Need an new dcamera for general and paddling and see Olympus has a new? rugged and wproof 8000 with image stab, etc. Anyone have experience with it yet? Paddlers seem to like their 1030s & 1050s. Pricey but hopefully technology will last a few years. Thanks
If they made it “sink-proof”…
– Last Updated: Mar-23-09 4:34 AM EST –
I'd buy it in a second - no matter what it cost. Lost another Optio W20 yesterday when it fell out of my PFD pocket - its at the bottom of the river somewhere. I know, I should put a float on it, or a lanyard, but that seems to get in the way when I paddle. I'm going to replace it with the cheapest Optio I can find. I don't have any experience with the Olympus 8000, but I wouldn't spend a lot of money on a paddling camera - its just too easy to lose them. :-(
Doing that would make it bulky…
– Last Updated: Mar-22-09 11:07 AM EST –
...as you need volume to displace enough water to make it float. Olympus sells a floating strap for it, but a tether may make more sense. Personally, while I like the idea of the "Tough", it doesn't have an optical viewfinder, so I'm not interested. Also, cramming 12MP into it just means that the image quality is going to suffer at anything other than low ISO settings. I really wish that camera manufacturers would abandon this stupid megapixel race and concentrate on making cameras that produce good images under a variety of lighting conditions.
The “floating strap” still sinks
I tried it out on my 1080 snorkeling down in CanCun a few weeks ago. It slows the decent quite a bit but it still goes down…
I made my own floating strap
after losing my first Olympus1030 that slipped off of the clasp of the retractable lanyard I had it on. The float strap will float the camera & the retractable laynyard. KK
DIY floating device
also known as CFD (Camera Floatation Device 
Every waterproof camera I own has one attached when used on water http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarlydog/2507422346/in/set-72157604806048123/
And while the floaty is a little bulky beats a camera donated to Neptune…
i agree
a 12mp camera is not necessarily better than the 10mp variety. Image sensor size and whether or not the image has a raw capture mode have more to do with the image quality.
This article does a nice job explaining sensor size. It’s measured diagonally.
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=sensor+sizes
Compared to pentax’s optio w60 the sensor size is the same, but the megapixel rating is lower which actually will produce a better photo than the new olympus…
I think.
String Eric String!
Eric, Tie a length of cord to your camera and put it over your head. Put your helmet on and the camera won’t come off. Stuff it down your pfd when not in use. Now it’s padded!
But don’t forget to take the camera off from around your neck BEFORE you take off your drysuit! Don’t ask!
Tommy
I don’t know Tommy…
this was me last Saturday
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2511857980075003331Jibdsj
Not sure I want anything around my neck when those rocks jump out in front of my boat 
I am going to have to do something - can’t keep losing cameras. Eventually my wife won’t let me buy a new one.
p.s. - Chuck ran this like a pro.
I just bungie mine to my PFD
no worries about sinking or choking.
jim
How about the Nikon W-60?
It seems most 10-12 MP cameras…
…at least those in the point & shoot category, really aren’t any better that 5-6MP cameras, particularly in less than optimum lighting conditions. With perfect light, they may produce images that will enlarge slightly better, but how many people even print 8x10’s of their photos, let alone larger images?
In the megapixel race, image quality has suffered for the sake of marketing hype.
Many thanks for all the info
Discussions on pixel race vs image quality very helpful and can see where, in some bright conditions, a traditional view finder can be very helpful. Sounds like some of the older versions would be better or just as good and cheaper to buy and replace :-). Great ideas on keeping them from “Davy Jones” too. Tks again, Rick
Pentax Optio W60? Not Nikon
There’s a few new WP cameras out now(or coming out soon)
The Fuji Z33 looks great. Olympus has the 550, 6000 and 8000. Canon has one coming out soon and Panasonic is about to release the TS1.
Personally, the 8000 looks like a great camera… but… the new Panasonic is going to be the same price as the 8000 and it will address most of the short-comings of the Olympus cameras. It will use standard SD cards and will record HD Video.
Amazingly tough little camera
thank you both
…for bringing this up, you’re both dead-on. Pure marketing hype. Good link about sensor size. A less important detail to investigate is whether the sensor is proprietary, or third-party.
I for one completely agree on the necessity of an optical viewfinder.
Agree/Disagree
I agree and disagree…
Some small Point and Shoot cameras produce excellent results…
However, I have to agree with you that the variety we are speaking of here (waterproof and without a protruding, telescoping lens) offer no better image quality than a 5-6mp camera, regardless of what is says on the box.
i agree that
some of the point and shoot cameras produce really great results.
I don’t own an SLR camera. I would love to, not in the budget.
But I think you definitely get a great camera with these waterproof digital point and shoot cameras.
It is somewhat deceiving to the consumer though when they up the mp rating but the sensor is no better, and neither is the focal length of the lens etc.
I am also by no means a student of photography, I just read the reviews and take lots of pictures.
Keith