Cameras for Beach, Snorkelling, Diving and Mountaineering
Waterproof digital cameras are great for the beach and swimming pool
or if you want something robust to go mountaineering or snowboarding. There
are four options if you want to take pictures in a wet environment or if you are
planning to make shots in a situation where our camera may get dropped or knocked.
The first option is to use your normal camera but keep it in a case with an O-ring
which ensures no moisture or dust can get inside and which will protect it from shock.
The Pelican 1040-027-100 Micro Case
is a water-resistant and dust-proof case that will take small items such as your point-and-shoot
camera and protect them completely thanks to a rubber liner which doubles as an O-ring seal. It
is also crush-proof meaning you could stand on it or even drive over it and the
contents will be fine! Note that it is not for swimming and should not be submerged in
water. However, if you want to protect your gear without actually taking it in the water,
Pelican cases are the best on the market for protecting small items such
as compact cameras, cell-phones etc and by all accounts they last a life-time. Click the
link to see the full range of
Pelican waterproof cases.
The second option is to buy a waterproof housing to turn your existing camera
into a waterproof one. Although this won't make it shock-proof, it will make your camera suitable for sports where
there is a lot of moisture present.
One of the most popular housings is the DicaPac WP110
which is designed to fit cameras up to 7.5" round x 4.0" width and with a zoom lens of 1.1" X 1.5". If
your camera has a longer zoom lens, no problem, the housing comes with an extension ring.
Underwater laboratory tests have given the ok down to 16ft. With a housing like this you
can operate the controls of your camera and use your zoom lens. And if you happen
to drop the camera while in the water, it will float to the surface so you can't lose it! Follow
this link to see the whole range of
waterproof camera cases
The third, inexpensive option, is to buy disposable waterproof cameras and leave
your digital camera at home. These cameras are not shock-proof of course but at the price
it doesn't matter too much.
If you're going on holiday consider buying a multi-pack of disposables to save money and to
make sure you don't miss any shots. The
Fujifilm Quick Snap
The camera has enough ISO 800 colour film pre-loaded to take 27 shots per camera and is
waterproof up to a depth of 17 feet. The shutter release has been enlarged for easy operation in
situations such as snorkelling.
The shutter-release button is also easier to handle and the knob for winding the film is large too.
These features are particularly important if you are participating in a sport where you need
to wear gloves. It comes in single packs or
multi packs, and
if you buy a four-pack you save 39 per cent.
The fourth and final option is to purchase a waterproof digital camera. Again, not shock-proof
but suitable for diving, snorkelling and so on.
The Canon PowerShot D10
is one of the most popular waterproof cameras around, and rightly so. This little gem
is waterproof to 33 feet so great for diving, snorkelling and surfing. It is cold resistant
from 14-104 degrees Fahrenheit so the lens cannot freeze and is great for mountaineering and
snowboarding. It is also shockproof up to 4 feet - suitable for virtually any rough sport
you can imagine. It's got 12.1 megapixels, plus 3x optical zoom lens and has 19 shooting modes,
16 special scene modes and loads of other features such as face detection, blink detection and
so on. As one customer puts it: "It's the perfect no-nonsense, take-along-everywhere (really every where!)
vacation camera. To see the full range of Amazon's
waterproof digital cameras
follow the link.
I hope this short guide to the options available for waterproof digital cameras has helped
you to make a choice. Happy holiday!
This site is under construction! Major changes are taking place - apologies for any
inconsistencies which I hope will all be sorted very soon. Thanks for your patience.