[condor27596]

I was thinking of getting a GeekPro maybe the 4.0 version although there is a problem
with how it can only record 10 minutes at a time. The 2.0 records normally.

Or should I get a different camera?

Whatever I get must be waterproof.

I currently use a Fuji XP70. It does great video under perfect conditions (full on daylight), but
quickly goes to terrible even in the shade.

I want to get something soon and with extra batteries. I'm going to Florida with my daughter again.

THANKS!

[Parallax]

As the sticky at the top of General Talk says " Photography related threads do not belong in Gen Talk"

[surfar]

Why don't you check out the Ricoh WG-M2 which should be available in a monthish???

[condor27596]

Spring break. I need something in a week or just keep what I have.

Some of it I live large with my daughter some of it I hibernate when I don't have her. I'm at 240 over night stays for 2016.

But I'm changing jobs whatever I do must be in the next 10 days.

[condor27596]

What about the ricoh WG-30 16 MP used like new at $155. ??

[hinman]

What about the ricoh WG-30 16 MP used like new at $155. ??

I have thought about Olympus TG-860 but I have held up the thought of another camera. I settled with a Sony HDR-AS100VR with a remote that I can wear on my hand to control the start and stop of recording as well as a life display of video, photo or interval shooting of photos. Please remember all gear has its kirks and it is unlikely you will enjoy the gear on your first outing as much as you do after some usage but that can happen on your spring break.


Gear In Skiing
by Hin Man, on Flickr


My action camera is similar to the GoPro3. It is not cheap but cheaper than the GoPro3 when I got it back in 2013.

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

please excuse the sloppiness as it is my first time skiing down doing selfie with a selfie stick and my action camera down a slope that I crashed before

I think the GeekPro is worth your consideration as I do see good ratings from Amazon. It is better to get informed on its shortcomings before your final decision. The trip itself is more important than the gear that you end up using. Just make an informed decision and enjoy it on your trip.

I love the image quality of the little white sony camera


20160227-DSC00737
by Hin Man, on Flickr

All the above with the exception of the last picture with a skier on red was shot with Sony action camera while the red skier was shot with a simple p&s with Samsung DV300F

However, as soon as it gets dark, cloudy or indoor, picture quality degrade somewhat faster than I would like to see. In good lighting, that camera along with any p&s will do fine for family trips.


Skiing Mt. Rose
by Hin Man, on Flickr

Cheers,
Hin

[condor27596]

Thank you! And fantastic job you did !

I ordered the WG30. I am very satisfied with pentax/Ricoh. It is 16MP and a better camera than my Fuji with a better battery. Basically $200 with 4 extra batteries and extra charger. I will also take the Fuji.

I put great portions of what we do on video. Everything from a night of homework to all day at typhoon lagoon and everything in between.

I just wanted an upgrade to what I have.
I am going to eventually get a real go pro. I read those are professional grade. The others are consumer grade.

South of the Border 1 day, lion country safari 2 days, Disney 6 days. We stay offsite at a water park hotel ( nice but not upscale) for $65 a night. Dinosaur world and gator land . 7am to 10 pm except magic kingdom that is a 130 am day.

I kinda thought an infantry tour stinked back in the day. But at 51 I can still carry the baby that is no longer a baby on the shoulders plus a pack with ice food drinks camera on the shoulders as long as I need to.

[hinman]

Thank you! And fantastic job you did !

I ordered the WG30. I am very satisfied with pentax/Ricoh. It is 16MP and a better camera than my Fuji with a better battery. Basically $200 with 4 extra batteries and extra charger. I will also take the Fuji.

I put great portions of what we do on video. Everything from a night of homework to all day at typhoon lagoon and everything in between.

I just wanted an upgrade to what I have.
I am going to eventually get a real go pro. I read those are professional grade. The others are consumer grade.

South of the Border 1 day, lion country safari 2 days, Disney 6 days. We stay offsite at a water park hotel ( nice but not upscale) for $65 a night. Dinosaur world and gator land . 7am to 10 pm except magic kingdom that is a 130 am day.

I kinda thought an infantry tour stinked back in the day. But at 51 I can still carry the baby that is no longer a baby on the shoulders plus a pack with ice food drinks camera on the shoulders as long as I need to.

