Waterproof Digital Cameras

Created for adventurers who like to scale mountains and dive into the oceans, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 Digital Camera incorporates devices such men and women commonly need –a GPS system, compass, altimeter, and barometer. And since the camera is expected to take pictures in the harshest of environments, it is constructed as tough as possible.

Special seals and rings keep water out of the camera even at depths of 40 feet, allowing you to take photos of colorful fishes and unusual seaweeds. It is also shockproof. Even if you drop it from a height of over six feet, you can simply pick it up, brush the dust and dirt off it and continue snapping photos. Whether snowboarding down the mountain slopes of Aspen or sandboarding on the sand dunes of Abu Dhabi, the camera is the perfect companion for you as it is both freezeproof and dustproof.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4 Digital Camera also takes great photos and videos. For starters, it is fitted with a Leica DC Vario-Elmar lens with an optical zoom of 4.6x. In a 35mm camera, this is equivalent to 28mm – 128mm. This means you can shoot wide panoramic shots as well as frame-filling close-ups.

With a 12.1-megapixel hi-speed CCD sensor, captured images are clearly defined with vivid and realistic colors. Its LSI Venus Engine includes intelligent noise reduction, high-speed burst shooting, and an extremely fast response time.

For persons who like to have a degree of control over their shots, the Lumix DMC-TS4 allows a manual override of shutter speed and aperture. You can either freeze or blur quick movements, or vary your depth of field.

If you are not feeling particularly creative, however, you can let the camera’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode take over and make the appropriate choices for virtually every shooting condition.

Measuring only 4.1″ W x 2.5″ D x 1″ D, the camera is compact and fits easily into shirt pockets. It weights approximately 6 oz.

Equipped with special sealants and with a battery compartment that is fitted with a double lock mechanism for extra security, the Fujifilm FinePix XP 50 Digital Camera is impenetrable by water, at least down to a depth of 5 meters. Its lens is protected with a water-repellent coating, so when you get out of the water, you only need to shake it off to get it dry again.

In addition to being waterproof, the camera is also freezeproof. You can bring it along on your ski holidays and take photos of your family and friends as they speed down on snow-covered slopes, even in temperatures as low as 14°F.

Featuring a shockproof bumper design, the FinePix XP 50 can take a drop from a height of 1.5 meters in a stride, whether on soft snow or hard earth. It is also dustproof so you can continue taking pictures of your children as they build sandcastles on the shore after their swim.

The Fujifilm FinePix XP 50 is equipped with a 14-megapixel CMOS sensor, which enables you to take clearly defined photos that can be printed in a poster size. It has a Fujinon lens with an optical zoom of 5x, or the equivalent of a 28 – 140 mm zoom lens in a 35 mm format. This means you can take both panoramic vistas as well as close ups without taking a single step towards or away from your subject. If this is not enough, you still have 6.8x of digital zoom.

Apart from high-resolution still photos, the camera also captures videos with a resolution of 1080p and an aspect ratio of 16:9, which is perfect for display on HDTV screens.

As the camera does not have a viewfinder, you need to rely on its 2.7-inch LCD screen for photo composition. The screen is coated with an anti-reflective film that assures a clearly visible display even under full sunlight.

After taking your photos and videos, you can immediately share them with your friends on Facebook or Twitter using the camera’s built-in program MyFinePix Studio.

Another addition to the Tough series, the Olympus Tough TG-810 Digital Camera has the same rugged metal chassis of its predecessors. Held together by big screws, heavy-duty hinges, and special seals, the casing provides all the protection required by a shockproof, waterproof, crushproof, and freezeproof camera.

You can take the TG-810 to depths of 33 feet under water for a photo op with colorful fishes and seaweeds swaying in an underwater current. And if you drop it while jumping over mounds and ruts on your mountain bike, just dismount, pick it up, get the dust or mud off, and keep on biking and clicking. Even if it fell from a height of 6.6 feet. If the next bike happened to run over it, just ask the biker to pick it up for you. The camera can take a load of up to 220 lbs. You can also take it on your winter holidays. It will keep on taking photos and videos even in temperatures as low as 14°F.

Cameras are also meant to take pictures, not just to be strong. This is why the TG-810 is equipped with a 14-megapixel CCD sensor. This allows you to make poster size prints from your photos. A 5x wide-angle zoom, which is the equivalent of a 28-140 mm zoom in a 35 mm camera format, enables you to take panoramic landscapes and up close and personal portraits. Complementing this is a 4x digital zoom.

