PDA

View Full Version : Improvements in quality of waterproof / shockproof cameras in the last year?



Train Wreck
08-30-2012, 15:34
Please bear with me. I realize there is related information already in the forum, but some of the info here is 2+ years old and technology continues to evolve. I'm wondering if there are any absolute, stand-out choices for 2012 if you're considering getting one of the adventure cameras that are shockproof, waterproof, etc.I like Olympus point & shoot cameras in general, and have had several (one of which I broke recently). So now I need to get another camera and was considering upgrading to a more rugged type. I'm more interested in photo quality, durability, macro capability, and at least a 5x zoom. I'm interested in the waterproof feature because I would use it mostly for rainy type situations, not swimming or diving. I have read some negative reviews of the Olympus Tough series. The overriding complaint seems to be poor photo quality with Olympus. This surprises me because I got great photos and macros with the regular p & s. I don't know anything about other brand versions of adventure cameras. Please share your experiences - I need to buy a camera fairly soon, and I'm on the fence as far as the upgrade. If I can't make a clear choice, I'll probably buy another point & shoot, and keep it in an Otter Box.
Thanks!

Another Kevin
08-30-2012, 17:18
Get the one that this guy had:

http://www.petapixel.com/2012/08/17/camera-found-at-bottom-of-plunge-pool-last-video-shows-how-it-got-there/

(Don't know what kind it was, but obviously it can stand up to a lot!)

kayak karl
08-30-2012, 17:40
for 2 yrs. i have had a pentax optio W-90. have had it in freezing weather and underwater and take it kayaking and hiking.
i just got the pentax optio WG-1 a little better pics. rest of of options seem the same.
hiking i froze a camera, drown 2 and sat on 1 and broke screen.
i posted about this camera before and was told it was a waterproof, point and shoot, piece of junk; but i like it :)

Water Rat
08-30-2012, 21:40
Please bear with me. I realize there is related information already in the forum, but some of the info here is 2+ years old and technology continues to evolve. I'm wondering if there are any absolute, stand-out choices for 2012 if you're considering getting one of the adventure cameras that are shockproof, waterproof, etc.I like Olympus point & shoot cameras in general, and have had several (one of which I broke recently). So now I need to get another camera and was considering upgrading to a more rugged type. I'm more interested in photo quality, durability, macro capability, and at least a 5x zoom. I'm interested in the waterproof feature because I would use it mostly for rainy type situations, not swimming or diving. I have read some negative reviews of the Olympus Tough series. The overriding complaint seems to be poor photo quality with Olympus. This surprises me because I got great photos and macros with the regular p & s. I don't know anything about other brand versions of adventure cameras. Please share your experiences - I need to buy a camera fairly soon, and I'm on the fence as far as the upgrade. If I can't make a clear choice, I'll probably buy another point & shoot, and keep it in an Otter Box.
Thanks!

I have an Olympus Tough TG 810. It has seen international travel, been bounced off rocks, held underwater to take pics of sea life... I think it take pretty dang good pics. I got it for work in Baja. I needed something that could withstand water and sand and heat and just my normal forays into the outdoors. I got it about a year ago and still have no complaints. I love that I can slide it in my pocket and go. I've never had any problems with Olympus. If you go with this one, the key is to make sure you wipe the seal before you lock the door. Keeps the water and grit out.

Train Wreck
08-30-2012, 22:18
I have an Olympus Tough TG 810. It has seen international travel, been bounced off rocks, held underwater to take pics of sea life... I think it take pretty dang good pics. I got it for work in Baja. I needed something that could withstand water and sand and heat and just my normal forays into the outdoors. I got it about a year ago and still have no complaints. I love that I can slide it in my pocket and go. I've never had any problems with Olympus. If you go with this one, the key is to make sure you wipe the seal before you lock the door. Keeps the water and grit out.