Bravos to you in spending time with family and not fret too much on the gear and quickly get the WG30. I did consider the Pentax but when I look at the spec, I am more impressed with the look of Olympus Tough TG860. It cost more as in $225 when it was on sale but I settle in fixing/repairing my wife p&s with Samsung DV300F, a non-weather proof camera. I am looking to get a weather-proofing bag for $19.00 and that will hopefully be usable while saving me another camera when we need to go to canoeing, boating and the beaches for swimming.


Gear In Skiing
by Hin Man, on Flickr


20160226-DSC09935
by Hin Man, on Flickr



20151230-DSC00069
by Hin Man, on Flickr

This is my gear in hiking, camping, family trip that I don't want to lug with any bigger cameras than my samsung. It has worked quite well for me with exception on poor lighting conditions. The selfie-stick and remote are essential accessories for me to take selfie or group picture that I want to be present with my family. Make sure you get something similar to help you with group picture with family. It is no fun to be absent in family memory keepers if you are not in the picture.



20151230-DSC00255
by Hin Man, on Flickr
selfie-stick group picture taken in Christmas on Sand Harbor in North of Lake Tahoe area in California. I had sunglass on and it was a photog mistake not paying attention to my young boy. His expression is priceless and my memory keeper for photog error, I should have angled to the sideline of the sunlight or find place with even/diffused lighting, a reflector in the shadow may have helped.



20160214-DSC00508
by Hin Man, on Flickr
skiing with my younger boy, sony hdr-as100vr


20160215-IMG_2836
by Hin Man, on Flickr
with Samsung DV300F


20160123-IMG_2739-2
by Hin Man, on Flickr
Hiking with single p&s Samsung DV300F



Cheers,
Hin

[condor27596]

I should have said the main purpose is for video not photos.

[condor27596]

The good news: camera came it was listed as used but was new in the box with the wrappers still on. Takes great outside photos and video. The zoom quality is better than the Fuji.

The bad news: video taken inside in a well lighted room is potato cam. I'm hoping it is just that it needs a setting for inside or some such thing.

[condor27596]

I am officially disappointed with this camera. The video is comparable to a Canon SD-600 point and shoot from a number of years ago.
I'll have to revert to my Fuji XP-70 for my trip. Maybe give the Ricoh to my daughter.

[hinman]

I am officially disappointed with this camera. The video is comparable to a Canon SD-600 point and shoot from a number of years ago.
I'll have to revert to my Fuji XP-70 for my trip. Maybe give the Ricoh to my daughter.

I don't want to add to the sour grape. If your goal is for video, the Pentax is not a good choice and you should look into something like your original title the 'Geek Pro' or some similar. Video and Picture are very different and it is hard to find one that is good on both. If you can return the camera, that will be the best approach.

Even for higher quality video camera, indoor will be bad. My action camera short clips at night or indoor come out very grainy. Shooting indoor comes with poor lighting and I see it as a problem that is not singled-out on the Pentax but true to many small cameras unless you have something like a 1" sensor type of camera. If water proof is not important, I will suggest to look into good-condition used or new Panasonic Lx7.

Sorry to hear about the disappointment.
Hin

[condor27596]

Thanks very much for the advice. I'm going to save up for a real go pro. It takes good video in the sun. But no better than the 12mp Fuji. The battery lasts a long time. But the field of view is smaller than the Fuji. Making it harder to have selfie video of me and my daughter.

I can not return it.

[hinman]

Thanks very much for the advice. I'm going to save up for a real go pro. It takes good video in the sun. But no better than the 12mp Fuji. The battery lasts a long time. But the field of view is smaller than the Fuji. Making it harder to have selfie video of me and my daughter.

I can not return it.

There are many Pentaxian who like to get an inexpensive weather-proof gadget from Pentax. I am not one of them as I like other non-Pentax models such as the Olympus Tough series.

You can think of the possibility of reselling the Pentax model in Marketplace. You need lots of patience in selling unless you are willing to take a bigger loss as in over 15% of your purchase.

Saving for GoPro will be the way to go but for video without water-proofing, go-pro may be an overkill unless you are into sports. The view should be wider than your Fuji. My Sony action camera is 170 degree view and none of my lenses can match that wide angle view. I will be surprised if you Fuji xp70 can be wider than the latest version of GoPro. The latest Pentax WG-M2 is 204 degree view. The wider view can be both a blessing and a curse when you want something like a normal lens in the 35 or 50mm equivalent. The wider view comes with distortion and people on the corner are stretched with distortion on picture and video.

Cheers,
Hin

[surfar]

The new Ricoh has the option to change to a narrower FOV as
well....its not branded as Pentax.