waterproof digital cameras test image
Alicia
My husband and I are missionaries going to the Congo in Africa (jungle) for the next few years. I am looking for a water resistant, shock resistant camera (very humid environment). I need one that will focus on close ups of items without it blurring or making the objects further away in focus. My current camera is a standard digital camera but it does not focus on close objects and it is not water resistant. The camera will also need to be able to use a memory card so I can email pictures of my daughter back home to the states. Bonus points if it records videos as well.
Answer
I don't know why Jim A continues to tell people that there's no such thing as a shock resistant camera. Just search for "shockproof camera" on Amazon. There's dozens of them!
Try the Panasonic DMC-FT4 or DMC-TS4 as it's called in the USA. It's waterproof to 12 meters, shockproof for a 2 meter fall, freezeproof to -10 celcius and dustproof. It's got the macro closeup facility you want and uses standard SDHC memory cards. And it records full HD 1080p video. Even underwater!
Review here with a few other waterproof cameras: http://www.lenstip.com/134.5-article-Waterproof_cameras_test_2012_-_part_I_Panasonic_Lumix_DMC-FT4.html
I would advise buying and testing it well before you leave. The biggest recurring complaint I see with waterproof cameras is that they have quality control problems, meaning you don't always get a good waterproof one. It's not the easiest piece of equipment to make because the rubber waterproof seals are quite difficult to design install in a way that guarantees that water can't get in. Usually if they work then they do continue to work well for several years, but it's easy to end up with a duff one.
The problem with closeup macro work is that when you are very close to an object, your depth of field (the amount in focus) is not very great, so things behind the subject do tend to be out of focus. That's just part of the physics of photography.
You can compensate a bit by setting the camera into aperture-priority mode and setting a small aperture, but that in turn means using slower shutter speeds, so you are more likely to introduce blur through camera shake (unless you use a tripod) or through the object moving.
You can compensate for slow shutter speeds a bit by increasing the ISO setting, but that tends to add more "noise" to the image.
This balance of shutter speed, aperture size and ISO setting is at the core of all photography. To get a lot in focus with macro pictures you need a lot of light, a lens which stops down to very small apertures and which focuses close up and a good tripod. That's only really achievable with a Digital SLR camera with dedicated macro lens - and that isn't cheap.
Often the best macro shots are obtained by deliberately throwing everything completely out of focus except for the main object.
I don't know why Jim A continues to tell people that there's no such thing as a shock resistant camera. Just search for "shockproof camera" on Amazon. There's dozens of them!
Try the Panasonic DMC-FT4 or DMC-TS4 as it's called in the USA. It's waterproof to 12 meters, shockproof for a 2 meter fall, freezeproof to -10 celcius and dustproof. It's got the macro closeup facility you want and uses standard SDHC memory cards. And it records full HD 1080p video. Even underwater!
Review here with a few other waterproof cameras: http://www.lenstip.com/134.5-article-Waterproof_cameras_test_2012_-_part_I_Panasonic_Lumix_DMC-FT4.html
I would advise buying and testing it well before you leave. The biggest recurring complaint I see with waterproof cameras is that they have quality control problems, meaning you don't always get a good waterproof one. It's not the easiest piece of equipment to make because the rubber waterproof seals are quite difficult to design install in a way that guarantees that water can't get in. Usually if they work then they do continue to work well for several years, but it's easy to end up with a duff one.
The problem with closeup macro work is that when you are very close to an object, your depth of field (the amount in focus) is not very great, so things behind the subject do tend to be out of focus. That's just part of the physics of photography.
You can compensate a bit by setting the camera into aperture-priority mode and setting a small aperture, but that in turn means using slower shutter speeds, so you are more likely to introduce blur through camera shake (unless you use a tripod) or through the object moving.
You can compensate for slow shutter speeds a bit by increasing the ISO setting, but that tends to add more "noise" to the image.
This balance of shutter speed, aperture size and ISO setting is at the core of all photography. To get a lot in focus with macro pictures you need a lot of light, a lens which stops down to very small apertures and which focuses close up and a good tripod. That's only really achievable with a Digital SLR camera with dedicated macro lens - and that isn't cheap.
Often the best macro shots are obtained by deliberately throwing everything completely out of focus except for the main object.
How well does this camera work: Pentax Optio W60 Blue 10MP Digital Camera, 5x optical Zoom, Waterproof?
Heather
I want to know how well the pentax W60 holds up to it's claim. anybody out there own this camera?
Answer
Hi Heather,
I don't have one, but there are several underwater tests of the Optio W60 at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pentax+optio+w60&search_type=&aq=f
Also, here's a guy who compiled a list of 10 written reviews of the Optio W60:
http://photokayaker.fit2paddle.com/C560391461/E20080815134022/index.html
I'm interested in an waterproof small camera too, and as far as I can tell this appears to be a good one.
Good luck and have fun!
Greg
Hi Heather,
I don't have one, but there are several underwater tests of the Optio W60 at YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pentax+optio+w60&search_type=&aq=f
Also, here's a guy who compiled a list of 10 written reviews of the Optio W60:
http://photokayaker.fit2paddle.com/C560391461/E20080815134022/index.html
I'm interested in an waterproof small camera too, and as far as I can tell this appears to be a good one.
Good luck and have fun!
Greg
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Title Post: What camera is best for my situation?
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Author: Unknown
Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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