waterproof camera

[cdw]

Anyone try the GoPro Digital Hero 3 MP Waterproof Camera? How is the image quality? Speed of photo capture? Is it really waterproof up to 100’? Pentax said the optio was good to 6 feet or somesuch but mine died after being less than 2 feet down. Battery life?
-Carter

[bwilcox]

I recently bought the Olympus Stylus 770SW which is supposedly shock and waterproof. I've had it to around 20ft diving and it's still going fine.

Brody

[KSC]

Ooo, where's Jennifer? She can tell you about the Hero. The one you're looking at may a newer generation than the one I saw, but I've seen the results of the Hero before and it ain't pretty. If you're even asking about image quality I would say don't bother.

[upshitscreek]

i picked up a hero 3 a couple months ago for shits/ giggles for doing some quick n easy underwater video of fish for fly fishing trips. The goal for the stuff is just youtube,ect. nothing even remotely serious.

so far i've just done a handful of tests with it. if you are doing stills then i would look elsewhere to the optio or 790sw. it's okay but doesn't have a great exposure range and shadows or darker scenes get fugly quick.

the video is okay too. just okay. for youtube and outside video. it works for my needs even though i may just get a 790sw soon as well. it has a video feature too and no doubt would benefit from the autofocus that the hero lacks and better exposure lattitude.

the hero is just in a plastic case with a seal. it works fine. big thing is that in the field you need to keep the seal supper clean. a little sand on the seal can potentially cause a leak.

if you get a optio or 790sw then test the waterproofness upon getting while it's under warranty. the optio's seem to either fail immediately or work fine.

anyway, hope that helps. the hero has it's place but it's pretty niche and for stills i'd look elsewhere.

[Lax71vcu]

Try getting a canon camera and compatible underwater case! Mine works great ive had it down to 50ft in Mexico and saint Lucia. It has worked great on rivers too. Nice thing is that when you don't need or want water proof you just take it out of its case. Going to the beach just stick it back in! Pretty easy. Pic quality is that of the digital camera you are using! Hope this helps!
Lax

[C-dub]

Just picked up the 790sw. It is super user freindly and seams to take great pictures. had it on the river twice(pfd front pocket), and it still works. The biggest downside is that there is no viewfinder and it is hard to see the screen in high light. Picked it up for 250 through office max, and they threw in the epson picture printer. There are deals out there.

[jennifer]

The Hero takes great photos at 2 feet. Anything farther than that is totally out of focus. It is possible that it is great underwater. The different refractive index of water may actually change the power of the lens for good distance shots, or maybe you'd have to get 3 inches from everything to get a focused shot. It's been too long since I've taken optics to remember.

[Badazws6]

Anyone know of a good waterproof camera that takes AA/AAA?

I'm going to be spending a month in Nepal and don't want to depend on iffy electricity, converters and chargers. It would be so much easier to to buy more batteries.

I found one or two but they don't get good reviews...

[Livingston]

The 770sw has a more bomber case than the 790sw. There is a 1XXXsw with the same case as the 770 with better image quality but is pricey. The 790 has better image quality than the 770 but reviews say "broke when I barely started stomping the shit out of it".

I've got an old 6megpix Optio WPi. Good pictures as long as there is enough light. I've learned to manually turn off the flash and rest the camera on a rock or tree to stabilize the camera for decent shots. Due to having all the lens elements internal to the case (11 lenses in the WPi), these cameras all have a problems with low light shots compared to a standard point-and-shoot, IMHO.

-d

[DesertBoater]

I don't know if they make it anymore, but i've got a Canon A95 point and shoot type 5 megapixel camera with canons scuba case. it's a great setup, relatively small, completely waterproof to over 100 feet i think...and it takes 4 AAs. i just keep it in a small padded case, not waterproof, in my boat between my legs and it's been fine for the past five years...

Cheers,
West