Olympus 850SW vs. Fuji Z33WP

there’s been a few threads recently about waterproof cameras but haven’t found much on the new Fuji. I’m looking for a sub-$200 camera for kayaking/hiking/camping photography. My current camera is a Fuji F45FD which is pretty good but not waterproof. The 850SW is still widely available (I ain’t falling for that 10MP nonsense!) and seems to have the edge in this price range. any reasons why I should choose anything else? Thanks

Olympus 850
Don’t know much about the Fuji but we are extremely pleased with our Olympus 850 and highly recommend it - good quality photos and videos and extremely durable. We have put this camera through the measures.



You can see some of our photos and videos from it on our website

http://www.liquidfusionkayak.com

Fuji
I have the Fuji and so far it’s been good.

I’ve had it in some rough water. On two occaisons, I have looked down to find it dangling from my home-made tether… in the water, banging against the side of my boat. After about 4 very wet paddles with it, no sign of any water issues.

I waited to buy a WP digital, not feeling very confident given mixed reviews for Olympus and Pentax cameras… now the big players are in the game (Canon, Panasonic and Fuji). The Panasonic has great specs, but is pricey. The Canon promises better photo quality, but is too bulky. The Fuji is just right.

Previously, I had a Fuji Z20… similar form factor, but not water-proof. The Z20 is a fun little pocket, party camera… but picture quality was marginal. I bought the Z33 expecting the exact same results and I have been pleasantly surpised. Don’t get me wrong, as with all of these cameras, picture quality isn’t great… but the Z33 is quite a bit better than the Z20. I’m very happy!

I guess if I had to say something bad about it, it would be that the flash is incredibly weak. Effective for no more than about 6 feet.

I’d say go for the Fuji. It’s tiny, and easily fits in a small pocket. Seems durable. Pictures are as good as any of these WP cameras. The price is great.

If you have any specific questions, let me know.

After looking for 2 weeks and
reading a ton of reviews, I got the 850 to replace my 500. Kept looking and found one with shipping for just under $150 at buy.com.