Underwater or Waterproof Digital Cameras

[007]

Hi one and all,

 

As you all know I enjoy to fish, however I'm also a keen photographer - and I would really like to start taking underwater shots of fish here in Ontario and also if I go snorkelling on holiday in the sea!

 

I have a number of cameras that I can get underwater housings for but they are so expensive and hard to get. So I am looking for a robust waterproof compact digital camera that can be used underwater.

 

I have done some research and found that the two main models are the Pentax Optio W30 and the Olympus Stylus 770SW. Problem is the camera company blurb and the user reviews I have read on-line leave me scratching my head - with no clear winner. The Pentax is cheaper but the Olympus goes deeper, the Pentax is easier to use but the Olympus is designed to be almost indestructible. Add to that, 50% of reviews for people using the Olympus say that their camera leaked/broke when used underwater - I don't really want to waste $500 on a camera that can't be used for its intended purpose.

 

So .... I need some help form you good people....

 

Has anyone got one of these cameras and can share their experiences? Good or bad.

 

Can anyone recommend one of these cameras or another underwater digital camera?

 

Thanks for your help.

007

[scuro]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0501/05010501pentax_optiowp.asp

 

I use a Pentax and it works well. All my posted pics came from that camera. I have taken a few underwater shots as did my wife in Cuba. It worked fine. I like it more for fishing when you never know if it is going to rain, if you take an accidental swim, or your camera gets slimmed. After the last slime I put it in he sink and washed it off.

[007]

Thanks Scuro. Would be great to see some of your underwater shots to see how good a picture the Pentax takes!

 

Anyone else have any recommendations or suggestions?

 

Thanks

007

[Clampet]

Never thought about washing a camera before this.

 

[scuro]

I don't have my wife's pics on my computer space. Here are a few experimental shots.

 

 

(reeling in a fish-( pic of fish by the boat)

[007]

Cool pics.

 

Does anyone else have any underwater shots or can advise me on an underwater digital camera?

 

Thanks

007

[njones]

Hi, I've got the pentax Optio WP. Paid $200 for it and it takes great pictures. Haven't taken it snorkelling yet, but I had it in the kayak a couple of days ago, in the sea, and turned over and had to swim ashore. It was fine. Here's my best picture taken in the red sea of a puffer- fish, not with this camera though.

[mepps]

Olympus make a grea underwatercamera - I found a link to an older model, not sure what teh new one is called, but the new one can go deeper...

 

http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/...sp?product=1225

[Snypa]

Hey Mepps, bought one in June, its a very sweet camera, 7.1 megapixels, waterproof to 33 ft. and all I need now is a 1-2 gb flash card for long fishing vids

 

water tight rubber seals

 

Originally I wanted it so I could take underwater fight shots etc, but I mainly use it for making underwater vids of fish & also my own homemade custom-baits in action ! The camera also has a underwater mic, so it records underwater sounds in videos, a great little added feature.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Snypa

[Pinch]

Hey 007,

 

I just got back from Florida after spending almost three weeks there. I took along my new Olympus 770SW. I will attach a few underwater pics for you to look at.

 

Overall I loved the camera, the toughness and durability were tested out straight away when our oldest son dropped it on the concrete at a rest stop. Despite a nice scratch the camera worked flawlessly.

 

I was very impressed with the battery life as well, it lasted for days taking hundreds of pictures and quite a few videos.

 

The camera spent most of its time in the hands of our 5 year old under water and didn't leak or condense at all.

 

I was disappointed in a couple of things, the first was that although its a point and shoot digital camera for some indoor shots you needed change the shooting settings otherwise some of the pictures come out orange. This is more of an 'operator error' thing really because as usual I didn't read the instructions fully. The second was the glass covering the LCD screen in the back is raised up a fraction above the rear of the camera. There are a couple of raised bumps on the metal casing, which i assumed were there to protect the glass, but they are lower than the glass. The end result is that if you put the camera screen side down on concrete or a hard rough surface the screen can become scratched.

 

These really are very minor problems in my eyes.

 

As I said I love the camera, and it has taken alot of abuse over the past month including prolonged exposure to salt water, with only a few scratches to show for it.

 

Here are a few of the pictures, feel free to pm me if you want any more info!

 

Pinch

 

 

 

 

[007]

Thanks guys - was beginning to think that no one had one of the two cameras as my post had made it to the dreaded second page where few people read!

 

Thanks Mepps - I thought I recalled a post from you last year on the subject but couldn't remember if you advocated the pentax or the olympus - must have been the latter.

 

Snypa and Pinch - I've heard good and bad things about the new Olympus 770sw - so good to hear some more positives. It sounds like neither of you have had problems with leaks and you seem to be pleased with the the pictures. The Olympus sounds to be the better camera - depth, settings etc. I'm just concerned by some reviews I've seen on-line that say that the camera leaked and broke. Also people have said its a bit of a pain to use because of the menu system - any concerns there?

 

Njones - The Pentax is also tempting as it is cheaper and they make good cameras, though can't be used as deep down.

 

I guess I should go to Henry's and take a look at them both.

 

Any other pics or comments from you guys would be gratefully received.

 

Thanks

007

[Douger]

007,

 

i have the pentax optio wp, and am very happy with it. it's great for fishing b/c it's light & compact. the picture quality is good. i don't have any underwater photos. a friend accidentally went 10' deep with it (he didn't know it was rated for 1.5m). it stopped working, but they replaced it under warranty and henry's.

 

 

this is a pic from our trip to vietnam. the original is 1.4mb, so it's been reduced for here. you can click on it to make it bigger.

 

take care

[Pinch]

Snypa and Pinch - I've heard good and bad things about the new Olympus 770sw - so good to hear some more positives. It sounds like neither of you have had problems with leaks and you seem to be pleased with the the pictures. The Olympus sounds to be the better camera - depth, settings etc. I'm just concerned by some reviews I've seen on-line that say that the camera leaked and broke. Also people have said its a bit of a pain to use because of the menu system - any concerns there?

 

Personally I think the menu system is fine, its easy to navigate through and pick what you want. So no, there are no concerns there, for me at least.