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View Full Version : Pt and Shoot, tough camera



SmokyMountainCarolyn
10-04-2009, 09:26 AM
This may have already been covered but I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by the research. I need your help.

I work for an outdoor company and need something tough and small that I can put into a pocket or stick in a chest harness while doing activities. (zip line, rafting, wet environs are some of the activities I will be encountering)

Budget
* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? <$400

Size
* What size camera are you looking for? Compact to fit in a pocket

Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you? 6-8?

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) as much zoom as possible

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10) 7-8

Do you care for manual controls? I can work with it

General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for? see above, action outdoor activites

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? yes
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? sometimes low light

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? YES

Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate? have had previous trouble w/Canon lens covers hanging up/not opening

Are there particular models you already have in mind? I have looked at but am overwhelmed by the variety: Sony W20, Nikon S620, Panasonic TZ1 (not quite as compact as I'd like), Olympus Stylus 550 wP, Pentax Optio W30

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD) Image Stabilization, water resistant would both be nice

BTW, if any of these have video capability that would be nice as well. I have scads of SD cards so that media type would be nice not to have to reinvest in more media.

Thanks in advance for your help.:D

David Metsky
10-04-2009, 10:15 AM
All of these cameras have video, although some have better versions than others. Here's a comparison test (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q209waterproofgroup/) of the whole group. Check out the conclusions and decide based on your preferences. Some of the models you listed are pretty old so the test is on more current models.

KCook
10-04-2009, 11:41 AM
Very good link that David gave. These waterproof ultracompacts are fine for snapshots in good light. However ...

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? yes
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? sometimes low light You may want to eventually budget an additional camera, that is not tiny or rugged, for big prints using low light.

Kelly Cook