i am going on a cruise in february to the bahamas. and, because i plan on going snorkeling, i want to buy an underwater camera but dont want to spend a rediculous amount of money. i plan to mostly take pictures both above ground and underwater, and maybe a video or two. the video sound quality isnt terribly imporant to me. i just want to be able to see what i am recording clearly. i saw in consumer reports that the tg-830ihs was second to the panasonic lumix dmc-ts5, but i cant imagine forking over that much money for the lumix. so, i guess my question is, for all experienced users, would this be a good choice for a basic, durable, and reliable underwater camera for my vacation? i am going on a cruise in february to the bahamas. and, because i plan on going snorkeling, i want to buy an underwater camera but dont want to spend a rediculous amount of money. i plan to mostly... » Read More i am going on a cruise in february to the bahamas. and, because i plan on going snorkeling, i want to buy an underwater camera but dont want to spend a rediculous amount of money. i plan to mostly take pictures both above ground and underwater, and maybe a video or two. the video sound quality isnt terribly imporant to me. i just want to be able to see what i am recording clearly. i saw in consumer reports that the tg-830ihs was second to the panasonic lumix dmc-ts5, but i cant imagine forking over that much money for the lumix. so, i guess my question is, for all experienced users, would this be a good choice for a basic, durable, and reliable underwater camera for my vacation? « Show Less
1053339
Kim, the short answer is yes. This is a great waterproof camera and truly unbeatable at its price point. I do not think you will be disappointed with it.
1053340
Absolutely. It it's an excellent camera. Great photos, fun and useful scene modes. Underwater shots come out awesome. Many compliments from anyone I show photos to. I've given mine some rough use and it takes it in stride. You will be glad you saved the money...a friend has the lumix and I don't see the need to spend any more that I did on my Olympus. Love it!
1053341
I have the Olympus and it hs worked well for me due to the shock proof aspect and the waterproof. I dropped it twice on a trip once in the water and it is still like new. I have not used it for diving yet but have a friend that has and her photos were great. I will be diving with it in a couple of weeks.
1053342
i love mine but i have never been under water with it i use mine for work but i have took lots of pic in the rain and have never had any problems with it
1053343
I love everything about this camera. It takes great pics above and below water. It has lots of extra features. Definitely a lot of camera for the money.
590898
Thank you Stephen,I just tried to buy the SX210is from amazon but was told they won't ship it to Brunei where I am at the moment - wierd, they sent me a dive computer a few months back.Does any one know a camera whole saler with similar prices that ship overseas?Anyway, I think I will buy the SX210is somehow anyway, I think it sounds like a great little camera to take on holidays and snap family pics/movies.For diving I am thinking I might use and old canon A520 that I have - I'll just have to chase up the housing for it, until I get decent at it then I'll sink more money into a good dive camera. Thank you Stephen,I just tried to buy the SX210is from amazon but was told they won't ship it to Brunei where I am at the moment - wierd, they sent me a dive computer a few months back.Does any one know a camera whole saler with similar prices that ship overseas?Anyway, I think I will buy the SX210is somehow anyway, I think it sounds like a great little camera to take on holidays and snap family pics/movies.For diving I am thinking I might use and old canon A520 that I have - I'll just have to chase up the housing for it, until I get decent at... » Read More Thank you Stephen,I just tried to buy the SX210is from amazon but was told they won't ship it to Brunei where I am at the moment - wierd, they sent me a dive computer a few months back.Does any one know a camera whole saler with similar prices that ship overseas?Anyway, I think I will buy the SX210is somehow anyway, I think it sounds like a great little camera to take on holidays and snap family pics/movies.For diving I am thinking I might use and old canon A520 that I have - I'll just have to chase up the housing for it, until I get decent at it then I'll sink more money into a good dive camera. « Show Less
1491706
12 megapixels: its great on land, and once you learn how to take non-blurry pictures underwater, its great there too. I have some pictures that are very detailed and look great in big or small size. The trick is to adjust shutter speed if you are in darker waters to allow more light to come in, and of course, make sure you are steady when you take the picture. So the resolution is great, but if there is not enough light or if there is any movement (pretty much the same as with any underwater camera). But on land, I have not issues, just point and shoot and the resolution is awesome.
