what Digital Camera work best for canoyneering

[rclimb]

so im looking for a new digital camera and is see what has had the best luck with.
i've lost my last 3 to the sand they kill all moving part's. So do the sand stay out of the water proof one?

[deathtointernet]

Can't say I've discovered one that works best. I've had several of the Olympus stylus tough cameras... the sand *does* get into the mechanism, going through Middle Echo I found the shutter release stuck halfway, locking the focus, because of several grains stuck in it, and eventually needed a can of dust spray to get them out. Maybe the newest model is better, I heard it was supposed to be. And in the end it never killed the camera; it never got into the vital parts. After that I took better care to protect it in the sandy canyons. All of it is moot however because my last Olympus proved to be only waterproof for nine months, and of course we all know waterproof cameras aren't under warranty for not being waterproof. I've been a little bitter about it since then. As far as picture quality goes, the models did get progressively better but certainly didn't take great photos, especially in low light conditions, but it was workable, and it was nice to have one I (thought) I could dunk without worries.

[jman]

There's a new one coming out this March by Panasonic called the Lumix TS3.
I just sold my Olympus Tough 8000 for this one. The Olympus was a poor camera but it got the job done.

Link here (http://panasonic.net/avc/lumix/compact/ts3_ft3/index.html)

I like how it has a 28mm lens and how it has better video recording specs than the Olympus Tough cameras. But it's still a P&S camera, so its very nice for people like me who lack in outdoor photography skills and dedication.

If you want really, really good shots while canyoneering - obviously get a DSLR, tripod, and a waterproof housing case for it. And protect it like as if it was your only child...

[Bubbles]

I have had an Olympus SW770 (I think) and now have an Olympus SW1070 (I think...Not the upscale model with the reinforced screen).

They truly suck at taking pictures, and it frustrates the hell out of me to be forced to try and take good shots of truly incredibly scenery and knowing that what comes out wont nearly do it justice. It also has slow shutter speeds, writes to the card slowly, takes horrid low-light shots, and the manual lens cover on my current 1070 is beyond stupid. Also, until the new Toughs, the Olympus cameras all took XD cards. Dumb.

All that said, I broke 4 cameras in 4 years before getting an Olympus. Now I've only broken 2 cameras in 3.5 years and counting, and I've taken them everywhere. From -15 in the High Sierra to a trash compactor run of Imlay. Still works.

My girlfriend has the Canon waterproof one and it takes far better pictures. Only problem is that its a little bit too bulky to fit in a normal pocket.

I've used one of the Fuji CostCo specials for snorkeling and it worked great for the price. Image quality about on par with Olympus.

[Scott Card]

I have a Pentax Optio W10 that i bought a few years ago. I am not too happy with the quality or exposure on the thing. I wouldn't buy it again for sure. I will say it is pretty rugged. It took nice beach photos but it just doesn't do well in slot canyons.

[hank moon]

IMO the compact waterproof cams take mostly mediocre shots unless conditions are perfect. I've carried the same small (non-waterproof) P/S cam for 6 years now with no loss in performance. I keep it in a Pelican micro case - they offer great protection from sand, splash and smacks, but are not fully waterproof.

Another option: if you want relatively compact and waterproof, get a nice Canon P/S cam (e.g. G12 or older version or S90/S95) and waterproof case (diving case). These are pretty bomber and Canon does replace them when the sand wins out (according to one friend who has had 3 warranty replacements on the same case).

[ratagonia]

IMO the compact waterproof cams take mostly mediocre shots unless conditions are perfect. I've carried the same small (non-waterproof) P/S cam for 6 years now with no loss in performance. I keep it in a Pelican micro case - they offer great protection from sand, splash and smacks, but are not fully waterproof.

Another option: if you want relatively compact and waterproof, get a nice Canon P/S cam (e.g. G12 or older version or S90/S95) and waterproof case (diving case). These are pretty bomber and Canon does replace them when the sand wins out (according to one friend who has had 3 warranty replacements on the same case).

The Canon waterproof cases are expensive, until the camera model is replaced, so if you buy a 1 year out of date Canon camera you can get the case on ebay for not so much.

Tom

[hank moon]

The Canon waterproof cases are expensive, until the camera model is replaced, so if you buy a 1 year out of date Canon camera you can get the case on ebay for not so much.

Tom

Excellent tip - that's what I did last time I bought a waterproof case. Sometimes last year's model is heavily discounted but still a great cam.

[uCanyon]

If you can wait a month the updates for all of the Panasonic, Pentax, and Olympus ruggidized cameras will be out. I would expect the cannon is likely to be out with in the spring time frame, but that is just based on when they released the last version.
You can checkout the details on the updates at uCanyon if you like just go the canyon gear area.

On peronal preferences, I am an olympus guy, but may not be as picky about picture quality as some here.

[asdf]

I just picked up a Fuji XP10 w/ 4gb for my wife at costco last month for 120 bucks. So far its survived the kitchen sink, snowboarding, a test drive in the hot tub, and a sand storm from hell.

takes a decent shot comparable to any other point and shoots

[moab mark]

We just got back from the roost and the nice sony we took got sand in the lense and would not go in and out. My buddy brought a waterproof video/camera made by Kodak. Pretty cool little camera. It seemed to take fair pictures but doesn't have a flash. Does not have a moveable lense.

[spangenberg]

I would like to know as well. I've been looking to buy a new camera for this upcoming season :).

I've done a bit of research on the Olympus. I hear some of you don't like the Pentax Optio, but they recently accounted a new version, (one with GPS\tagging functionality) called the Optio WG-1 GPS. What do you guys think? I'm looking for a rugged camera that I can not worry about the bumps\scraps of canyons or the drops on rocks etc.. Waterproof would be excellent as well.

It doesn't come out til April.....

http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/07/pentax-reveals-optio-wg-1-and-wg-1-gps-rugged-cameras-limited-e/