Looking for decent, cheap waterproof point and shoot

[Bazooka Joe]

As the title says. Can anyone recommend me a cheap point and shoot camera that is mildly waterproof (5m or so)? I have a decent DSLR, but I'm going away on a tropical vacation and would like to bring along something that would be OK around the pool or swimming in the ocean. It doesn't need to be able to take underwater pictures well, I just want to be able to have it with me. Smaller the better, with a little tether so that I can bring it in with me and not worry about having to leave it on the beach.

Of course, this is RFD. The cheaper the better, but half decent pics are a must (for facebook or 4X6's).

Any ideas?

[NewsyL]

define cheap..... i.e. $100 to $200 or $500 to $1000

There is no such thing as a cheap (under $200) waterproof camera. Water resistant is a better descriptor. Using "proof" without a caveat (to 3 meters) is exposing your to a lawsuit.

There have been numerous prior threads here on ruggedized water resistant P&S's. The Panasonic, Canon, and Sony take the best shots if I'm recalling correctly.

Why not get a great P&S like a Canon S100 or a decent "travel" cam with mid zoom (16x) and HD video such as a Sony DSC-HX9V, and then get a watertight pouch for boat trips, sandy beaches, etc?

http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/Electronics/WaterproofCameraElectronicsCases.jsp

[Bazooka Joe]

Thanks for the reply. I didn't find much help with the search function here to begin with, or I wouldn't have asked. Doing some external searches on "ruggedized water proof" and I get down to the Sony TX10 and the panasonic lumix line pretty quick. The rest all have their quirks.

I already own several watertight pouches, I keep one in my tackle box with my pentax optio S from many years ago.

Edit:

For my needs (already have a decent point and shoot, a decent DSLR and just need something for the pool/beach), it just doesn't make any sense to go with the Panasonic TS3 or the Sony TX10. So it's the Panasonic Lumix TS10, which is on sale right now at newegg.ca for $139.

If the previous sale price of $169 was still on for the Sony TX10 I'd jump on that, but since it isn't, and I need this camera in the next 3 weeks, my decision is made for me.

[time space]

Forget the hassle of waterproof bags and cases - waterproof point-and-shoots are the only cheap digital cameras anyone should buy imho! It's too easy to get caught in a rainstorm or have sand blown into your gear at the beach to be fussing with a delicate travel camera. I love being able to wash it in the sink at night to get the salt off it and I can't wait until all small electronics gear including cellphones is available with this feature.

If money were no object, I'd buy the latest Panasonic Lumix - but once you get under $150, I'd say any of the name brands in the rugged camera biz (Fuji, Nikon, Sony, Olympus) will do - just go sale hunting and pay attention to older or recently discontinued models.

After a very brief search, I'd say this Olympus from FS for $99 (http://www.futureshop.ca/en-CA/product/olympus-olympus-stylus-tough-waterproof-shockproof-freezeproof-12mp-digital-camera-3005-silver-3005-silver/10146238.aspx) looks like one reasonable choice - or this model I hadn't heard of before, a Kodak Easyshare Sport for $95.95 from Tiger Direct (http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7194576) (I like the fact that it takes standard AA batteries (!) and the reviews on Amazon are pretty good (http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-EasyShare-Waterproof-Digital-Camera/dp/B004FLL5C2) for this lower grade of camera.). At those kind of prices, you can forget about stressing over losing it, breaking it, or having it stolen - you can buy four of them for the price of one higher end rugged model.

[mk5gti]

Edit:

For my needs (already have a decent point and shoot, a decent DSLR and just need something for the pool/beach), it just doesn't make any sense to go with the Panasonic TS3 or the Sony TX10. So it's the Panasonic Lumix TS10, which is on sale right now at newegg.ca for $139.

If the previous sale price of $169 was still on for the Sony TX10 I'd jump on that, but since it isn't, and I need this camera in the next 3 weeks, my decision is made for me.

forget about buying a dedicated waterproof camera, from my search in this forum, i end up buying a water proof case for my point & shoot. paid like $7 from ebay, good enough if you are not diving.

from those waterproof camera, you won't get good IQ compare to similar price P&S.

[yellowmp5]

how waterproof do u needed to be?
gettin' a Canon 300HS $159 + $60 Canon waterproof hard case for 300HS
is the best value IMO

but the case is good for 6'-0 or 10'-0" water depth....correct me if i'm wrong~
300hs has good zoom and good IQ, CMOS compare to other crappier waterproof camera @ same price.

of coz the $169 TX10 was such a stealer...i'm still hititn' myself missin' that deal..
only other weakness i see gettin' the 300HS vs other waterproof cameras
are that it doesn't have dustproof, shockproof and it's a bit bulky-er

[da_guy2]

forget about buying a dedicated waterproof camera, from my search in this forum, i end up buying a water proof case for my point & shoot. paid like $7 from ebay, good enough if you are not diving.

from those waterproof camera, you won't get good IQ compare to similar price P&S.

So you'd trust a $7 case off ebay to protect your $150+ camera?

I don't dissagree with the waterproof case, you'll end up getting a much better camera at a much better price if you get one that isn't waterproof, but at lest spend a bit more than $7.

maybe something like this http://www.vistek.com/store/BagsCases/240475/dicapac-wp110-waterproof-case-for-digital-camera-95mm-x-145mm-x-2.aspx

[time space]

forget about buying a dedicated waterproof camera, from my search in this forum, i end up buying a water proof case for my point & shoot. paid like $7 from ebay, good enough if you are not diving.


So you'd trust a $7 case off ebay to protect your $150+ camera?

I don't dissagree with the waterproof case, you'll end up getting a much better camera at a much better price if you get one that isn't waterproof, but at lest spend a bit more than $7.

You two are way behind the times here - ruggedized (waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof) point-and-shoot cameras have come a long way in the past five years. They are now much less expensive than they once were and are now competitive in features with flimsycams. (Readers take a moment to try to actually find "a much better camera at a much better price if you get one that isn't waterproof".) The price and feature difference is now tiny.

They're not primarily for underwater shots - they're just a good worry free camera that can take day to day abuse without dying if you get caught in a storm or if they're dropped in the sand.

On a rainy day on your trip to Rome, do you really want to pull your floppy waterproofing bag/case out of your pocket every time you want to snap a quick pic? Sure, if you want a fancy SLR for pro shots, that's another animal. But this new breed of reasonably priced waterproof cameras should be every active/travelling person's first choice for a point-and-shoot.

[eko416]

I would recommend looking into the Nikon AW100. http://www.blacks.ca/blacks/jump/product/32558/Nikon-Coolpix-AW100/cat40007/Compact-Digital-Cameras/product.jsp?prdId=32558&bauth=1

I know it's not cheap but I do own a cheap waterproof point and shoot - the Fuji XP-20. If I could do it again I would spend the extra money on the Nikon AW100. The reviews of the AW100 are good and I went to the Blacks store to try it out and it's a very responsive little camera.

[supersuper]

i was looking for a cheap waterproof camera these few weeks as well.

been checking about panasonic ts3 and nikon aw100, and the lower grade olympus tg-310.

finally, I have pull the trigger today for the tg-310, simply because of the cheaper price,
its on sale with dell.ca this weekend, with the coupon $15 off, it only came down to $95 + tax.

I did test out all 3 cameras in local store, still picture quality is soso for tg-310, also it doesnt allow you to zoom in and out while recording in video mode.

but its more than half price of the other higher grade camera, so its still worth the buck

[Nevyn]

Panasonic announced the new TS20, which should retail for $200?

Search for it in dp review.