That's what's so hard to figure out - I went to imaging resource.com and they were just down on all the current Olympus tough models, including your model. I'm not a tech weenie, and a lot of the info flies right past me. For all I know, their standards of excellence may be a lot higher than mine. Are you satisfied with the quality of the photos you take? Is there a noticeable lag betwen the time you take a photo and the camera cycles into readiness for the next shot?

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 08:19
I went with my gut...I read some negative reviews from the "techie" world, but also listened when people were putting the camera to use in the real world. No camera (in this price range) is going to do EVERYTHING you want it to do. My big things were it needed to be waterproof and withstand lots of outdoor use. Of course, I wanted something that took great pictures, too. :) My biggest beef with this camera is that it doesn't take the best (or the worst) pics at low light. On some settings, there is a lag time in the readiness for the next photo. There is also a way around that. On a different setting, you can hold your finger on the shutter release button and the camera just takes pic after pic after pic. I have managed to get some awesome shots that way. Perfect for taking pics of very active dogs.

Photo quality... This camera does not take the same quality photos of the Nikon I will one day get. I just didn't want to lug a big camera around, with lots of parts. For the camera that it is - YES. I am more than satisfied with the pics this camera takes. Like I said, I just avoid the low-light situations. Even then, adjusting settings can get ya around that.

I do have to admit I was a tad worried about scratches on the 3" screen. I opted to use a screen protector and still (after almost exactly a year) have no scratches on my screen. That is even with having lived in a tent (Baja) for 3 months.

Not everyone will love this camera, but it has exceeded my expectations on many occasions. I would buy this camera again. This camera has survived much abuse! :)

coach lou
08-31-2012, 08:33
I have the Olympus Tuff 8000. Most of my gallery is taken with it. I bought it in '09', for snorkeling and fishing. It does indeed have a few limitations, zoom quality, A full day in the water will drain the battery. A spare battery is spendy. It works for now. When I'm ready for a new one, the technology will fix all of that. I like it, it is reliable and TOUGH!

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 08:44
I have the Olympus Tuff 8000. Most of my gallery is taken with it. I bought it in '09', for snorkeling and fishing. It does indeed have a few limitations, zoom quality, A full day in the water will drain the battery. A spare battery is spendy. It works for now. When I'm ready for a new one, the technology will fix all of that. I like it, it is reliable and TOUGH!

I got 2 spare batteries and a tripod (never used it) and a flotation bracelet (never used it) package on Amazon for $29. I just keep the spares handy then charge up at the end of the day. That reminds me... I need to go find a new solar charger for Baja next year.

Tipi Walter
08-31-2012, 08:52
One way is to look for the highest rated point and shoot camera and then 3 or 4 models will pop out, such as the Canon G11 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC LX5. I went this route and could care less about shock-proof or waterproof as hey, I don't drop my cameras and they don't get wet. So I went with the Lumix and carry a total of 6 batteries for an average trip of 20 days. These 6 will get me thru three weeks w/o re-charging at 0F temps.

Train Wreck
08-31-2012, 12:06
One way is to look for the highest rated point and shoot camera and then 3 or 4 models will pop out, such as the Canon G11 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC LX5. I went this route and could care less about shock-proof or waterproof as hey, I don't drop my cameras and they don't get wet. So I went with the Lumix and carry a total of 6 batteries for an average trip of 20 days. These 6 will get me thru three weeks w/o re-charging at 0F temps.

Thanks. I've been looking at some of the Lumix cameras, and the battery info is good to know.

I never dropped a camera either, till hiking this summer...I tripped and fell, and killed my camera. I was carrying it in a soft pouch at my waist. It wasn't even an epic fall. I literally tripped over nothing, hit the dirt, no rocks, had a soft landing. But I guess the shock of impact broke the LED screen and shook up the innards. That's why I'm thinking about shockproof. I don't know if the otter boxes are enough to shield against drops, etc. if the camera isn't built to handle it from the inside out.

