I finally ordered one today! I settled on a Pentax Optio W10. Waterproof, small, close-up shots. I’m happy that I can get some quick close-up shots of flies that I hadn’t been able to do before except on my SLR. I know my fishing buddy will be happy so I can get photos to him a lot faster. I already have a Canon 35mm Rebel EOS SLR for professional looking stuff but I used to just carry a little 25mm Kodak 110 when fishing. Takes a long time to get through a roll of 24 when at times I don’t take a lot of shots on the water and even longer to get developed since photo shops don’t develop 25mm much anymore. I still have a roll that I will have to get developed that is not finished and has my fishing buddy’s 7lb. LMB on it (yeah, he’s not been a happy camper and I don’t blame him being my fault). I hope the photos come out when developed or I’ll never hear the end of it :D.
I just bought a digital. Been looking and wondering for a long time. Then I go and buy one on emotion I know nothing about. Panasonic, 6x optical 5 mp, that is no bigger (well a hair) than a canon 4x 5mp. Says on standard picture setting you can expand the zoom to 7.5 optical without affecting picture quality. Has a macro feature AND Optical Image Stability feature! Soooooo…fingers crossed it will be a good camera.
Gemrod
AND Optical Image Stability feature!
From what I’ve read, that’s been a real problem on the digitals. I know my Canon 35mm SLR captures moving objects in Sports Mode but for most digitals, I’ve read that its a shutter speed problem that they have had difficulty solving. Well, no image stability feature on mine that I know of but at least it is small, waterproof (up to 30 minutes at 5 feet and can take some underwater photos) :), and can take close-up shots.
dixieangler,
The Optio is the best camera I have seen for fly fishermen. Yes I have cameras with better optics and software but they are not waterproof and hence I don’t carry them. No fear with the Optio, mine is the first version out and I like it. It even does well with underwater shots, I took some pics at Tanycomo and was impressed with them.
Dan
I have had my Pentax Optio for 15 months now and have taken a lot of great fish pics. Best fishing camera by far.
Your going to love it 
dixieangler,
Took my first underwater photo with my “Waterproof Pentax Optio 6.0 Megapixels” this afternoon. Danged trout wouldn’t cooperate and got his bottom half only in the photo. Need three arms for this kind of operation. Couldn’t remember how to set it to the “underwater” mode till I got back home; so, just plunged 'er under and hoped for the best. Danged manual is 135 pages long and I need one that’s about 10! Got it mainly for wet outdoors days and not necessarily for underwater photos. But, that’s a nice bonus. Enjoy…it’s a great camera.
My Pentax is the WPi. It’s also a 6.1 mp and a great camera. I have other digital cameras but the one I take streamside is this one. To me,it just doesn’t make sense to take a non-waterproof camera there.
Mark
PS: And I don’t have to apologize for the quality of the images.
Yeah guys. Now I remember all the posts about the Pentax Optio. Goes to show you what buying on impulse does! …duh…
There were none at Best Buy on display and so I fell for another one. Mr. Dixieangler did it smart. I had the good advise and still blew it!
I’ve never seen anyone try so hard… as me…and still fail. G
Gemrod
Hey, Gemrod, I do a LOT of foolish things. Stupid things usually. My definition of stupid is doing something I know better than doing but do it anyway. Dumb is when I don’t know any better.
You did good :D. You got a camera that has the ability to take moving objects and that is a definate benefit as most digitals on the market do not according to the digital camera articles I have been reading.
There is another new waterproof digital that has come out on the market that is also shockproof with a higher megapixel. Probably more expensive also :). Some folks that have had them have said it still has teething pains (early problems to work out like size and ergonomics).
Specs:
The Olympus Stylus 720SW, a waterproof (to 3m) 7.1 megapixel camera that is also ‘shock-proof’ (resistant to falls from up to 1.5m). Boasting a maximum ISO of 1600, a large 2.5-inch screen and a 3x optical zoom, the 720SW is available in an array of colours; Dusky Pink, Polar Blue and Steel Silver.
Just about anything Pentax puts their name on is going to be dependable, high quality at an affordable price. In my opinion you cannot go wrong with Pentax products.
I might jump in on this one - I want a new camera to toss in my vest and get those great trout photos, ha ha.
Anyway I have been tossing up between the Optio w20 and the last mentioned Olympus 740 sw. The olympus has a 5x zoom and is shockproof, but the optio is cheaper and still has a good reputation.
Any thoughts? I would like good macro ability too for flies and bugs.
Thanks in advance for your help guys.
I bought a Pentax W20 about a month ago and it is an exceptional camera. The auto focus is quick and the shutter delay is much less than my other digital, which was a real problem.
I had researched both the Pentax and the Olympus, and decided on the Pentax because it seemed to be the better value. Some of the feedback I recieved on the Olympus was very negative.
Going fishing tomorrow so I will try to post a few pics when I get back.
Bryan
I have the first generation Optio, the Optio WP and I have no real major complaints. If you read all the reviews like I did, just before your head explodes you will discover that there is something about EVERY camera that somebody doesn’t like.
