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Trying to choose a P&S camera makes bunny sad :( :( :(

fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

Moderator<br>Digital & Video Cameras
Moderator
Some of you may know that I'm going overseas on a school business trip thing this summer. China, South Korea, Japan, and Hawaii. I'm in charge of multimedia (photos, videos, website) and we will be going snorkeling and possibly even skydiving.

Since a waterproof housing for my DSLR is out of the question, I'm thinking I should get a P&S with an underwater housing that also takes great video (640x480 30fps or greater), has a wide 28mm lens and a large zoom (10x), uses either SD or CF cards, and would be great as just an overall camera.

I've managed to really narrow down what I want in a camera:

Primary
At least 640 x 480 movie, 30fps
Optical zooming while recording
Uses SD or CF card
Has a reasonably priced underwater housing available for it.
Wideangle

Secondary
No limits on video recording time - WHY DO MANUFACTURERS IMPOSE LIMITS ON RECORDING TIME/SIZE?! Argggggg.......... and why don't we have more hackers "improving" the stock firmware?
IS

Tertiary
ISO, yadda yadda

It stinks that I can't even get all of my primary requirements in a digital camera.

At least 640 x 480 movie, 30fps - Ok, this is the standard. The Canon S2/S3 IS have excellent video quality. Panasonic's video quality is definitely a step below with the TZ3 being sharper than the TZ1.

Optical zooming while recording - Eliminates about 99% of my options. Canon S2/S3 and TZ1 are still in the running. WHY THE HECK CAN'T MOST CAMERAS ZOOM WHILE RECORDING MOVIE?!

Uses SD or CF card - All other formats are not worth having.

Has a reasonably priced underwater housing available for it - Canon S2/S3 is eliminated. The only housing for this camera is from Ikelite and it's about $800. Panasonic's housing? $200.

Wideangle - Canon S2/S3 and TZ1 all don't meet this requirement 🙁

So basically I'm picking the camera that sucks the least. The zooming while recording thing eliminates my choices down to three cameras, and two of those three cameras don't have an underwater housing available that I can afford.

TZ1 it is?

No wideangle. No conversion lenses. Noisy sensor. Video is noticeably softer than the S2/S3's video. No aperture/shutter control. :roll:

Poopy 🙁
 
i would be looking at either the s3IS or a lumix of some sort. I havent been in cameras for a while but im pretty sure they still hold true.
 
I don't think you're going to find any P&S with good high ISO performance.

I would suggest the Canon SD700IS. It has IS built in for one. It also has a 6.1 megapixels on a 1/2.5" sensor.
 
The Panasonic TZ3 just came out with the 28mm lens, 10x optica zoom, 16:6 native video format, takes the SD mem cards, and a underwater housing is available for it.

Sound right up what your looking for.

I will see if I can find the review on it that lso showed the underwater housing for it.

So far I found this site with sample pics, and a pic of the camera in the housing.

here is the review I read on it that had the underwater thing.

And thanks, Im trying so hard to to think of this camera, I so want it myself really bad, for it has all the features I would love to have suck as the big zoom, though I have that with my FZ5 12x, but the wide angle lens, better IS, red eye, and the native 16:9 video shots,a nd more, just screams at me. Next tax season cannot get here fast enough for me 🙁
 
Originally posted by: funboy42
The Panasonic TZ3 just came out with the 28mm lens, 10x optica zoom, 16:6 native video format, takes the SD mem cards, and a underwater housing is available for it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the TZ3 is definitely up there on my list. It looks VERY interesting.
 
Originally posted by: illusion88
Why not shoot the underwater portion with a disposable and bring the SLR for everything else?
Click to expand...

I want to shoot video underwater too. 🙁
 
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I don't think you're going to find any P&S with good high ISO performance.

I would suggest the Canon SD700IS. It has IS built in for one. It also has a 6.1 megapixels on a 1/2.5" sensor.
Click to expand...

how do the larger sensor help, compared to the 1/1.8" (i'm a noob)? I'm thinking about the SD750, which seems to be getting great reviews and is very small with a 3" screen, no IS though
 
I have been extremely impressed with my SD600. But - you CANNOT treat it like your DSLR... so many times i just grab my SD600 because its quick light and easy...and the pictures come back looking like ass....when I know my D50 would have gotten the shot perfect.

I'm talking about grainy pictures shooting at higher ISO's. I mean, for what it is, the camera is my top pick out of P&S's, others that I have messed with, fuji's, nikon's, pentax's etc...none have impressed me as much as the Canon. The reaction speed is great, almost on par with my D50 in daylight, night shots can take a bit more time. But yes, VERY impressed wtih it...
 
I swear I remember seeing an underwater P&S made by Pentax I believe in an issue of Popular Science a while back. It was orange, and it was supposed to be pretty affordably priced. Don't know if they ever made it, but I was really interested in getting one, because it was actually cheaper than any of the name-brand underwater enclosures I've seen.
 
Originally posted by: Mrvile
IMO the F30 still has some of the best low-light performance I have seen out of a P&S...
Click to expand...

I wholly agree. I've looked at comparison shots between the F30 and other P&S cameras at ISO400+ and the difference is dramatic.