Train Wreck
08-31-2012, 12:10
I went with my gut...I read some negative reviews from the "techie" world, but also listened when people were putting the camera to use in the real world. No camera (in this price range) is going to do EVERYTHING you want it to do. My big things were it needed to be waterproof and withstand lots of outdoor use. Of course, I wanted something that took great pictures, too. :) My biggest beef with this camera is that it doesn't take the best (or the worst) pics at low light. On some settings, there is a lag time in the readiness for the next photo. There is also a way around that. On a different setting, you can hold your finger on the shutter release button and the camera just takes pic after pic after pic. I have managed to get some awesome shots that way. Perfect for taking pics of very active dogs.

Photo quality... This camera does not take the same quality photos of the Nikon I will one day get. I just didn't want to lug a big camera around, with lots of parts. For the camera that it is - YES. I am more than satisfied with the pics this camera takes. Like I said, I just avoid the low-light situations. Even then, adjusting settings can get ya around that.

I do have to admit I was a tad worried about scratches on the 3" screen. I opted to use a screen protector and still (after almost exactly a year) have no scratches on my screen. That is even with having lived in a tent (Baja) for 3 months.

Not everyone will love this camera, but it has exceeded my expectations on many occasions. I would buy this camera again. This camera has survived much abuse! :)

Hmmm, that is more encouraging than I expected. If you could choose, would you take this camera on a thru-hike, or opt for something else?

coach lou
08-31-2012, 12:18
Choo Choo, do you see the dents in the face?
17260

Train Wreck
08-31-2012, 12:38
Choo Choo, do you see the dents in the face?
17260

Yeah!
Are you telling me it still works?

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 13:19
Hmmm, that is more encouraging than I expected. If you could choose, would you take this camera on a thru-hike, or opt for something else?

When I do my thru-hike (2013 or 2014) this is the camera I will be taking with me.

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 13:23
Choo Choo, do you see the dents in the face?
17260

I dropped my camera on some exposed reef rocks... I THOUGHT my camera was going to look like that (or worse). I was happily surprised to find I only had a scrape on the corner of my camera. These cameras are pretty cool! My last camera (Canon) did not survive a much less horrible fall. Not in the habit of dropping cameras, but it is nice to not kill the camera if I do make an error. So nice to be able to take the camera kayaking, out with whales, etc and not have to worry about whether or not the camera is getting wet.

coach lou
08-31-2012, 13:36
Yeah!
Are you telling me it still works?

Check my gallery, all the new pics came from this camera.

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 13:40
Were those dents caused by Pepe chewing on the camera?

coach lou
08-31-2012, 13:51
Fishing, Snorkeling, Backpacking, pepe may have been involved.

10-K
08-31-2012, 14:05
I have an Olympus Tough TG 810. It has seen international travel, been bounced off rocks, held underwater to take pics of sea life... I think it take pretty dang good pics. I got it for work in Baja. I needed something that could withstand water and sand and heat and just my normal forays into the outdoors. I got it about a year ago and still have no complaints. I love that I can slide it in my pocket and go. I've never had any problems with Olympus. If you go with this one, the key is to make sure you wipe the seal before you lock the door. Keeps the water and grit out.


I have this camera too and have 2 complaints:

1. It turns on by itself because the power button is exposed and the battery runs down.... Nothing sucks worse than pulling it out to take a picture and finding a dead battery.

2. Battery life is very short if I an manage to not have it spontaneously turn on.

These days I just use my iPhone. It actually has a pretty good camera and in airplane mode it'll hold a charge for several days.

coach lou
08-31-2012, 14:08
Check my gallery, all the new pics came from this camera.

My hair is black in the old pics:D

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 14:15
Fishing, Snorkeling, Backpacking, pepe may have been involved.

Ah ha! I knew it! :)

Train Wreck
08-31-2012, 14:41
When I do my thru-hike (2013 or 2014) this is the camera I will be taking with me.

Can you open a beer bottle with it? :D

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 15:20
Can you open a beer bottle with it? :D

Just a sec...