My Optio serves my needs perfectly which is snapping pictures of places I fish and fish I catch. I’ve never done the underwater thing because I’m really not interested. I wanted a waterproof camera in case I went fishing in the rain. The macro works well but after doing it a few times I haven’t done it since.
My only complaint is that in the stupid mode, (auto focus, bla, bla, bla); if I take a pictures of scenery under really low light conditions the pictures aren’t so great. I know I can use other settings to get better shots but I’m too lazy to bother.
My biggest recommendation to anyone buying a digital camera is regardless of the model and price, buy the BIGGEST memory card you can get for it. I have a 2GB SD card in mine which allows me to take hundreds and hundreds of pictures at the highest resolution AND take multiple shots of each. This way if one doesn’t come out, hopefully the other one does. When I get home I delete the shots I don’t want and reduce the image size according to my needs.
I also heartily recommend getting an extra battery and carrying it with you. Rechargeable batteries are affected by heat and cold so you never know when or if you may need it.
Have fun! I love my camera. It was one of the best things I ever bought for fishing.
I also vote for the Pentax W20. It does take good pictures even under water. If you have it set on speed shutter you can take your choice of pictures of the fish before you have to handle it. The movie setting works under water as well
I bought the Pentax Optio WR-33 when they first came out and, sigh… before anyone discounted them!
I think I would still do it all over again! I do like having a viewfinder in bright sunlight.
I sold an Olympus digital to get it and the guy who bought the Oly also now has the Pentax.
This new Oly though… it sure does look nice! They seem to have fixed almost everything I didn’t like about Oly camera’s… the sliding lens cap and protruding, motorized lens.
The only fault I can find with that new jobby, and it’s probably no big thing, is it doesn’t get as close in macro mode as I would like.
Other than that, it looks great.
PS… good luck finding Pentax in any ‘big box’ store. I think they prefer marketing through real camera shops from what I can gather.
Jackster, that is a nice looking fly. If I can ask, how did you get the ribbing like that? PM me if you get the chance (I don’t want to hijack this post).
My wife ended up buying the Canon EOS Rebel XTi with a 18-55mm lens. Sure looks like a sweet camera… which I will never be allowed to use… too complicated for slow old me I guess. But, hopefully, I will be able to enlist her assistance in taking pictures of some flies. I have an Olympus point and shoot that I use, but it doesn’t take that great of pictures close up like that…
I like the sounds of shock proof. I dropped a canon one time and had to be no more than 8 inches to the desk top and the camera became toast.
Just FYI
Gemrod
I like my Canon 35mm Rebel EOS SLR (single-lens-reflex) with its advantages of the Sports Mode (moving objects) and higher quality of photos over the digital and intend on keeping it (unless I get a real good offer ;)) so don’t get me wrong, I just don’t want to take a large professional type of camera on the water. I also like getting close-up shots with it that digitals also do but the digital’s main advantage is there is no need for development of film so photos are instantly available. Smaller size and waterproof is also major advantages for fishing. For my fishing purposes, I think I did the right thing getting the Optio W10 even though it does lack a viewfinder like all the new Optios (the no longer available 33WR had one). If the LCD temporarily washes out in the hot sunlight, I will just point and shoot a lot of photos so one is bound to turn out good. I’ll just have to get a large capacity SD card. I did place a phone order for it from Walmart.com so I did not get it in a store.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product. … id=4790104
Here is another link on that waterproof Olympus and I did notice that it has digital image stabilization besides being shockproof but it also has no viewfinder and it most definately is more expensive:
http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_secti … oduct=1225
The only fault I can find with that new jobby, and it’s probably no big thing, is it doesn’t get as close in macro mode as I would like.
Super Macro Mode: 2.8" - 19.7" (7cm - 50cm)
Yep. I didn’t notice that, Jackster. That is a drawback. The Optio goes from 1 cm I think. Yep.
Macro Focus Range: 1-60cm
My wife ended up buying the Canon EOS Rebel XTi with a 18-55mm lens. Sure looks like a sweet camera… which I will never be allowed to use… too complicated for slow old me I guess. But, hopefully, I will be able to enlist her assistance in taking pictures of some flies.
Midge Man,
To get close-up shots of flies with the Canon Rebel EOS SLR, you will probably need to get a narrow angle zoom lens in the 75-300mm range. The 18-55mm is the wide angle lens. When I got my Canon Rebel EOS/S (35mm, not digital), the camera came with the wide angle lens and was $500. The added zoom lens by itself was $300. It is a really nice professional camera :D. It might take close shots with the wide angle lens but I have never done it. I just used the 75-300mm zoom lens for really close shots. Give it a try and let me know your results :).
I recently picked up an Olympus SP500 UZ (ultra zoom) It’s a 6.0 mp with 10x optical zoom and 5x digital. Nice marco feature too. It also has panoramic picture and video capability and you can record 4 second sound clips with still pictures too if you want. I’m very happy with it so far.