Cruise Ship Vacations

In the past underwater digital cameras have been of interest only to divers, mostly recreational scuba divers and underwater photographers, and it’s probably safe to say this was due mostly to their high cost, not to mention the fact the equipment was awkward and bulky.

But today things are different. Manufacturers of underwater cameras have been able to bring down both the size and cost to where these devices are compact and affordable. This is of course great news for divers, but even more so for those of us tired of always having to “mind” the camera when enjoying outdoors sports and recreational activities, or just at the beach on family vacation.

The reality is that the places most of us want to take pictures are while on holiday or vacation which usually means outdoors, at the beach, on the water, in the mountains, on the trails, or involved in some recreational activity or sport that has some “rough and tumble” aspect to it. Often times the camera just doesn’t survive these environments.

Of course we could leave it behind but that sort of misses the point. What would be ideal is a waterproof camera that can take a beating as well. A digital camera that’s rugged and won’t get upset at being dropped, banged around, or being left where the kids can get at it would be perfect.

As stated before, there are now a few rugged, compact, underwater cameras that are as affordable as some land-based models. There are also some that looke as if they will perform well but are lacking in either the waterproof or shockproof department, so it pays to do some research to compare and get the features you need.

Basically, if you’re like me, you want something as close to indestructible as possible. The camera needs to be waterproof to at least 10 or 12 feet like to the bottom of a swimming pool. That will ensure it’s also impervious to mud, sand, dirt, dust, salt air, rain, splashes, and about anything else one can imagine. Plus it’s got to survive falling to the ground from a pocket or purse. Those two features will make it likely to survive most types of abuse, including kids.

There are two manufacturers, Olympus and SeaLife, offering the best of these ultimate sports cameras. SeaLife makes the Mini (130 feet), and the ECOshot (75 feet). Both are 6 megapixel, compact, and rugged with a rubber-armored, polycarbonate housing to protect them. Olympus makes four Stylus SW (shockproof-waterproof) models, the 770SW, 790SW, 850SW, and 1030SW, which are waterproof to 10 or 33 feet and have image resolution ranging from 7 to 10 megapixels.

The Stylus SW achieves protection of it’s components by suspending them within a crushproof, sub-compact metal case. While the SeaLife’s are “dive ready”, an external housing is available for the Olympus cameras, allowing divers to take them to 130’. Stand-alone, they are perfect for snorkeling and knocking about outdoors.

The most thought will go into choosing image capture resolution and whether you require water integrity to any significant depth. Of course there are several waterproof cameras that are waterproof to well over a hundred feet, and the camera itself can be removed from the housing for use on land. However then the camera is not protected and that misses the whole point. Also, these tend to be priced higher than what one would want for a good all-purpose sports camera.

In terms of finding the best all-purpose sports camera, the manufacturers already mentioned both offer compact, low-cost alternatives. Features are similar except for variations in depth, size, and resolution, and it mostly depends on your primary intended use.