water proof/resistant camera

[thekings23]

I just got off my first cruise and am now hooked, just booked the Glory for next April, I wish I had a good waterproof camera while in the Cayman Islands, I am looking to pick one up now but am no techy, any suggestions for a decent water proof point and shoot? Looking to spend less than $500

[ladyj3641]

I haven't bought one yet, but I've read alot of great things about the Canon D10. I'm glad that you enjoyed your first cruise!!

[MrCo9]

Plenty of them out there for around $200. Canon D210 or DS210 is one a lot talk about. I have an Olympus C-5000 with a waterproof case I got on Ebay for under $100.

[navybaby1113]

We have the Olympus Stylus 550. It was about $120 at Target and takes pretty good pictures. Check out my Dream review for some pictures that we took with it.

[gapearl]

I bought a Dica Pac waterproof camera case for my Sony Cybershot for $35 with shipping. Amazon.com sells them and they work very, very well! If you already have a good camera, consider investing in one of these waterproof cases. I used it for both pictures and videos.

[SuperCoolOne]

We have a fuji finepix: http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-FinePix-Z33WP-Waterproof-Green/dp/B001QENO6Q/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272323807&sr=1-8

 

Works really well. Love not having to worry about it getting wet. Still learning how to use it underwater though.

 

[FlaGrl4Evr]

We have the Olympus Stylus 550. It was about $120 at Target and takes pretty good pictures. Check out my Dream review for some pictures that we took with it.

 

 

We have this exact same camara and model. We LOVE it. It is really easy to use too. We bought it prior to our Fla trip last year at Walmart. It takes crystal clear underwater pics and is sandproof as well. We have a Pentax that cost triple that amount and this camara takes much better shots. It is 10 mega pix-10xzoom-flash and uses an SD card.

 

I have heard that Walmart no longer carries this model but Best Buy does and their prices are a little better. Check E-bay too. Another poster got this model for a great price with free shipping.

 

We paid $99 sale price but it normally sells for around the $150 range. Good luck to you.

[chipmaster]

Here is an indepth review: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q209waterproofgroup/

 

I just got off my first cruise and am now hooked, just booked the Glory for next April, I wish I had a good waterproof camera while in the Cayman Islands, I am looking to pick one up now but am no techy, any suggestions for a decent water proof point and shoot? Looking to spend less than $500

[thekings23]

I bought a Dica Pac waterproof camera case for my Sony Cybershot for $35 with shipping. Amazon.com sells them and they work very, very well! If you already have a good camera, consider investing in one of these waterproof cases. I used it for both pictures and videos.

 

 

fantastic suggestion, I am checking those out now, we are in need to upgrade our digital camera anyways as we have a 5 year old Kodak :mad: but getting one of these will open up the options for us

[remharri]

We have a fuji finepix: http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-FinePix-Z33WP-Waterproof-Green/dp/B001QENO6Q/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272323807&sr=1-8

 

Works really well. Love not having to worry about it getting wet. Still learning how to use it underwater though.

 

 

 

I just bought this camera...should have it in a day or two ordered it from Amazon!

[evandbob]

I've used a Fuji Z33WP and have gotten some good results with it while snorkeling. Takes great land photos also.

[GinDon]

We bought a Canon D10 for our cruise last year. I must admit, I held my breath, the first time I lowered it into the water (after years of trying not to get my cameras wet). It works great! Underwater shots clear and colorful, and takes nice land shots too. We love it!

[goldens4ever]

We got the Fuji finepix and absolutely love it...so easy to use....and amazing pics AND video....got it from the fuji website....

[HaliMakai]

Check out the Pentax Optio W30 - I have had mine for 2 years and use it for all photos

[actresslp]

Olympus Tough! There are three models to choose from...starting at $239-$399 depending on what you want on your camera.

[Sarah@Sea]

I just got off my first cruise and am now hooked, just booked the Glory for next April, I wish I had a good waterproof camera while in the Cayman Islands, I am looking to pick one up now but am no techy, any suggestions for a decent water proof point and shoot? Looking to spend less than $500

 

I'm looking myself...found this. http://reviews.photographyreview.com/blog/outdoor-waterproof-digital-cameras/

 

I'm leaning towards Olympus given they have more years of experience making waterproof cameras.

[MrsZee]

We have a fuji finepix: http://www.amazon.com/Fujifilm-FinePix-Z33WP-Waterproof-Green/dp/B001QENO6Q/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1272323807&sr=1-8

 

Works really well. Love not having to worry about it getting wet. Still learning how to use it underwater though.

 

We have this one as well. Here are some of our pictures taken in an indoor pool. The color would be much better outside with natural lighting.

 

 

 

And this was taken outside.

 

 

I really like it so far. It has a lot of really cool settings on it which makes a tech geek like my husband very excited. And the price was awesome for what we got!