Composing your photos is a breeze with the 3.0-inch LCD screen that features an extra-wide viewing angle. You can actually raise the camera above your head to capture overhead shots and still clearly see the images on the screen. Equipped with anti-glare technology, the screen remains clear even under bright sunlight.

The TG-810 does not limit you to still photos. With a single touch, you can record HD videos with a resolution of 720p.

Fitted with 3D technology, the Olympus Tough TG-810 Digital Camera captures two pictures and combines them into one so that it can be displayed in three dimensions on a 3D device.

Advertised as Fujifilm’s first rugged camera with a built-in GPS, the Fujifilm FinePix XP30 Waterproof Digital Camera can tag your photos and videos indicating their location either as place name or in longitude and latitude. With this function, you can quickly locate or organize your files according to where they were taken.

The FinePix XP30 features a 14-megapixel CCD sensor which can give you quality prints of your still photos even beyond 8 x 10. It has a refractive 5x optical zoom lens with a focal length of 5.0 – 25.0mm. In 35mm cameras, this is equivalent to 28 – 140mm. This means that you can get panoramic shots of beautiful landscapes and portraits of equally beautiful people.

The camera can also capture HD videos with 720p resolution at a speed of 30 fps with sound included. These can be played directly on your HDTV with the optional HD player accessory kit using an HDMI cable. With its tracking autofocus function, moving images are kept sharp.

Picture composition is done via the 2.7-inch LCD screen. It is anti-reflective and thus can be viewed clearly even under bright sunlight. Photos and videos captured are stored in SD/SDHC memory cards.

You need not wait to get home to share your vacation photos with your friends back there. The Fujifilm FinePix XP30 Waterproof Digital Camera is equipped with a Facebook/YouTube Autoload feature. After editing your photos in-camera, simply mark them for upload. Once the camera is connected to your laptop, the photos are automatically uploaded to the designated social network site.

Regardless of where you choose to spend your vacation, whether on the beach, ski resorts, mountaintops, or sand dunes, you can safely take the FinePix XP30 with you. It is waterproof down to depths of 5m, freeze-proof to -10°C, shockproof to 1.5m, and dustproof.

It has a metal uni-body chassis and a riveted front panel to guarantee its durability. It has an ergonomic body shape for ease of handling.

The camera comes in five colors –orange, green, blue, silver, and black.

Belonging to the Olympus Tough family of rugged and robust cameras, the Olympus Tough TG-320 has all the features to make it a camera for swimmers and divers, mountain bikers and trekkers, skiers and snowboarders, as well as dune bashers and sandboarders.

Equipped with special seals and gaskets, water cannot intrude into the camera even at depths of 16 feet. This allows you to take photos of your kids as they frolic in the pool, or of colorful fishes as they swim among seaweeds and corals.

If you drop it while jumping with your mountain bike as you speed downhill, or while you negotiate a steep climb while trekking, just pick up the camera, wipe the dust or mud off, and continue taking pictures.

Designed to function even below the freezing point, 14°F or -10°C to be exact, it is the perfect camera for winter resorts and sports.

The same seals and gaskets that keep water off also keep even the finest of dust particles from getting into the camera. You can take it to sand dunes of Abu Dhabi riding camels, 4×4s, or sandboards.

The Olympus Tough TF-320 isn’t only tough. It also takes great pictures. Featuring a 14-megapixel CCD sensor, you photos are of a resolution high enough for poster-size prints.

A 3.6x optical zoom, which is equivalent to the 35mm format’s 28mm to 102mm, you can get crowds of people into your picture or fill your frame with a single face without taking one step backward or forward. In addition to the optical zoom, it also has 4x digital zoom.

Although the camera does not have an optical viewfinder, the 2.7-inch LCD display with 230,000 dots provides a realistic image of the scene you are about to capture, thus helping you compose your picture. Of course, it is also great for playing back photos taken.

Your images are not limited to still photos since the TG-320 can also record high-definition videos. An HDMI output makes it easy to view them on your HDTV. Going back to stills, you can even capture them in 3D. The camera can shoot two pictures of a single subject from two slightly different angles and combine them in a single 3D image that can be viewed on a 3D device.

The camera comes in two colors –blue or red.

