Waterproof camera suggestions

Looking to get a water proof digi camera..

Something reasonably priced, that works well and is water tight..

Jim's has never failed him, and his is pretty much hanging in the water when we go out...

Doesn't need to be crazy high end...

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Yeah dude mine has treated me very well....Ana got a sweet deal on it too...think she only ended up paying like $99!!

I forget what kind it is, but will check and let you know when I get home!!

My one "complaint" is that it is only waterproof to 10 feet so I have not really taken it down to film fishies in holes....if I was in the market I would try and get one that can go deeper...

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I wouldnt buy anything but the Fuji WP80!.. Look at some of my pics and vid and there under 300 bucks.

I have a Fuji XP that was only $139 at Costco a few months ago.  It's only waterproof to 10 ft. but it takes great pictures and it's size is great for yak use.  If you're not looking for a dive camera, this one's hard to beat for the price and quality.  It's a 12 mega-pixel camera and uses SD media.  I use it as my every day camera too.  Lots of features and easy to use!
Martin

Chad & I were both using the Olympus 6000 this past season. I'm all stoked on mine, except that its got too many dang options for a low-techie like me. I haven't progressed to vids yet, but Chad's took the infamous "aftermath" video.

Pentax W80    Got mine for 140$.  Dont be fooled by the W90, its the same specs as the W80 (yup Pat!) with just a rubber casing on the outside to make it more rugged looking, unless you like that and want to spend the extra $$.  Skip on olympus imho, they aren't as good as the price tag says it should be and you have to use their memory.  In fact steer clear of any camera that has proprietary memory, cause sdhc is cheap and availible everywhere!

I have a Panasonic with a dive housing.  Takes great pics, but if you are not looking to dive I would stick with a waterproof camera.  The housing makes mine bulky. 

I will likely get a small waterproof for the kayak fishing and save the dive camera for diving!  The pentax optios are great cameras.  Make sure whatever you get does videos!  Videos are very important on NCKA.

Been using a Pentax W60 for a couple years now. I have no idea how it compares to the newer models. In regular daylight pictures are A+ ... just plain sucks in low light conditions (indoor lighting, dusk outside). It's ready to take pictures almost as fast as you can press the power button. Overall I've been really happy with it.

Nice pic!

Yeah, I plan to use it for diving too? Do you have to get a housing for it..?

I hated my Olympus Stylus 1050. It took really bad photos, especially in low-light conditions or indoors. And the video was glare-tastic. In fact, I can tell if somebody is using an Olympus just by watching a video now (because the vid w/b crappy haha).
I went with the Pentax Optio W90 for my new camera based on info from this site. From people I know who use the camera the same ways I plan to use it. (tech-envy much, Al?  )
Oh yeah, Jim I still have an Olympus battery charger and other accessories for you.

Here's a simple breakdown.
On a budget = Fuji XP
Good = Pentax Optio
Better = Panasonic Lumix
Best = Canon Powershot waterproof

The other option is to get a nice camera then buy a waterproof housing for it. But the housing usually costs $150+ and it'll be too bulky to put in your PFD pocket (while fishing).

I use an Olympus 6000 and love it.
I used to use a Pentax W60, but one day it just stopped working. No damage, wasn't dropped, not wet on the inside. It just wouldn't turn on one day. I sent it back to Pentax for repair and they wanted to charge me $250 to repair it!  The camera cost me less than that new! I know others have had good luck with their Pentax cameras, but after that experience I cannot recommend one and never plan on buying Pentax again.

If you are diving below 10 feet you need a housing.  My panasonic lumix and housing ran me about 300 dollars.  I use it a lot.  It takes fantastic pictures and HD video.  I will post some pictures up when I get home if you like.

The dive housing really is bulky but does a good job of protecting the camera.  The waterproof camera is nice for point a shoot photography.  I have to store mine in a hatch due to the bulk.

As I said eventually I will likely get a little waterproof camera for just off the kayak and hunting trips. 

Matt

Yeah, I plan to use it for diving too? Do you have to get a housing for it..?

Probably ... but worse, I think that would be a "low light" condition. Maybe the newer models are better, but mine just sucks when the light gets dim. The flash doesn't help, just burns up the battery ...

I think Pat summed it up pretty well. I would imagine a Lumix in a housing would be a nice setup while diving. I'm thinking of the cannon for my next camera ... maybe more flexible "all-a-round" use, but have no idea if it goes deeper than the typical 10 ft.

Ben

I just looked, the Canon is waterproof to 33 feet.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-D10-Waterproof-Stabilized/dp/B001SER460

Pentax W80. So far so good.