I did a search, found nothing.

I'm in the market for a waterproof digital camera. I've noticed that most, if not all of the cameras in this category are also shock proof. That's not really as much of a concern for me as the waterproof feature is.

Does anyone own a waterproof camera? Can you vouch for its performance? I need something that can be submerged in water while snorkeling, for example and not something that is simply resistant to being splashed with a little water.

Looking to spend around $250-300 total. It won't replace my primary digital camera but I do need something I can take into the water as I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Hawaii this year, I want to take advantage of the opportunity to capture some sweet shots!

1/6/2010 2:23:00 PM

you may want to consider getting a decent camera and corresponding waterproof housing, rather than a camera that is itself waterproof (i suspect you'll spend about as much but end up with a better overall camera for the same money)

some of those hard-plastic housings are pricey, though, so you may want to consider one of the high-mil plastic bags specifically made for your camera (they have hard plastic and optical glass/plastic where the lens goes, for clarity and protection of the lens)

1/6/2010 2:28:21 PM

thanks for the input. i considered a waterproof housing but figured i could get a dedicated camera for the same price but all the reviews talk ab poor shot quality and cameras still getting compromised by the water

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012ZASQS/ref=asc_df_B0012ZASQS994674?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=googlecom09c9-20&linkCode=asn&creative=380341&creativeASIN=B0012ZASQS

this is the case for my camera. its under my budget. i might have to consider it.

can anyone offer any tips for using waterproof housings? i dont know much about the maintenance and usage. will be in saltwater primarily

1/6/2010 2:48:40 PM

nmThis was just announced - when do you need it by?

Available in April - http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10423907-269.html?tag=mncol



Kodak has done very well with its Zi8 pocket camcorder, which features 1080p video capture and electronic image stabilization. Now the company is bringing those same features to a rugged, waterproof pocket camcorder called the PlaySport Zx3.

Available in April, the Zx3 will carry a retail price of $149.99 but will ship with virtually no memory (you have to supply an SD card). Like the Zi8, you'll be able capture "HD" video in 1080p or 720p, shoot 5-megapixel still images, and easily share your creations on YouTube, Vimeo, and Facebook. However, what's interesting about the PlaySport is that you can take this thing underwater (up to 10 feet). While we've seen other pocket camcorders that do this, the Zx3 is arguably the first mainstream model to offer this feature.

Here's a snapshot of the PlaySport's specs.

Waterproof up to 10 ft. (3 meters)
Full 1080p HD video
Electronic image stabilization
2-inch color display
Capture 5-megapixel HD stills (16:9)
Edit and upload to the Web with built-in software and included USB cable
Smart face-tracking technology
Impressive low-light performance
SD/SDHC card slot expandable up to 32GB (up to 10 hours of HD video)
Rechargeable lithium ion battery with in-camera charging
HDMI cable output
Compatible with Mac and PC
Available in April ($149.99)

[Edited on January 6, 2010 at 3:00 PM. Reason : nm. fail. that's an underwater video camera.]

1/6/2010 2:59:51 PM

most are only waterproof up to 10ft, which you probably wont go much deeper than if you are just snorkeling. this one says is good up to 16ft
http://www.nextag.com/Pentax-Optio-W80-12-667159141/prices-html

and heres one for only $50 thats good up to 50 feet
http://www.youngexplorers.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=Y620014&srccode=NXCYC3

1/6/2010 3:09:17 PM

My fiance has a cannon camera with a $180 waterproof case.
We took it on our cruise last year, and it was fantastic. It had no problems at 30ft.
There were full camera controls and the pictures were great.