Created with a flat and slim body, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS10 Digital Camera is easy to carry and hold even when you are swimming in the ocean, climbing mountains, skiing down slopes, or sandboarding on sand dunes. And you certainly can bring the camera during all these, as it is waterproof down to a depth of 10 feet, shockproof when dropped from a height of 5 feet, freeze-proof at temperatures as low as 14°F, and dustproof. It even includes a silicone jacket to protect it from scratches, nicks, and dents.

The DMC-TS10 boasts of a 14.1-megapixel sensor that provides excellent detail even for poster-size prints. With its 4x optical zoom, you can capture close up photos without taking a single step towards your subjects. In addition to still photos, the camera can also record HD videos in 720p. Equipped with Venus Engine IV, both stills and videos are guaranteed to be clear and crisp.

Incorporating Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode, taking beautiful pictures is as easy as ABC. This is because the mode provides features that automatically adjust the camera’s settings to suit actual shooting conditions.

Among such features is the MEGA O.I.S. This offsets camera shake which is common when shooting a moving subject and you are moving along with it. To further assure a blur-free picture of moving subjects, the camera also has Intelligent ISO which adjusts shutter speed and ISO sensitivity settings to their optimum levels based on the movement of the subject.

With Face Detection, the Lumix DMC-TS10 automatically focuses on human faces and keeps them at the proper exposure. Red-eye is likewise eliminated.

The camera also has an Intelligent Scene Selector that analyzes the subject and its background and chooses the most appropriate of its six Scene Modes –Macro, Night Portrait, Night Scenery, Portrait, Scenery, or Sunset. Once the scene is chosen, all other settings are adjusted.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS10 Digital Camera has a 2.7-inch Intelligent LCD screen. With 230,000 dots, images are displayed clearly, whether composing or viewing photo and video files.

Most people believe that capturing underwater photos and videos require expensive waterproof cameras with well-known brands. Unlike the waterproof cameras, however, they are all wet. There are less known camera makers now offering waterproof cameras you can take with you to the pool, rivers, lakes, and the sea such as the SVP WP5300 Waterproof Digital Camera and Video Recorder without breaking the bank.

The SVP WP5300 features a 2560 x 1920 CMOS sensor capable of delivering 5-megapixel images, which is sufficiently clear for most photos. This, however, is enhanced with an advanced software that upgrades the images to 12-megapixel quality.

Although lacking an optical zoom, the camera is equipped with an 8x digital zoom that allows you to get more personal with your subjects after capturing their images. With photos that are upgraded to 12-megapixels, enlarged and cropped photos will not appear grainy or blurred.

At the back of the camera is a 2.5-inch TFT LCD monitor. It faithfully reproduces the images and colors seen through the camera lens thus helping you compose your photos before pressing the shutter button.

Face detection technology and smile shutter mode further assures that human beings take priority in your photos. The camera automatically identifies up to five faces and adjusts focus, exposure, and color to keep them sharp and vivid. It can also detect smiles helping you to fill your album with smiling faces. And when shooting in low-light conditions, you can use its built-in flash.

The SVP WP5300 Waterproof Digital Camera and Video Recorder is designed to take both still photos and videos up to 10 feet underwater. It is fitted with special seals that keep water from getting into its insides.

To store your photos and videos, the camera is provided with a card slot into which a microSD card of up to 8 GB can be inserted.

The makers of the camera boast that the WP5300 is the world’s smallest and lightest waterproof camera. It measures 3.5″ W x 2.3″ H x 0.7″ D, and weighs a pound. It is available in either blue or pink.

The name of the Kodak Model 1564194 EasyShare Sport C123 Camera says a lot about it. It is “EasyShare” because sharing your photos is as easy as 1-2-3. It is “Sport” because it is designed for swimming, hiking, skiing, and sand boarding.

While reviewing your photos or videos on the 2.4-inch LCD screen, just press the share button at the bottom of the camera back and choose the medium through which you want to share your photos. You can choose Facebook, Twitter, your e-mail, Kodak Gallery, or Kodak Pulse Digital Frames. Connect the camera to your laptop, or insert its memory card in it, and the photos are automatically uploaded and sent to your chosen destination.

You can send photos captured from 10 feet underwater while swimming with schools of fish or simply frolicking in the swimming pool or soaking in your hot tub at home. Indeed, the camera is so tightly sealed that neither water nor dust can penetrate inside. You can ask you travel companion to take your video as you slide down the giant sand dunes of Abu Dhabi on a sand board.

