Which weather proof camera?

[Mallee Boy]

Hi guys,
I dont normally frequent this section, but I have a problem and need some expert advice based on your experiences and knowledge.

My daughter is soon to graduate as a ski patroller in NZ. She frequents the high country at every opportunity and loves to take her camera.

So far she has destroyed a *ist DL and now her D60 is showing signs of not liking the snow either with some features ceasing to function. These cameras are as big as she can carry, but they still take a belting.

I think her best answer is a point & shoot compact....slips in the jacket pocket etc.
So: which weather proof P & S gives the best image quality?
She will use the images for print purposes, post cards, poster prints, coffee table book etc so image quality is paramount.

As far as I can tell Pentax, Fuji, Olympus & Panasonic....Samsung? all make one....is there a standout?

Appreciate your help.
Cheers
Grant

[Clarkey]

Mate, tell her to get a k200d - i've been hammering mine in the snow here in Canada.
(and if it isn't snowing in the high country in NZ, it will usually be raining - had plenty of days in the hills where everything is wet).
If that is too big apparently the Pentax W60 is supposed to be pretty good (28-140mm internal zoom - sealed, Li-ion battery - good in the cold).

I'm also looking at the canon G11 which is built pretty well but really pricey.

DPreview did a collective test a little while ago here in which the W60 did well.

Cheers and congratulations!

[Mallee Boy]

Thanks Clarkey,
I have read that review and the W60 does look the goods, but was hoping to get some hands on feedback. The K200D would be too big for her I think, I think there are limits on what they can carry on patrol and guiding.

Where abouts in Canada?....she spent 3 years in Whistler.
Cheers.

There's also the new W80, it might be worth looking out for reviews of that. This one is only rated to five feet of depth as opposed to sixteen feet for the W60 I think so that is a step backwards. Hopefully it has been improved in other areas.

[WerTicus]

i was looking at the w60 and w80 vs ... canon and fuji and the like

ended up ordering the w60.

its not here yet though DPR has a rather recent article on the subject.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q209waterproofgroup/

[Clarkey]

Thanks Clarkey,
I have read that review and the W60 does look the goods, but was hoping to get some hands on feedback. The K200D would be too big for her I think, I think there are limits on what they can carry on patrol and guiding.

Where abouts in Canada?....she spent 3 years in Whistler.
Cheers.

I'm in the east now - the "GTA" - greater Toronto area. I spent a little while in Whistler - nice town - Pleanty of Aussies and Kiwis there!

Regarding the K200D - I usually have the 40mm on when hiking, so around 700g weight total. However I could understand the requirement to carry less if patrolling.

The other option (if she wants PASM control) is to get a P&S and get one of the DiCapac housings - basically a dry bag for your cam - they are cheap and I have used an old canon A520 in one of them down to 10m when diving. You can pick both items off ebay for a song. The canon A620 and 710is/720is are really good options. Just get hybrid rechargeable batteries and you are set.

[esman7]

I read a review on waterproof/shockproof p&s cameras in Digital Photography magazine and the Olympus Stylus series came out on top.

The Pentax W80 looks cool, but I've never been a huge fan of Pentax P&S rear LCDs.. they're too light and slow.

But if you're looking for an SLR - k200d baby!

[ChrisPlatt]

I'd get her a Yashica T4 Super or Olympus Stylus Epic (mju II) 35mm film camera.
Both are capable of really superb results.

Chris

[mbsimpsoid]

Hi there!
It might be a bit late for a response to your question, but I bought a W80 two weeks ago for a trip to Aruba (wanted to take it snorkeling). It is rated to 5m / 15 feet (not the 5 feet as mentioned in an earlier post), and worked pretty well as far as I'm concerned. On land the shots were nice and fairly sharp, and it did remarkably well under water for being such a small camera. Whenever I wasn't using it I kept it in the pocket of my board shorts, and it didn't bug me like some of my previous cameras would have. I was diving down to around 15 feet - maybe a bit more sometimes - and the camera didn't have any issues.
I'm used to using a k10d, so the photos aren't nearly as sharp when you start zooming in, but if she's not going to be cropping much it should be fine. It has one of the largest optical zooms out of the ones I was looking at, and also one of the widest lenses. I was also considering the new canon, but it was too bulky, and I chose the W80 over the olympus tough 8000 because it has higher quality video - 720p. It was also $100 cheaper! It does eat up batteries though - having no optical viewfinder can be a drag at times.
Hope it's helpful!
best,

Mike

[adamkean]

I'd be tempted to go for the w80 if i was looking for a p&s