1/6/2010 3:11:10 PM

Wolfy i have a SD950IS and bought an underwater housing for it off amazon last year. i had purchased it cause in february i had gone on a western caribbean cruise where i did a lot of underwater picture taking when i went scuba diving in belize and the grand caymans. the housing looks exactly like the one you linked above and i can definitely vouch 100% for the cases. they are made very well and are durable enough if you were to drop it, it would not break or crack. the housing when sealed did not leak or show signs of leakage/air bubbles. i had tested it thoroughly the week before using it at home so i knew if there were issues i could fix them or get it exchanged. i was a bit concerned about the pressure differences from scuba since i was 45' down but it held up perfectly throughout my dives. the salt water makes no difference as compared to fresh water. just be sure to clean/soak the casing in fresh water after the salt water use so the rubber gasket does not dry out and crack or get corroded from the salt. for me it was completely worth the money.

and i had looked into the same thing as you first getting a waterproof digital camera. everything i had read at the time told me to forget them and just get a housing. the waterproof cameras last year available were really crappy and had lots of complaints and issues from people who had used them. there may be something new out this year that is better but knowing what i know now, i'd go with the housing.

1/6/2010 3:13:29 PM

i ended up going with the waterproof housing. the reviews were outstanding across the board and i can't say the same for the waterproof digital cameras. i'm coming back to hawaii in feb and will report back on how it did! hopefully i won't be bitching about a water logged camera

1/6/2010 3:14:02 PM

just make sure you pull pictures off every time, just in case it does leak

probably something you were going to do anyway, and while increasing the number of times you open and close the case increases the chances of a leak, it's probably worth it to get the pics off whenever possible (personally, i value my pictures over my camera...though obviously i wouldn't want either to be lost/damaged)

good luck...be sure to post them

1/7/2010 9:14:32 PM

Quote :

"the reviews were outstanding across the board and i can't say the same for the waterproof digital cameras."

Odd....CNET's best reviewed compact camera is a waterproof camera among all point and shoots.
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-compact-cameras/?tag=rb_content;contentNav

1/8/2010 8:30:39 AM

I have an Olympus Stylus 1030SW waterproof camera. I felt like I was paying about a $100 premium for the waterproofness, but it has been pretty good. It is shock proof, freeze proof, crush proof, etc to pretty high standards. It is great for snowboard trips...You can toss it in your pocket and not worry about it getting wet/beat up. I take it with me out to the island in the summer and it gets submerged quite often. It's always funny to ask someone to take a picture and then toss it at them, intentionally coming up a few feet short so it drops into the water instead of being caught.

Mine did leak one time under warranty and now I'm a little worried about it leaking again since I'd have to pay for it if it fails. Leaks are not uncommon at all with these things from what I've read on the internet. I have submerged it quite a few times and if it does leak again within 1 year of the first repair I'm going to bitch up a storm about how it obviously wasn't properly sealed at the repair center, but there is no guarantee that they'll foot the bill since it is now out of warranty.

1/8/2010 11:44:11 AM

Olympus, Canon, Pentax, and Fuji makes waterproof digital cameras.

Olympus has a model waterproof to 33 ft.

wolfpackgrrr has an Olympus and she raves about it on TWW any chance she gets

1/10/2010 6:51:19 AM

Yes, yes I do

Today I brought it out onto the slopes and as I was sitting in a snow pile it fell out of my pocket. Thirty minutes later I found it sitting next to me and it still worked

Pics I've taken with it underwater:













[Edited on January 10, 2010 at 7:02 AM. Reason : g]

1/10/2010 6:57:40 AM

How shallow were those first two pictures?

1/10/2010 7:09:29 AM

Those were taken in some tidal pools about 5 feet deep.

1/10/2010 7:15:48 AM

clownflish!!!

nice pics

i feel good about my waterproof housing, especially since i wont have to learn how to use a new camera and i already know what my camera can do.

im not against eventually buying a dedicated waterproof camera if the housing gets annoying

1/10/2010 12:24:19 PM

All point and shoots are essentially the same when it comes to controls.

Scene mode

scroll scroll scroll

snow mode

click

YAY!



I will say one nice thing about a camera designed for underwater use as opposed to a regular camera, is when you put it into underwater mode, there is a big difference in picture quality. My friend has a housing thing for his Sony but in the same conditions as my Olympus just isn't as able to get as clear of shots. I don't really know what the cameras do differently, but I've definitely noticed a difference.

