waterproof cameras and enclosures

[hunter33]

My old digital camera was getting a bit long in the tooth, and my wife has a very nice Canon that I'm not allowed to touch :D I want a small point & shoot and don't need advanced features, so I got a Nikon Coolpix L20 a few days ago.

 

We are definitely going to do some snorkeling on our cruise and are looking at options for taking underwater photos. It looks like there are "underwater cases" in the $20 - $40 range available for many cameras. They are basically heavy plastic bags with waterproof seals and molded to fit certain camera models. It looks like some of them have real glass over the lens area. Anyone tried one of these? I was wondering if they work well and if the image quality is degraded much.

 

They look like nice options compared to the hard underwater cases (that often cost more than the camera they fit) or paying hundreds more for a waterproof camera. We don't want to go with a disposable. The picture quality is bad not to mention the pics would have to be scanned to get them on the computer.

[Cuizer2]

There are inexpensive waterproof digital cameras. I have a Pentax Optio W30 ...

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0702/07022103pentaxw30.asp

 

The current version is the Pentax Optio W60 ...

 

http://reviews.photographyreview.com/blog/pentax-optio-w60-waterproof-digital-camera/

 

Here is a comparison of the Pentax and Olympus waterproof cameras ...

 

http://blogs.zdnet.com/digitalcameras/?p=272

 

These pictures were taken with the Optio W30 ...

 

 

 

 

And these were taken with a disposable underwater camera ...

 

 

[hunter33]

Thanks for the info. I spent quite a bit of time on dpreview.com and cameras.co.uk before deciding on the Coolpix. I strongly considered the waterproof Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1s, but it just didn't make sense to pay $200 more for that functionality on a couple snorkeling trips. The Coolpix only cost $114 on Amazon. I'm hoping one of these "waterproof cases" will do the trick for it.

 

Nice pictures btw. The Optio shots are clearly better in quality than the disposables, and it looks like the Optio does well underwater. We've used disposables on Florida and South Carolina vacations before, and the underwater shots always seem to turn out grainy.

[hunter33]

I just ordered one of these:

 

http://www.cgena.com/headlines/reviews/dicapacwaterproof2009/dicapacwaterproof2009.html

 

Hopefully it will work well.

[flamomo]

I purchased a diCaPac waterproof camera bag for my cruise in Tahiti this past November, and it worked well for snorkeling in shallow water. As I recall they are considered waterproof to a depth of 15 feet. They are made from a heavy soft plastic, and have a "zipper seal" as well as a foldover seal that uses velcro to secure it. The "glass" where the telephoto lens part of the camera goes when the camera is turned on is an optical quality, and pictures taken through it were just as clear as ones taken without the bag.

I was leery about it, but I followed the instructions for testing the "waterproofness" and had no leakage whatsoever. So I went ahead and placed my camera in it for a trial run in the sink at home, before taking it on the cruise. Again, no leakage.

[bluegirlum]

I purchased a diCaPac waterproof camera bag for my cruise in Tahiti this past November, and it worked well for snorkeling in shallow water. As I recall they are considered waterproof to a depth of 15 feet. They are made from a heavy soft plastic, and have a "zipper seal" as well as a foldover seal that uses velcro to secure it. The "glass" where the telephoto lens part of the camera goes when the camera is turned on is an optical quality, and pictures taken through it were just as clear as ones taken without the bag.

I was leery about it, but I followed the instructions for testing the "waterproofness" and had no leakage whatsoever. So I went ahead and placed my camera in it for a trial run in the sink at home, before taking it on the cruise. Again, no leakage.

 

I just received my dicapac for my Canon today and I am happy to hear that you liked yours. I just used a sock for my trial run, and it seems to work fine. I can't figure out how to get the lens extender on. Any suggestions? Thanks! I can't wait to use it on my trip to the Cayman Islands in a few weeks.

[iheartbda]

There's been some talk about this on the Photo Discussion Area. Someone purchased one, promised to report back after their cruise but so far has not checked in. BTW, $99.99

http://pointofviewcameras.com/liquid-image-underwater-digital-camera-mask-5-0-mp.html

 

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[Cuizer2]

I just used a sock for my trial run, and it seems to work fine.

I hope it was a clean sock. What kind of a memory card does your sock use? :)

[bluegirlum]

I hope it was a clean sock. What kind of a memory card does your sock use? :)

 

Just out of the dryer! I didn't want to use my real camera at first in case there was a leak. :D

[MamaParrotHead]

I got an Olympus 850 SW. Waterproof digital, on ebay for about $100. Excellent reviews across the board (check out amazon.com and epinions.com for user reviews). Olympus has an outlet store on ebay that sells factory refub units, that come with a 3 month warranty, and then I bought an extended 2 year warranty from Square Trade that covers flash, zoom and LCD screen for like $15. http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Olympus-Auctions__W0QQ_armrsZ1

[chipmaster]

My old digital camera was getting a bit long in the tooth, and my wife has a very nice Canon that I'm not allowed to touch :D I want a small point & shoot and don't need advanced features, so I got a Nikon Coolpix L20 a few days ago.

 

We are definitely going to do some snorkeling on our cruise and are looking at options for taking underwater photos. It looks like there are "underwater cases" in the $20 - $40 range available for many cameras. They are basically heavy plastic bags with waterproof seals and molded to fit certain camera models. It looks like some of them have real glass over the lens area. Anyone tried one of these? I was wondering if they work well and if the image quality is degraded much.

 

They look like nice options compared to the hard underwater cases (that often cost more than the camera they fit) or paying hundreds more for a waterproof camera. We don't want to go with a disposable. The picture quality is bad not to mention the pics would have to be scanned to get them on the computer.

 

http://www.popphoto.com/Features/The-5-Best-Waterproof-Compact-Cameras

 

Amazon has the Olympus 850 for sale for 162 and change. This was top of the line camera for them only a few short years ago; http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Stylus-Digital-Camera-Optical/dp/B0011E87P4/ref=sr_1_1/189-5929852-9977845?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1244006496&sr=8-1

[tmitchell82]

Canon recently released their D10 model which is essentially a waterproof point and shoot. Sounds similar to the Olympus models. We just ordered it so we shall see how well it works. I have had very good luck with Canons in the past so hopefully this will not let me down.

[hunter33]

The DiCaPac enclosure showed up in the mail over the weekend. It's made in South Korea and seems of good quality. To seal it there is a "zipper" like what you find on a freezer storage bag, then the zipper is rolled up inside a flap and velcroed shut, then another flap covers the rolled up portion. Seems pretty secure. The enclosure comes with a lanyard, dessicant, and an adaptor that goes inside to make the camera zoom lens fit into the correct area of the enclosure.

 

I put some tissue in it and left it in a sink for a few hours. (With a pot on top to hold it under the water) The tissue was bone dry when it came out, so now I need to test it with a camera. I was thinking of sticking it in a creek this weekend and taking some pics of minnows or something :) I think it's going to work fine for snorkeling.

[printingchick]

After dropping my favorite and nearly-new digital camera in the river while kayaking, I decided "never again!" I used to say I'd never spring for one of those waterproof cases specifically made for my camera model...but I did. Not only do I use it in water, but I even carry the camera in the case to the beach, to keep sand out of it. The cases made to hold your specific model allow the camera to function almost as if it was out of the case. The controls are in the same place, so zooming, shooting an changing the setting is easy. I'm so happy I made the investment!