[Lsimon]

In the past the cameras which were waterproof without the benefit of a special marine case did not always maintain their waterproofness and had a reputation for leaking if taken a few feet underwater, quickly ruining the camera. It appears there are less complaints about the latest crop of these cameras. Still I'd carefully read the comments on Amazon and other sites from users of these - particularly the negative reviews. While it appears problems are becoming fewer and fewer they still exist with some models.

 

Personally, I'm sticking with a decent camera and a separate waterproof marine case marketed by the camera manufacturer and designed specifically for a particular camera model. This is an absolute necessity if you'll be snorkeling more than a couple feet underwater (i.e. if you dive down 10 or 15 feet or more). These can easily be purchased within your $500 budget - figure $200 to $300 for the camera and $150 to $200 for a separate marine case.

[MamaParrotHead]

I'm in the process of returning/trying to sell my Olympus 560 WP. The flash washes all the color out of the pictures and taking shots without the flash everything comes out really blurry (inspite of having the "stablizer" feature on). I had the older version, but it started to leak, so I returned it (using the Square Trade warranty I had purchased when I bought the camera on ebay) and the older version took MUCH better pictures. The other thing I don't like is that it takes quite a long time between when one shot is taken to when the camera is ready to take another shot.

[zackiedawg]

Not much difference between most of the available brands now, and many available to shop - so look around for the design and features you like the best. The biggest difference will be in design - some are 'armored' looking, with rubber bumpers and bright-colored plastic, some are bulkier and chunkier, some are odd-shaped or organically shaped, some are super-slim and designer looking. Also look into any specific ratings you need - some can go to 6 feet, 9 feet, 15 feet, 20 feet, even 30 feet. And any specific features you really want - such as a wide angle lens, a big zoom lens, or special settings or modes.

 

Personally, the one I find the most interesting (For ME...not that it's the best choice for someone else!) is the new Sony TX5. What I like about it: it doesn't look like a waterproof camera at all / it's the slimmest and smallest waterproof available / it's also shockproof and temperature hardened / it has the sliding lens cover-power switch design that I love for turning on and off / it has a wide 25mm lens / it has a built-in panorama sweep mode, built-in handheld HDR mode, and a special 6-frame high ISO stacking mode that can do wonders in very low light shooting. I don't care much for zoom range, don't use flash, and don't really like the 'tough' armored look - and want a camera that can be slipped in a chest-pocket completely unnoticed yet still be waterproof when needed.

 

But you'd do fine with any of the selections out there...just find the one that suits your needs and wants!

[Rosieo]

I just bought a Canon D10 from Costco. I think the underwater pictures are pretty good. Here are a few from our last trip.

 

[Zack Adams]

I am seriously considering the Canon D10 ( I love their DSLR's!!!), but then Pentax released the W90.

 

The Optio W90 is does not go as deep as the Canon D10 (20' instead of 33') but has some better features such as a better optical zoom (5x) as well as a neat microscope mode and it seems to be a MUCH smaller in form factor than the D10.

 

Don't think I would go wrong with either one... but at least for me I got it narrowed down to 2 :D

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10022411pentaxoptiow90.asp

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0902/09021805canond10.asp

[jaepoori]

i am interested in the sony tx5 but wondering if anyone else bought one. I will be using this camera as my main camera as well as underwater shooting but just wanted some input on it. How it shoots underwater and out of water. thanks.

[zackiedawg]

I can only help on the 'out of the water' part for the TX5. I have the TX1, which is a non-waterproof camera, otherwise the same sensor and body. It's been a great companion camera to my DSLR, perfect small size and solid snapshoot ability in good light, plus shockingly good in low light with the twilight mode allowing ISO1600 or more without any post processing cleanup needed. I've also taken my TX1 in the water, but using a DiCaPac waterproof bag. I would imagine the TX5 performs similarly to mine, with the added benefit of waterproofing and shockproofing. Viewing the LCD underwater through the DiCaPac bag is easy, and the touchscreen controls are surprisingly easier to use than dedicated buttons when underwater - they come up big and clear and the touch responds well underwater.

 

If you check out dpreview dot com there are several users with sample shots on the Sony talk forum, that may help.

[jaepoori]

I can only help on the 'out of the water' part for the TX5. I have the TX1, which is a non-waterproof camera, otherwise the same sensor and body. It's been a great companion camera to my DSLR, perfect small size and solid snapshoot ability in good light, plus shockingly good in low light with the twilight mode allowing ISO1600 or more without any post processing cleanup needed. I've also taken my TX1 in the water, but using a DiCaPac waterproof bag. I would imagine the TX5 performs similarly to mine, with the added benefit of waterproofing and shockproofing. Viewing the LCD underwater through the DiCaPac bag is easy, and the touchscreen controls are surprisingly easier to use than dedicated buttons when underwater - they come up big and clear and the touch responds well underwater.

 

If you check out dpreview dot com there are several users with sample shots on the Sony talk forum, that may help.

 

 

thanks for the reply... i guess ill pick one up... the gf really wants this damn camera.