[Edited on January 10, 2010 at 8:41 PM. Reason : /]

1/10/2010 8:39:42 PM

my f200exr has an underwater mode...and it's not a waterproof camera

1/10/2010 10:55:10 PM

^ yea i think my camera has an underwater mode meant to be used in the casing... unless you wanted to let your camera commit suicide

1/10/2010 10:59:12 PM

NCSUWolfy I bought the exact same camera (Canon SD1100IS) and waterproof housing and they've been GREAT. I got them for my wife summer before last for our honeymoon in the Bahamas and it was perfect. We've used it at least 20 or 30 different times underwater and never had any issues, going to probably 35ft deep.

Make sure to play around with the underwater mode fo sho.

1/11/2010 12:40:15 AM

^ im glad you had such a good experience!!

im really pumped to try it out. im sad i didn't have it on my first trip to hawaii because i missed taking pictures of a lot of things but i will have it ready for my next trip in a few weeks. i will post some pics taken with it in here when i get back

1/12/2010 12:50:23 PM

I have an olympus and love it.

Mines an SL-720

1/12/2010 8:48:37 PM

Ncsuwolfy,
You asked about tips with the waterproof housing. I have one I take scuba diving with me. Usually if I'm on a dive trip, I'll put the camera in and not take it out the entire week. The only real weakness to a housing is the rubber seal where the case closes. If there's any dirt (or salt) etc. on the seal, it could cause a leak. By leaving it in there, i know I can get a good clean seal before its exposed to the salt water etc. It's also not a bad idea to get little silicon grease and lube the gasket every once in awhile to make sure it doesn't dry out. Also you may want to consider an external strobe. Since your just snorkeling you may not need it, but when diving at 80ft. the camera has a hard time picking up colors.

1/13/2010 12:48:59 PM

Saw this the other day...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/13/underwater-scuba-mask-camera-does-photos-and-videos-lets-you-br/

1/13/2010 3:17:08 PM

I've got a Pentax W80 that I've been pretty happy with. Photo quality is fine, as is video. I wish I had something like this when we paddled the Mississippi River, because we missed tons of great footage and photos every time it rained and we had to put the camera up.

http://sourcetosea.net/paddling-down-the-neuse-river-video/

http://sourcetosea.net/roanoke-river-kayaking/

I paid around $300 for this with a couple extra batteries. Truth be told, I damn near bought the earlier version of that Kodak camera Wadhead1 posted for about half the price, but it only had a 3.5 megapixel camera. I just need something that's waterproof down to about 10 foot, as I'm using it more for paddling videos and shooting out in the rain. I still may pick up the Kodak Zi8, because the less buttons/menus the better (for me).

1/13/2010 4:57:36 PM

She didn't take that clownfish picture. I took that one.

1/14/2010 7:19:20 PM

the camera took the picture, actually.

1/14/2010 7:26:00 PM

Lies. Go talk about sliding your fingers up a random woman's thighs in chit chat, would you?

1/14/2010 10:23:42 PM

LOL^

my waterproof housing came in yesterday!! really high quality, i feel good about it keeping my camera dry

34 days until i get to try it out

1/14/2010 11:27:31 PM

^^

perv

1/14/2010 11:31:07 PM

Quote :

"^^ perv "

You should know, you were the one that said that was the way to find out if a chick was sufficiently hot or not.

1/15/2010 1:24:57 AM

Panasonic SDR-SW20
Sonyo Xacti-hd

http://sanyo.com/xacti/english/products/vpc_wh1/index.html
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Panasonic-SDR-SW20-First-Impressions-Camcorder-Review-34304.htm

I had one and got another one for christmas.

1/15/2010 2:58:08 AM

^^ No need to get your panties in a wad, dude. All I said was that the camera took the picture, which is all that matters in this thread. Relax, you still clicked the button.

1/15/2010 5:04:38 AM

this thread.

1/15/2010 5:31:44 AM

wolfpackgrrr what model olympus?

3/16/2010 4:23:28 PM