takes surprisingly good video.
Gopro Camera recommendation
Hi guys, that’s my video featured on the front page of the GoPro Camera website (the Another day in Paradise video) http://www.goprocamera.com
The entire video was shot with this little cam in fairly low light just before night fall.
If you like shooting POV (point of view) video from your watercraft, nothing else comes close to equaling the quality and versatility of this little gem for the money.
There are heaps of other videos taken with this cam on my personal website
http://rambos-locker.blogspot.com
Anyone needing more info contact me by email, i have done heaps of mods to these cam, like delay timers and radio control.
Cheers Rambo
rambos-locker@hotmail.com