Posted: 10/4/2012 10:50:31 AM EDT
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The wife and I want a waterproof camera for our cruise in a couple of months What do you have and like? We bought the Nikon Tough from best buy and the pictures were very blurry no matter how hard I tried. We returned it. |
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I just bought an Olympus TG-1.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_121/1362557_Help_me_pick_my_camera___TG1_vs__AW100.html |
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We opted for the Fujifilm Xp camera. Took it to the Bahamas, Hawaii, jetskiing on a lake, river trips, camping, Sea World (water park to) and more places. It takes good pictures. We considered the Optimus camera but I think it was a little more than the Fuji and decided to save the difference.
We've bought a second Fuji now too. Here is a picture of a local park taken with the Fuji 
And a turtle in about 10-12 deep water in Hawaii. The sand was stirred up a bit and not as clear as some Bahama pics I have but currently not with me 
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I got one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Kwik-Tek-Camera-6-Inch-1-5-Inch/dp/B000FE5PBU/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1349377525&sr=8-6 Put an old Canon in it, and it worked fairly well. I'll post some pics from it later. Pays off if you have an old camera to use, and as long as its light-duty use. |
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Also, I think the Olympus has the better lenses compared to the Nikon, and Fuji, so the rumor goes.
And one thing I noticed, the lens face will get water drops on it when you're in the water. So if you dunk it under and then bring it out to take a picture above water you have to make sure the drops aren't there. I haven't gone the route of using rain-x yet, but what does seem to work is tilting the camera either forward or backward after you pull it out of the water quickly. The drops should roll off. Blowing on the lens is not very effective. That's the nature of it though. They're great underwater and out of water, but the transition in between these two realms requires attention |
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will +1 on the olympus some can go deeper than others mine is one of those cost a little more as well
all metal housing. has been beat on a pretty good amount. I like it for a cruise I would say get a extra battery. wont make a full day of constant use and constant "on and off" here is a little heads up... the all metal camera is shiny and nice looking dolphins think so. it occured to me as I had mine strapped to my wrist taking video of the dolphin with his nose a inch from the camera shiny camera looks just like the shiny bait fish they were eating...  those teeth look pretty sharp
soooo they make a silicon cover for these cameras....highly recommended by me and flipper the above video you can hear the dolphins "talking" bet a dollar one of them was saying hey I bet I can take this big ass fish from this guy
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The Olympus Stylus Tough series is very good, in my experience. Plus, if you later take up diving, Olympus make a pretty good housing that allows you to take it to ~130 ft. depth. I had one for 2 years and loved it. Until it crapped out on me in the keys this summer. it took in water while snorkling and destroyed the camera ;( I took care of all the seals on a regular basis per the instructions. I have read it is not an uncommon occurence after about a year or so with that camera, So I will not be buying another olympus. I will replace it with either a canon or nikon. |
I bought a Pentax Optio WG-2 at the beginning of the summer. I love the darned thing. Can't break it. Also, I'm a terribly bad photographer. Camera almost makes up for my lack of talent. It also takes great underwater video.
