Is an underwater digital camera worth it? Or disposable better!

[vizzle]

Is an underwater digital camera worth it? Or disposable better!

 

I am debating buying a underwater digital camera. Is it worth it just for a cruise??

[waldocruiser1]

Is an underwater digital camera worth it? Or disposable better!

 

I am debating buying a underwater digital camera. Is it worth it just for a cruise??

 

I think I would go with the disposable. I did use my normal digital in 2 zip lock bags, and it worked fine. One of the links in my signature is a video from the water slide on the Dream, and the camera did not get wet, but was only under for a few seconds at a time.

[sparkscruiser]

What I like about my Olympus point and shoot is that it is waterproof up to about 15 feet which is great for snorkeling and it also does video. I have a couple of other Canons (one of which I have a full hard case for) for taking regular pics - but we really enjoy our photos and we've taken some fun videos. The one link in my sig for our Rhapsody of the Seas cruise has a Shark Video - very fun towards the last few pages of phots I believe, if you want to get an idea of the video quality. Sharks were taken in Bora Bora. Most other shots were taken with a Canon 40D.

[Jolimont]

Keep in mind that there are millions of under-water photos on-line, many of them taken at the same beaches where you'll go, taken under ideal conditions with expensive equipment. I'd consider borrowing those, really cheap and no equipment to lose or damage or even buy ;-)

[vizzle]

That is true!

[Zubsin]

I've used disposables but this year I bought a great panasonic DMC -t52 and I love it. Not only is it good for underwater pictures and taking pictures in the rain but it comes with a nifty rubber case to help with keeping it secure but also helps the "shock proof" quality. The cost was very reasonable. Oh and it's 14 mega pixels.

 

You can also check the photo board for more insight. But IMHO disposables only serve one purpose and don't take that great of pictures. This Panasonic could become your travel camera for all travel. Donna

[Nanaimobound]

Everyone in our family has an Olympus waterproof camera and we absolutely

love it!

 

We take in the ocean, the pool, the rain, snow, and come home and plug it right into the computer or tv and watch the videos or look at the pics.

I say get the camera!

[librarymom]

I've always been disappointed in the crappy pictures I take with a disposable underwater camera, and it is a lot of work to add them to online albums. I walked into a store and asked for the cheapest underwater digital camera and paid about $140. It is very sturdy and also shockproof, so not only do I get great underwater pictures, I don't think twice about letting my daughter run around with it. It is hard to destroy. I thought it would be a waste and I would only use it once, but we have used it many times in the year since I bought it, including many above water pictures. These are versatile little cameras.

[Crazy4Koko]

I purchased a fuji xp10 for our cruise this past October because I didn't want to worry about losing my 'good' camera to the sand and salt of the Carribbean! Absolutely the BEST purchase I've ever made, and I used it again in Chankanaab this past March. In September, I'll be bringing it AGAIN, and leaving my Canon home.

 

I've recently priced it out at around $100 thru some of the online stores....I got mine at Best Buy for $130...

 

Here's a few shots taken with it..

 

 

 

 

[matj2000]

Get one disposable and take all the underwater photos you can. After that you will probably have no real desire to do it again. This will save you a ton of money by not buying the expensive camera..

[maxxdout]

will never leave home again without my Cannon D10. Best purchase by far made for travel. Waterproof to a claimed 33' but been down to 40 without problems. Super tough. Got it in a kit from Amazon with 2 batteries, 8gig memory and some other useless items for 300. Extra battery and charger are definatly a must even though one battery will go all day.

[hobbyhrs97]

I have a Olympus and use it for everything. On our last cruise I saw the same camera for sale much cheaper then I bought it(duty free). I love my Olympus,it takes much better pictures then a throw away.

[MamaParrotHead]

Disposable ones are crap. The colors don't come out and the pictures are massively grainy. I purchased a digital one and use it both above and below the water. I have a sony, and it was pricey but I have 2 sony cameras and love them both. I recently purchased my 8 YO a kodak waterproof digital for under $100 for his birthday. And considering the price of the cameras (usually around $10) PLUS processing, it doesn't even make financial sense anymore to get the disposables.

