Waterproof Digital Cameras

With a 12.2-megapixel CCD image sensor and a 5x optical zoom, the Samsung AQ100 Waterproof Digital Camera delivers high-resolution photos with excellent detail even when taken at a distance.

The camera is fitted with special rubber sealants effectively keeping water out up to a depth of about 10 feet. It also has an anti-dust system preventing the entry of small particles and ruining the camera. With these two features, you can shoot underwater images in swimming pools and open seas, as well as on the beach or desert sand dunes. The camera features an Aqua Scene mode dedicated to the capture of properly exposed photos taken underwater with balanced lighting, color, and image sharpness.

In addition to the Aqua Scene mode, the camera also features a list of other shooting modes including Smart Auto, Program, DIS, Night Scene, Portrait, Fireworks, and Sunset among others. It also has an Object Tracking feature that follows and locks on to moving subjects.

Equipped with Samsung’s Optical Image Stabilization and Digital Image Stabilization mechanisms that counter camera shake, you are assured of clear and sharp images. With an ISO equivalent ranging from 80 to 3,200, you can use the camera in both bright sunlight or in dark candlelight dinner settings.

Photo composition is facilitated by a 2.7-inch LCD display. It has a 230,000-dot resolution with outstanding brightness, contrast, and color reproduction.

Life is always moving. And it is for this reason that the Samsung AQ100 is designed to capture not just still photos, but action videos as well. You can create short movies with a resolution of 720p HD at 30 fps. You can view these videos on any HDTV or HD monitor with an HDMI connector.

Measuring only 3.75″ W x 2.13″ H x 0.83″ D, it easily fits into the palm of your hands. Its slanted shutter button provides a more natural surface for your index finger which helps reduce camera shake when depressing it.

The Samsung AQ100 is available in black, blue, red, and yellow.

Concerns about health have led plenty of people to a more active lifestyle. If they are not out running or in the gym working out, they are having fun snorkeling, skiing, hiking, or sandboarding.

Such adventurers can record their exploits with an Olympus Stylus 790SW Digital Camera without fear of annihilating it in the ocean water, freezing snow, rocky mountain, or rough sands.

Constructed out of lightweight aluminum whose joints are sealed with rubber gaskets and O-rings, the camera interior is protected from water up to a depth of 10 feet. The lens is likewise protected with a special water-repellent coating which prevents the formation of water droplets that blur your photos. To simplify underwater photography, the camera is equipped with four preset underwater modes.

Frozen water and snow are not enough reason for the camera to go into hiding. It can continue shooting images even at -10°C. You can even drop it on the snow, and it will just keep on going.

Although its aluminum casing its lightweight, it is durable and, along with the camera’s shock absorption technology, can withstand drops on solid surfaces up to five feet without damaging the lens and circuitry.

The camera is also impervious to the penetration of dust and sand. The same seals that keep water out also bar dust and sand. Some cameras have lenses that extend from the body when shooting. This could result in sand getting caught in the lens while extended and eventually jamming its movement. Since the 790SW’s lens does not move out of the body, this possibility is eliminated.

The Olympus Stylus 790SW boasts of a 7.1 megapixel CCD sensor which can capture rich details that are sufficiently good for a 15 x 20 prints. It features Digital Image Stabilization assuring clear images and a high ISO sensitivity allowing you to capture photos even in low-light conditions. Shutter speed is boosted so you can freeze your subjects even when they are moving quickly.

The camera measures 3.2 x 7.4 x 5.5, all in inches, and is available in five colors –black, orange, blue, lime, and silver.

Multi-tasking and hands-free are two of the new words that have recently entered English vocabulary. Multi-tasking refers to the possibility of doing two different things at the same time, while hands-free means performing a task without using your hands.

An example of multi-tasking is when you are recording a video of your children in the pool while at the same time tossing beach balls with them. Hands-free is when you continue to capture video images without using your hands.

With the Liquid Image Scuba Series HD Wide Angle, you can do both. It is a dive mask that incorporates a digital video camera. It is capable of recording HD 720p video at 30 fps as well as capturing still photos with its 5.0 megapixel CMOS sensor.

It has a 2G2P fixed lens with a wide angle of view at 135°. It can focus on a subject from 0.5 to 3.0 meters away. Shutter speed for stills begin at 1/16 to 1/1000 seconds, allowing the freezing of moving subjects. Although sensitivity is automatic, it only adjusts from ISO 100 to 200. An integrated microphone captures audio along with the video images.

Images are stored in JPEG format for your still pictures, and H.264 with Audio for your movies. Although the unit comes with a 2GB micro SD card, memory can be expanded to 32GB for the storage of 36,800 photos or 960 minutes worth of videos. These data are easily uploaded to your PC using the supplied USB cable.

The dive mask has a depth rating of 130 feet, deep enough to meet a few stingrays or sharks. Lever type buttons that can be manipulated even when you are wearing gloves operate the camera. They are mounted at the top of the mask. To align your shots, you can use the integrated crosshairs in the tempered glass lenses.

The Pentax Optio W series are all waterproof cameras at varying depths. The latest in the series is the Pentax Optio W90, which is actually the 11th generation, and it comes in either black or pistachio green.

The W90 is designed to work in extreme conditions, including 20 feet underwater, in sub-freezing temperatures, and in dry and dusty deserts. It is meant for sportsmen who enjoy pushing the limits. The camera can be taken when scuba diving, skiing, or sand boarding. You can even drop it from four feet high and then go on snapping photos. It’ll simply absorb the shock.

With a 12.1 megapixel sensor, you are assured of high resolution images even when your prints are enlarged. A 5X optical zoom, which is equivalent to 28-140 mm in a 35 mm format, allows both wide angle and telephoto shots. An innovative feature is the Digital Microscope mode that can capture extremely small macro subjects even at a distance of only 1 cm from the camera. Three LED Macro Lights mounted on the lens barrel illuminate the small subject for proper exposure.

Photo composition is facilitated with a 2.7-inch LCD display. It features 230,000 dots with a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio. Treated with an Anti-Reflection (AR) coating, glare and reflections are substantially minimized even under very bright conditions such as on snow-covered mountaintops or sand dunes in the desert.

In addition to stills, Pentax Optio W90 also records movies in 720p HD video at 30 fps. These, including the stills, can be viewed on your HDTV via an HDMI port.

To eliminate blurry pictures, the camera boasts of three anti-shake systems. One is the Pixel Track SR which compensates for camera shake when recording still pictures. The High-Sensitivity Anti-Shake mode, on the other hand, automatically adjusts ISO Sensitivity to as high as 6400 if the camera detects low-light conditions. This increases shutter speed, and thus minimize the effects of camera shake. A third system is Movie SR. This is used when shooting videos employing an exclusive software.