627518
It depends upon 3 things: 1)What is the intended purpose (time lapse, action, sports etc.)? 2)How much you want to spend? 3) The time spent editing your footage. Everyone would like to achieve the same results as the GoPro demo that they play over and over to promote GoPro; however, most of us are limited the amount of money it would take to outfit ourselves with 3 or 4 GoPros, plus accessories. If you look at all the specs, the "Black" has the best resolution and more time lapse settings which translates to better video capture. Apparently the lenses are also better quality which means a clearer picture. A remote is included, which regularly sells for about $100; however, I have not used it once. Most of the activities that I used the GoPro were in and around water and since the remote is not water proof, it doesn't get used. I just edit the beginning and ending parts out of the video. GoPro should sell everything separately, out side of the packaged bundles. If they did, I would buy the "Black" edition because it provides the best resolution and features. You can always reduce the resolution; however, once the video has been shot, you can't increase the resolution. The accessories that I would purchase would be the protective plastic shell, extra batteries & charger, floaty backdoor, grenade handle, view screen back door, adhesive mounts ... your imagination and lots of time to practice. The view screen back door would be handy to set up your shots, especially time lapse. Some shots you only get once chance to take it ... better make it count. Angles and perspectives, make your video exciting and cool to look at. So set up some practice shots to see if it will work. If you can afford to purchase a couple more cameras, it would be advantageous because as I mentioned, some times you only get once chance.
806878
There is one that I know of fire this camera, you can find it searching Amazon or eBay. It is crazy expensive and it costs more than the camera. I'd suggest one of the bag style universal cases for underwater.... They work well enough for a casual weekend scuba diving anyways.
1831014
I did some snorkeling while on vacation and the camera takes excellent photos and videos underwater, you will not be disappointed. As for the GPS, it did work while snorkeling, which was approximately 6ft underwater not sure if it will work going deeper underwater...hope this helps
2270551
I have the one with the battery and use my Hero3+ Black for underwater video and photos. Being able to see what you are shooting is extremely helpful. I can tell you for a fact that using the touchscreen uses a lot of battery. Even with the extra battery internal battery it cuts the video duration to just over 1.5 hrs. That means a battery change between dives and even less time on the next as the touchscreen battery discharges first. The less expensive touchscreen would probably be fine if you shut it off between actually shooting video or stills and review what you shot.
603521
I took my gopro 3+ silver snorkeling and got some great footage, I would deffinate recommend getting the gopro 3+ black edition and the stock waterproof housing on the 3+ works really well.
1844762
I would agree with everyone and mine worked perfect for snorkeling, hiking/biking and just as a regular camcorder. Video quality is very good.Caveats:- sound is not too great (if it's important)- I would add "wasabi" set of 2 batteries and charger, I bought it here at Amazon- Mounting options: instead check mounts for iON camera's carried by Walmart, they seem to fit by thread and look better than JVC provides. I did not use them yet but want to check.
209487
Sanyo Xacti VPC line is fantastic. I've had them underwater (pool and lake shots) and the video came out great. Lightweight and small too.
1188431
Hi Nancy, I love my tiny 300HS and have taken hundreds of photos and videos underwater all over the world with it. For that matter, hundreds more topside. I've had several U/W cameras/housings over the years (mostly Canon) and even some I made myself. This WP-DC41 and 300HS are winners. I've also purchased other UW cameras since: GoPro and Panny, but the tiny 300 wins. Hint: As you know, color is wimpy (mainly blue/gray) under water unless you use artificial lighting (strobe). The 300 HS built-in strobe is OK for close-in shots, but for more oomph, check out the inexpensive Intova UW slave strobe (search INTOVA). (Get the fiber-optic cable with it and tray). Happy diving! Keith --(end KJ)-- Hi Nancy, I love my tiny 300HS and have taken hundreds of photos and videos underwater all over the world with it. For that matter, hundreds more topside. I've had several U/W cameras/housings over the years (mostly Canon) and even some I made myself. This WP-DC41 and 300HS are winners. I've also purchased other UW cameras since: GoPro and Panny, but the tiny 300 wins. Hint: As you know, color is wimpy (mainly blue/gray) under water unless you use artificial lighting (strobe). The 300 HS built-in strobe is OK for close-in shots, but for more oomph, check out the inexpensive Intova UW slave... » Read More Hi Nancy, I love my tiny 300HS and have taken hundreds of photos and videos underwater all over the world with it. For that matter, hundreds more topside. I've had several U/W cameras/housings over the years (mostly Canon) and even some I made myself. This WP-DC41 and 300HS are winners. I've also purchased other UW cameras since: GoPro and Panny, but the tiny 300 wins. Hint: As you know, color is wimpy (mainly blue/gray) under water unless you use artificial lighting (strobe). The 300 HS built-in strobe is OK for close-in shots, but for more oomph, check out the inexpensive Intova UW slave strobe (search INTOVA). (Get the fiber-optic cable with it and tray). Happy diving! Keith --(end KJ)-- « Show Less
350808
Yes!! Make sure to the high speed class 10 card and the video will be seemless. I was blown away the quality in both underwater and above water shots. And while others have complained about digital drop out, I had no problems using the faster SDHC micro card.