 

Here are a few pics taken with my Sony:

 

 

 

 

And THIS one is taken with a disposable:

[rickcop44]

I have to agree with those recommending purchasing an underwater camera. For years, we used disposables and it wasn't until I bought an Olympus underwater camera off eBay that I learned what I'd been missing for all those years. The disposables provide pictures with washed out, grainy color, foggy appearances, etc. With the Olympus I bought, my photos are crystal clear. And by the way, it came with a waterproof case that floats the camera if I somehow let it slip off my wrist.

[NEREVS]

Go with the Olympus 1020 - takes excellent underwater pictures as well as land pictures - we have two of them. We have used them scuba diving as well and have gone to about 40' without any issues. With a disposable the color is not as good and you are limited to the amount of unknown pictures - Buy a spare battery as they only go for about an hour underwater. You can purchase int he USA for about 300 or we know of someone that got one in St Thomas for 220.

[firerunner]

i recently purchased a camera off ebay for 43.00 digital underwater 12mp, we have a fancy camera that was like 600.00 and I dont want to chance it, so I bought the ebay one..and here are some pics I took in my salt water tank. (tank is 200 gallon) I am pretty happy with these given how cheap the camera was..:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[weluvlife]

Disposable ones are crap. The colors don't come out and the pictures are massively grainy. I purchased a digital one and use it both above and below the water. I have a sony, and it was pricey but I have 2 sony cameras and love them both. I recently purchased my 8 YO a kodak waterproof digital for under $100 for his birthday. And considering the price of the cameras (usually around $10) PLUS processing, it doesn't even make financial sense anymore to get the disposables.

 

Here are a few pics taken with my Sony:

 

 

 

 

And THIS one is taken with a disposable:

 

 

Ok, your post sold me. The difference in pictures and your reasoning sold me!! Better hurry, I'm leaving in 18 days!!

[BallFour4]

The choices are many, and here is one more opinion.

 

I've bought my daughter two and my wife one of the Olympus models, the 8000 series or Tough as they called them. The first one my daughter had rests today at the bottom of the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas so she got a new one that Christmas.

 

I also have a Panasonic point and shoot camera, and the Leica optics are really nice. I tried a Panasonic waterproof model only to see saltwater seep in the camera the second day it was out of the box as we snorkeled in waist deep water in Grand Cayman. Before it broke the pictures were great.

 

The Canon is by far the best deal for the dollar, even with the controls being a little tougher for big hands.

 

Whatever you do, get it ASAP and practice with it.

 

.

[phatsneaks]

I had the same questions spent hours on this and other sites looking for whst to buy. I have a cannon dslr didnt want to chance it. Ended up buying a olympus tough 6020 from beach camera on ebay. It was new with all the extras you would need, bag, extra battery, floating strap and more, $199 ended up not usind my cannon as much did all my picture with this camera. I wanted the cannon D10 couldnt get it cheap enough glad I went with this one. Video mode was great but cant hold still floating.

 

on land

 

underwater

 

 

 

[sylvis]

Like other posters have stated the difference is amazing! I purchased the Panasonic DMC-TS2 and love it. It does Hd video and can go to 33ft. It is now my everything camera! I am glad that I shelled out the exra cash for this one as we are learning to scuba dive for our upcoming Miracle cruise in October!

[GRTKJ]

I highly suggest buying a digital underwater camera, you can get some really great ones that are not over $120. I bought this one, Samsung AQ100, with 12 megapixels before we left for our cruise & it takes great pics, here is a sample:

 

You gotta remember that, yes you wont use this camera as much as a normal one, but like this one it can be used as a normal camera. We bought one just to save our more expensive digital Sony camera, especially from the sand & scratching it.

It's a wise purchase if you ask us!:)

[maldenmusic]

I have always used a Fuji disposable camera from WalMart and it does a good job for what I want to do with it.

[maxxdout]

Cannon D10 last summer in grand Turk

 

at the dock of course

 

approx 20'

 

i think 30+ feet, going down the wall that bottoms out around 80'

 

just to get a perspective of the depth

 

shallow, 10' or so, found a lobster

[raytownlady]

we love our Fuji underwater digital, we purchased it to use on our cruises and in the pool. It is small and lightweight so it is easier to take ashore than our SLR and just in case we lost or damaged it a whole lot cheaper to replace.

[crewsweeper]

Has anyone used their regular camera in a Agaupac or dicapak waterproof bag? Just curious how easy it is to shoot pictures through the case and how well they turn out.