Costa Rica: 
Daughter at Grand Canyon: 
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My wife really wants the Olympus TG-1 The specs on that camera look incredible. Wow! I'm going to have to look into that one myself. I primarily fly fish and sail Hobie's so a waterproof camera is a must for me. I've slipped on the slick rocks in many a stream only to have my cameras get completely submerged (ie, ruined). I always liked Canon point and shoots not only for their size but for their incredible image quality. However, I always had to be really careful with them (not waterproof). Then I switched over to a couple of waterproof Olympus Stylus' and they would fit the bill somewhat. Small, compact, etc. but they had terrible chromatic aberration. Basically, the image quality was subpar but heck, it was waterproof! There is something to be said about small and compact. If the camera is too big, you'll never take it with you. . . That being said, about a year and a half ago, I purchased a Canon S95 because of its renowned ability to take great pictures. Along with the camera, I purchased the proprietary waterproof housing (120 ft I believe). It takes FANTASTIC pictures out on the water. However, the waterproof housing makes for a fairly large unit. I'm used to it now and when I get back to the house, I just pop it out of the housing. You wouldn't have to do that with the Olympus. Anyhow, The S95 is the older model and the S100 is the newer version. I think I paid around $375 for the camera alone which is really expensive for a point and shoot. The Canon waterproof housing was another $200 I want to say. Offhand, I believe it'll go down to f2.4 while it looks like the Olympus will go down to f2.0. That is a FAST lens for the class! I would say that within the past year, there have been many waterproof cameras to hit the market since I made my purchase. Just my .02. Have a blast on your vacation! I'm going to have to look into that Olympus TG-1. ETA: Just read a quick review on the TG-1. Has a fast lens but sacrifices sharpness. The center of the image is sharp but the edges and corners soften up. Auto-exposure only. . .no manual, aperture priority or shutter priority which rules it out for me. :( |
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I picked up a Canon D20 a few months ago..
Here are some pics and a video from it.. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_1_5/1336172_An_Arizona_Photographic_Essay_by_Freeride21a___Tubing_the_Salt_River__pics_n_vid_.html I did some underwater shots in pools as well as the river. I also took it in a river in the Sierras twice and was playing with it underwater on some rapids and rock waterslides.. It took some GREAT photos and handled everything fine! Whatever camera you get, test it thoroughly in water before your cruise. |
| Nikon AW100 Very nice pictures above and below the water. Very good stop action photos. good low light. Excellent Video. Survived ten trips in pool water and ocean water already. Plus, I threw it down on cement from 5 feet up and it survived with minor abrasions. Can't say enough about it. |
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Thanks everyone for the replies. I think we are going to get the Olympus TG-1. Comes with a warranty so I will definitely do some testing on it before I take it out to make sure we like it. I want it to last a long time so I don't mind paying the extra coin for it. |
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Quoted:
Thanks everyone for the replies. I think we are going to get the Olympus TG-1. Comes with a warranty so I will definitely do some testing on it before I take it out to make sure we like it. I want it to last a long time so I don't mind paying the extra coin for it. Its worth it. My wife and I got one to take on vacation. Worked great, takes very good pictures and video, and can take a beating. Just be aware that the lenses can fog up on the inside of the camera if there is a big change in temperature (like when you go from sitting on the beach in the hot sun with it to going underwater in the cooler ocean). It will dissipate in a few minutes (I understand this can be a problem with all underwater/sealed cameras), but if you take pictures while the lenses are fogged, they won't be very good. |
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We bought the Cannon D10 a couple years ago. We're pretty happy with it. The video quality isn't HD though.
The newer D20 looks like a contender. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Waterproof-Stabilized-Wide-Angle/dp/B0075SUKIC |
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My wife really wants the Olympus TG-1 I have that camera. It is a little difficult to use, but once you get the hang of it, it is awesome. It makes a great point and shoot camera. I bought mine for hunting in the fall, and so far it has held up to about every weather and environment that I have thrown at it. |
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Panasonic Lumix TS2 This. Except update it. I have the TS3. It is good to 40 ft. It takes pretty god shots underwater and above. I also bought the Ikelite housing for it- good to 200 feet. Ive had it to 111ft I really like the high speed/multiple shots in a second feature. I have some good shots of my boy jumping in the water. at 110 ft..... You can see the camera in my right hand :) 
Pic taken with the TS3... In a little shallower.... I think this is on the super structure of the Duane- 60-80ish feet.. 
On the surface.. 
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Nikon AW100 Wife got lots of great underwater shots! This^^^^ unless you do a lot of video with it. I have a love hate relationship with mine...love the pic quality, features, ease of use, video quality and video sound quality, but I hate the fact that on every video clip, if you zoom in or out while recording the mic picks up the zoom motor sound. Minor bitch...but it really annoyed me...still does. 
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