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 15:21
Yup. Never tried that before. The strap holder makes the perfect bottle opener. Dang. Now, I have to drink this beer. Oh, well... The work day had just ended anyway! It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

Mfrenchy
08-31-2012, 15:45
I used the Nikon Coolpix AW100. I friggin' loved it! Just finished my thru hike and if you would like to see some of the photo/video quality check out some of my blog posts.

http://appalachianfrenchy.blogspot.com/

Water Rat
08-31-2012, 16:05
I used the Nikon Coolpix AW100. I friggin' loved it! Just finished my thru hike and if you would like to see some of the photo/video quality check out some of my blog posts.

http://appalachianfrenchy.blogspot.com/

Gorgeous pics, Mfrenchy! Thank you for sharing your pics and your journey with the rest of us!!! :)

Train Wreck
08-31-2012, 16:16
I used the Nikon Coolpix AW100. I friggin' loved it! Just finished my thru hike and if you would like to see some of the photo/video quality check out some of my blog posts.

http://appalachianfrenchy.blogspot.com/

Thanks - I took a preliminary peak and I'm impressed. I'll look at the whole thing tonight when I can relax and go through everything!

OzJacko
08-31-2012, 19:16
I don't have one to recommend yEt but am looking at all of the suggestions.
I have a plain, non shockproof/waterproof old Fuji for my hiking snaps and a Pentax DSLR for more serious stuff.
Around February I will be buying a "rugged" type with GPS for my AT thru.
I am holding off because I am hoping by then they may have some on the market with more than 5x zoom.
If I could get 8 or 10 that would make my perfect hiking camera.
I am not too worried about battery life as I will be carrying a battery pack that recharges it.
Something like this. http://www.dealextreme.com/p/3000mah-rechargeable-external-battery-pack-with-cellphone-adapters-blue-51968

Mfrenchy
08-31-2012, 21:33
I went through this process before starting my hike and the priorities for me were durability and video/picture quality. I used to have my own photography business and I have always preferred canon's camera, but the nikon's all weather camera was superior in my opinion. It has a few quirks that I think are ridiculous, but they don't take away from the camera's quality. A little pricey, but this is a trip of a life time.

Franco
09-07-2012, 23:14
A couple of suggestions:
Panasonic TS4 and Olympus TG1.
Both weatherproof, the Pana with a 28mm wide to 128mm tele , the Oly wider again at 25mm to 100mm.

madmax01
09-11-2012, 03:10
There have been so many improvements made during the last two years and manufacturers have released some budget cameras under 300& which are quite impressive. I personally prefer Canon PowerShot D10 which was released last summer and has a 12.1-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor.

forrest!
09-18-2012, 15:36
What about the new mirrorless cameras or micro 4/3 cameras or whatever they are called. Supposedly they offer almost DSLR quality but in a lightweight and compact size. Does anybody have experience with them?

Franco
09-20-2012, 20:31
If you want to go that way (DSLR quality , but smaller/lighter) take a look at the Olympus OM D.
Good sensor , very fast and weatherised (rain proof)

Train Wreck
09-21-2012, 06:52
If you want to go that way (DSLR quality , but smaller/lighter) take a look at the Olympus OM D.
Good sensor , very fast and weatherised (rain proof)

The OM D sounds like a dream of a camera, but with a $1000 price tag, it's way out of my budget, unfortunately.

leaftye
09-21-2012, 07:12
What about the new mirrorless cameras or micro 4/3 cameras or whatever they are called. Supposedly they offer almost DSLR quality but in a lightweight and compact size. Does anybody have experience with them?

If money isn't much of an issue, and image quality is a huge issue, take a look at the Sony DSC-RX1. It's a full frame camera, so image quality should be very high, higher than most DSLR's I would think. The weight and size is similar to a micro 4/3 or mirrorless camera, unless those cameras are equipped with a pancake lens.