The Kodak Sport has a 12-megapixel sensor allowing you to enlarge your prints showing you underwater with a sea turtle up to 30″ x 40″. The camera has underwater white balance so your photos have true-to-life colors.

Featuring Smart Capture, the camera automatically studies the shooting environment and adjusts its settings to appropriate levels. It adjusts for low light conditions, reduces noise, and compensates for dark shadows.

In addition to stills, the Kodak Model 1564194 EasyShare Sport C123 Camera also records VGA videos. This allows your swimming companions to come alive not only on the camera’s display but on your large screen HDTV as well.

Running on two size AA batteries, you do not have to worry about running out of power and having nowhere to recharge while on the go. Just bring along extra batteries and replace the depleted ones and you can resume snapping photos and capturing videos.

The camera is available in three colors –red, blue, and gray.

Dimensions are 3.6″ W x 1.2″ D x 2.6″ H. Weight is 6.2 ounces.

Perhaps due to concerns about obesity and all those ailments that come along with it, plenty of people are taking up an active lifestyle, even when they go on vacation –they go swimming or surfing the waves, mountain trekking or climbing, and snow or sand boarding among others. They, of course, need an equally active camera. It is for this reason that Nikon finally joined the fray and issued its first waterproof camera —the Nikon Coolpix AW100 Waterproof Digital Camera.

The Coolpix AW100 is a compact camera measuring 4.4″ W x 2.6″ H x 0.9″ D, and weighing a shade over 6 oz. You can put it in your pockets and not even feel it’s there at all. This makes it convenient to travel with when you also have to carry your diving gear, tent and sleeping bag, or your skis.

Boasting of a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor you can be sure of clear and crisp photos. Its 5x zoom Nikkor glass lens with a focal length of 5.0 – 25.0 mm (28 – 140 mm in a 35 mm format) delivers both close ups and panoramic views. And with a shutter speed that ranges from 1/1500 – 1 second, splashes of water around you as you paddle through white water can be frozen, quite clearly, in mid-air, and so can the last golden rays of the sun as it sinks into the sea. The 3-inch TFT-LCD monitor that is coated with an anti-reflective material helps you compose your photos.

Apart from still photos, the Nikon Coolpix AW100 Waterproof Digital Camera can also shoot videos in full HD 1080p, complete with stereo sound.

The casing of the camera is designed to swim, climb mountains, and to ski with you. It can dive 33 feet into lakes or seas and still keep on taking photos. In case you drop it while having to grab a rope or grasp a rocky ledge, if it’s not more than five feet, just pick it up and keep on climbing. If you drop it on the snow while skiing, just go back and pick it up, shake the snow off, and continue downhill.

A successor to the TX5, the Sony Cybershot DSC-TX10 Digital Camera inherits and builds on the features of its predecessor. Indeed, the Sony TX5 is one tough camera but the TX10 is even tougher. It can dive into the waters of the pool, lake, or ocean six feet deeper, at 16 feet, than its older sibling. Apart from water, it also keeps dust at bay. Its casing is strong enough to protect its internal mechanisms even when dropped from a height of five feet. With built-in insulation, the camera continues to snap photos and record videos even in extreme cold, read 14°F.

Its rugged design is not the only thing going for the TX10. Picture resolution is also improved with its 16.2-megapixel “Exmor R” CMOS Image Sensor. The sensor is back-illuminated, which, along with the Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, deliver fast speed, high resolution, and enhanced low-light sensitivity. The result is that you get clear and crisp photos with a minimum of graining, even when lights are low. Equipped with BIONZ Image Processor, you can also take videos with the camera at 10 fps. It has Anti Motion Blur, Hand-held Twilight, and 1080i movie mode which work together to bring you a video with movie-like clarity.

A 3-inch capacitive touch screen displays occupies the entire back of the camera. This means that apart from a display screen’s usual function in the composition of your photos and their playback, it is also your main means of accessing the camera’s functions and features. Indeed, in spite of its many features, there are only four mechanical buttons on the camera –the on/off button, shutter, movie, and zoom.

The Sony Cybershot DSC-TX10 Digital Camera is a compact device measuring 3-7/8″ W x 2-1/4″ H x 23/32″ D, and weighing about 133 g. It comes in five colors –black, white, blue, yellow, and pink.