Fuji Super CCD sensor + IS + 28-300mm lens + SD/CF card + 640x480 or widescreen 30FPS movie + Aperture/Shutter Priority + small enclosure = instant gratification IMO
 
Originally posted by: erub
Originally posted by: GTaudiophile
I don't think you're going to find any P&S with good high ISO performance.

I would suggest the Canon SD700IS. It has IS built in for one. It also has a 6.1 megapixels on a 1/2.5" sensor.
Click to expand...

how do the larger sensor help, compared to the 1/1.8" (i'm a noob)? I'm thinking about the SD750, which seems to be getting great reviews and is very small with a 3" screen, no IS though
Click to expand...

Due to the physics of light gathering sensors, larger sensors tend to produce less noisy pictures at higher ISOs as well as greater dynamic range. If it were a choice between a smaller, noisier sensor at 8MP and a larger, cleaner sensor at 6MP, I would choose the 6MP with no problem.
 
This stinks so bad.

I've managed to really narrow down what I want in a camera:

Primary
At least 640 x 480 movie, 30fps
Optical zooming while recording
Uses SD or CF card
Has a reasonably priced underwater housing available for it.
Wideangle

Secondary
No limits on video recording time - WHY DO MANUFACTURERS IMPOSE LIMITS ON RECORDING TIME/SIZE?! Argggggg.......... and why don't we have more hackers "improving" the stock firmware?
IS

Tertiary
ISO, yadda yadda

It stinks that I can't even get all of my primary requirements in a digital camera.

At least 640 x 480 movie, 30fps - Ok, this is the standard. The Canon S2/S3 IS have excellent video quality. Panasonic's video quality is definitely a step below with the TZ3 being sharper than the TZ1.

Optical zooming while recording - Eliminates about 99% of my options. Canon S2/S3 and TZ1 are still in the running. WHY THE HECK CAN'T MOST CAMERAS ZOOM WHILE RECORDING MOVIE?!

Uses SD or CF card - All other formats are not worth having.

Has a reasonably priced underwater housing available for it - Canon S2/S3 is eliminated. The only housing for this camera is from Ikelite and it's about $800. Panasonic's housing? $200.

Wideangle - Canon S2/S3 and TZ1 all don't meet this requirement 🙁

So basically I'm picking the camera that sucks the least. The zooming while recording thing eliminates my choices down to three cameras, and two of those three cameras don't have an underwater housing available that I can afford.

TZ1 it is?

No wideangle. No conversion lenses. Noisy sensor. Video is noticeably softer than the S2/S3's video. No aperture/shutter control. :roll:
 
Why not get one thats waterproof without a case? http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1287

Shockproof. Waterproof. Freezeproof. Crushproof. Introducing the world's most durable digital camera ? the Olympus Stylus 770 SW. You can drop it (from 5ft), dunk it (to 33ft), freeze it (-10°C/14°F) or even try to crush it (up to 220lbf), and it will still take amazing photos. But the 770 SW isn't all brawn and no brains. It features a bright 2.5" Hypercrystal LCD so you can easily compose, view and share your images underwater or in direct sunlight. Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) creates sharp, blur-free pictures, even if your subject is moving. And the 27 Shooting Modes, including movie with sound, allow you to master any shooting situation.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: aphex
Why not get one thats waterproof without a case? http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1287

Shockproof. Waterproof. Freezeproof. Crushproof. Introducing the world's most durable digital camera ? the Olympus Stylus 770 SW. You can drop it (from 5ft), dunk it (to 33ft), freeze it (-10°C/14°F) or even try to crush it (up to 220lbf), and it will still take amazing photos. But the 770 SW isn't all brawn and no brains. It features a bright 2.5" Hypercrystal LCD so you can easily compose, view and share your images underwater or in direct sunlight. Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) creates sharp, blur-free pictures, even if your subject is moving. And the 27 Shooting Modes, including movie with sound, allow you to master any shooting situation.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

The movie mode really leaves much to be desired.

15fps (yuck, Olympus might as well not even put in a movie mode if they're going to do it half-assed)

No zooming while recording movies (again, why is it that the majority of cameras can't zoom while recording?)

Uses xD cards (Come on Olympus! What is your malfunction?)

🙁
 
Well, i dont find the movie mode to be such a big issue (for me at least), its a digital camera, not a camcorder... But the Xd pisses me off as well 🙂

I just like the idea of a fully rugged design out of the box...
 
Originally posted by: mugs
I swear I remember seeing an underwater P&S made by Pentax I believe in an issue of Popular Science a while back. It was orange, and it was supposed to be pretty affordably priced. Don't know if they ever made it, but I was really interested in getting one, because it was actually cheaper than any of the name-brand underwater enclosures I've seen.
Click to expand...

Pentax Optio WP is waterproof
 
Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Originally posted by: mitaiwan82
I got the Panasonic FX01...has 28-102mm equivalent lens and a optional underwater case. Uses SD cards but no huge zoom.

review at dpreview.com

underwater case

underwater case demo
Click to expand...

Here is an underwater MOVIE made using this camera:

http://www.magic-filters.com/movies/magic_small.mov

5MB
Click to expand...

Is that really same camera?!!! its ****** impressive!

I went with S3 as I have no plans to go underwater... but I will need it for snowboarding trips... mmmmm
 
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