Camera for stream-side pics?

[Preston Singletary]

Last fall I bought a Fuji Z33 WP. It's a nice little camera; 3 1/2" x 2 1/4" x 3/4" point-and-shoot, 10 megapixels, waterproof to 3 meters, and capable of shooting underwater. I put a loop of cord on it in lieu of the wrist strap so I can hang it around my neck and drop it inside the top of my waders. I found it on sale for $158.00 (a similar Olympus model was on sale at the same time for the same price.

I've been impressed with the quality of its pictures and all other aspects of its performance.

[Cold]

Preston makes a great point about looking for sales. Several photography retailer websites will put things on sale, often times with no apparent reason other than to make a sale. I got my WS80 well before the W90 was even announced, for almost $100 less than MSRP. I was debating a waterproof P&S or a more advanced "bridge" or a "traveler's compact", but when I saw the WS80 marked down that far, it made the decision for me.

...of course, now I'm still casually shopping around for that "advanced P&S"

[jimmadsen]

hey everyone - excellent ideas - and I appreciate the personal insight. Definitely helps me narrow it down to a few good options. I plan to go out shopping in the next week or two - I'll let you which one I get. REALLY interested in the ability to shoot video underwater - didn't know that was possible now!

jimsnarocks - moved here to Norman last July and it really feels like home. Don't know if you saw the news, but the Tornado that came through here Mother's Day weekend completely wiped out the marina at lake Thunderbird. It's going to take them all summer to rebuild it. Broke my heart seeing all those boats twisted and stacked on top of one another.

[mosbos]

I just started using the Olympus Stylus tough 6000 this season. So far it's worked pretty well. I like the flexability of being able to experiment with under water pics as well as everything else. I'm still getting used to some of the settings but so far I'm happy with the results.





I find it easy to switch back and forth between auto and the scene settings. The rechargeable battery has not let me down yet over a weekend of fishing. Pictures crop well. We had a grizzly encouter one weekend and being a tad bit scared I only had time to snap a couple of pics before I put my camera away. It was on landscape but I cropped the pic down to get a decent view of the bear.

Fish shots have turned out nice as well. Camera tucks away nice in either a vest or pant pocket. Best of all it does not matter is she goes in for a dunk.

[Dave E]

Guess this makes me the third or forth Pentax Optio ( WS80 ) user in this thread. Great little WP camera and with the current discounts being offered by some, it's a pretty hard unit to pass up.

Best, Dave

[branhap]

I love my pentax WS80.

Not only does it do a great job in the field. The macro on it for pictures of flies is second to none competing with my wife's DSLR with a macro lens!

Paul

[Steve Molcsan]

This is with my new favorite stream side camera...
Take with my phone set on panoramic mode & hi res.
Viewed on the phones screen it is unbelievable...

[Thwack]

I've been using Pentax waterproof cameras since their first model came out - very happy with them. I keep my Optio W20 with me on the water (kayak, float tube, boat, wading, you name it). I bought a sturdy retractable clip for it (similar to what you'd have for holding your badge at work or the retractable thingies we keep forceps on when fishing - but sturdier). That keeps me less paranoid about it falling out of a pocket and sinking.

There are wrist straps available that will float your camera if it falls overboard. A bit bulky but it beats having your camera (and your latest pics) lost in a deep hole.

I would expect the competing offers to also be very good. Find the price point that works for your budget and the general look & feel that you like.

I tried waterproof housings for non-waterproof cameras. Way too much hassle. There are plenty of models available today that are waterproof without needing fancy additional headaches.

They're great for taking underwater shots as well as just protecting your camera if it falls in.


Good luck.