1383201
Quality is good... I think its rated at 720p and I think that's accurate. In low lighting it can appear grainy, but it good lighting it's crystal clear. I use mine scuba diving and have a lot of great videos. I usually feel like the video is a pretty good reflection of what I was actually seeing. Good luck!
1406685
I used it snorkeling in St Lucia - worked great - the pictures and video were good quality - are the "land" pictures as good as on a higher-end non-waterproof camera? I don't think so as there isn't the same type of manual controls, but if you want something that you can use in water and still performs well on land then this is hard to beat, particularly for the price. A very nice feature is the 2 large shoot buttons (one for pictures, the other for video) which means no fiddling around when in the water.
1968670
I suggest getting the flat lens housing. You get better video above and below water and the filters will help with color underwater, lights are really the best though.
1928094
For a good review of what this camera can and can't do at diving depths, see: http://www.digicamera.com/reviews/olympus_stylus_770sw/ My 2cts: Except in clear tropical waters you need an external strobe, not to avoid white-out, but to avoid backscatter from particulates in water. (I've got some great images from tropics just using the built in strobe from a housed point-and-shoot digital, but an external strobe is a necessity in northern/central CA.) I could see taking this on a trip, if I'm going to be only shallow (unlikely in tropical waters) and wanted to avoid the hassle of taking my whole housing/strobe set-up. However, if you're planning to get a strobe and genuine scuba-depth housing (as mentioned, Olympus does make one for this model), you have to ask what's the point of paying extra for what this camera comes with already, as well as its limits (compared with higher quality cameras/lens not designed to skinny-dip). If you snorkel, kayak, surf, play in the water a lot, etc., it may still make sense. If you want that versatility, but still will use a housing/strobe for diving, consider the 720, which allows you to go 10ft and would save you some money. Another thought (now wearing my PADI instructor hat): There's a lot of task loading in learning scuba (esp. if you're doing it in cold Alaska water!), and I would advise against adding underwater photography too soon. Although I have a hard time diving without a camera, I think new divers should wait until they're quite comfortable in the water (for their own safety), and have very good buoyancy skills (for the safety of the marine environment).
119786
I think you should get the Panasonic TZ5 (or TZ4 if you don't care about HD video). The TZ's will jump to an Optical 16.7x@ 3MEGAPIXELS, and will be in the $200- 230 area vs. the much more expensive 12x...I have both the TZ5 and SX110. They are both GREAT cameras. The TZ5 is lighter and smaller, and you can take video with optical vs digital zoom (clearer video). I bought the SX 110 , because there is a CHDK modification available for it (Google CHDK). You can do timelapse, RAW format, extend the shutter speed to 64 seconds....but if you are using the camera for the day, I would go with the TZ4 or 5, but you better hurry- all of these cameras are discontinued! I think you should get the Panasonic TZ5 (or TZ4 if you don't care about HD video). The TZ's will jump to an Optical 16.7x@ 3MEGAPIXELS, and will be in the $200- 230 area vs. the much more expensive 12x...I have both the TZ5 and SX110. They are both GREAT cameras. The TZ5 is lighter and smaller, and you can take video with optical vs digital zoom (clearer video). I bought the SX 110 , because there is a CHDK modification available for it (Google CHDK). You can do timelapse, RAW format, extend the shutter speed to 64 seconds....but if you are using the camera for the day, I would go with the... » Read More I think you should get the Panasonic TZ5 (or TZ4 if you don't care about HD video). The TZ's will jump to an Optical 16.7x@ 3MEGAPIXELS, and will be in the $200- 230 area vs. the much more expensive 12x...I have both the TZ5 and SX110. They are both GREAT cameras. The TZ5 is lighter and smaller, and you can take video with optical vs digital zoom (clearer video). I bought the SX 110 , because there is a CHDK modification available for it (Google CHDK). You can do timelapse, RAW format, extend the shutter speed to 64 seconds....but if you are using the camera for the day, I would go with the TZ4 or 5, but you better hurry- all of these cameras are discontinued! « Show Less