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Hi all. Just thinking about Wayfaring and beach holidays and sand and kids and feeling my digital slr camera is just a bit too precious to regularly risk in the boat (although I have done it with drybags, extreme care and high anxiety levels). The bilges can ressemble a sandpit…
Can anyone recommend one of the new beach and water-friendly? cameras (eg Olympus mju?) (not neccesarily a diving camera) or would I be better off getting a cheap digital and seeing how long it might last. Cheers DaveI have an Olympus mju 770SW. It’s waterproof, crashproof and whatnot… but it has very dark lens (meaning very noisy images if you set it to 200 ASA or higher ISO setting, or blury images if you keep a low ISO and shoot moving objects like kids or if your hand shakes a little) – so it’s no good for anything but outdoor sunny familly photography. But then there is the silly thing that when you do find youself in a bright sun – you can’t see anything on that LCD viewfinder (it doesn’t have an optical), so you end up shooting like a blind chicken.
My partners (nonwaterproof) idiot camera (Fuji something) which I bought her 4 years ago for half the price of mju 770, makes much better images.Regards,
Mato
Hi Mato
Thanks! Perfect reply ……..I searched the posts here and your photos of the tidal training were the only result…….and you criticised your photos then. Anyone else like or dislike the Olympus?…I inherited a Fuji which gave me good service and lovely photos and I agree I liked to use the viewfinder rather than the screen, but my daughter has destroyed it, along with a Nikon coolpik and a Vivitar cheapie …….(I bear no grudge!!).The marketing of the Olympus makes it very attractive but marketing was always their strongpoint. Equally I am not into the disposable culture of a new “cheapie” every couple of years but I think I can look after one better than my daughter.
Hi Dave,
I have a Pentax WPi, an older version of a model that has since been updated at least twice. It’s waterproof, and has a movie mode, but again no optical viewfinder and tricky to use in bright sunlight.
It also has a very cold-sensitive battery – more so than any other electronic device I have ever used.
Having said all that it takes reasonable photos, and I can just rinse it under the tap if it gets dusty, muddy or salty.
Not a ringing endorsement, but OK.
Cheers!
I was using an Olympus Mju 300 for several years, dust and splashproof, with optical viewfinder, but it died a little while ago (lens wouldn’t open/close). So I searched Ebay and got an identical replacement for £25 incl postage! Might not be the latest and greatest, nor submersible, but takes good pics – even made the cover pic on Wayfarer News once! A bonus is that I have extra batteries and memory cards now, too!
Richard
Doh! Richard. You win. While you were putting in your post , I have just purchased a Pentax Optio W10 off Amazon for just under £110 inc. postage. A wee Father’s Day gift to self! The reviews I read were not mad on the older Olympus’ but if you can see the results for yourself and can get one for that money ……..(might go on e bay now!)
Lovely pik Dave and thanks for your input….that got me into my search and the market seems a two horse race between Olympus and Pentax. Lets see if I cancel my order after e bay
Cheers Dave@Dave Mac wrote:
I have just purchased a Pentax Optio W10 off Amazon for just under £110 inc. postage.
I would stick with the Pentax at that price! The Mju is quite dated now. I know two people with Pentax waterproof cameras and they’re very pleased with them.
Richard
Thanks Richard, feeling reassured now! Did look on e bay but on those sort of items I feel a bit wary anyhow. There are a couple of newer waterproof Pentax’s between Dave’s and my choice but pricewise this was the best compromise………if it was launched in 2006 and good then I am sure it will still be good. BTW my price did not include a case or card but I can get those under the radar later!
cheers daveAs you have purchased i don’t want to rain on your parade but I have found the mju 725 very good. It takes good photos and is small, but it really is waterproof. I used it white water rafting recently and I was in the water rather more than planned, which it did not mind a bit. It is useful to keep in a pocket without any concern of getting wet and without having to worry about cases and bags.
Hi Adrian………..its okay……..my choice is waterproof rated too. But it is not shockproof nor drop it over the side into the murky deep proof (surely the likely fate of all these sort of cameras). As an aside I’m quite excited at the prospect of a camera that won’t give me a stiff neck after a day round my neck. cheers Dave
Kate uses an old Pentax Optio for all her photography and video work (see silencedbadger on Youtube). I agree with Dave that the batteries don’t like the cold, or is it the camera? Easy to use, cheap to buy and can take the knocks and water.
To add to my Dad’s post;
It’s a Pentax Optio water resistant and dustproof 3.2 megapixel camera, with multiple photo settings for dull light, snow/surf etc. It also has a 2.8x zoom on it too.
It takes an SD memory card, and 128MB (Takes 60 pictures or 5 minutes of video), is sufficient enough for a weeks sailing holiday with the kids. I have just bought a 1GB memory card which can take over 400 pictures or over 45 minutes of video footage and I’m yet to try it out, so Ullswater will be the big shoot – watch out!To see the type of pictures and video footage taken from the optio, take a look at some of the videos on http://uk.youtube.com/silencedbadger
This particular camera has been through it all: sandblasts, swimming in the sea, tide races, force 7 gusts, 3 metre swells and the Brancaster weekends – it’s not too keen in the cold, so having it tucked in a jacket pocket is a good way of preserving it. Most digital cameras don’t do well in cold weather.
P.S Wayfarers 2008 Video will be on youtube on the 31st of October this year.
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