If you had to pick a camera to take to the beach, on a camping trip or to stow in your fishing creel, any of the well-sealed waterproof cameras below would be a fine choice. In addition to be being submersible, many of these pert-looking little beauties are rugged enough to withstand the occasional knock and bang and keep on clicking—and some are officially designated as freezeproof, shockproof and dustproof.
They make ideal family cameras and can be honestly pitched to your best customers as such. If you’re talking to mom or dad, ask if they ever plan to entrust the camera to the tender mercies of a devil-may-care teenager or a five-year-old boy; if the answer is yes, show them one of these, or suggest a waterproof one-time-use camera as a beach backup.
When it comes to marketing tough, waterproof digital point-and-shoot cameras, Olympus really put the category on the map with the highly successful Stylus Tough series, followed by Pentax with the Optio W series. Over the last few years, it seems virtually everybody who is anybody has jumped into the weatherproof/waterproof “adventure camera” fray.
While many dealers may associate rugged waterproof cameras with chunky, clunky designs, this is hardly the case anymore. Take a gander at the offerings shown here that are slim enough to slide into a pants pocket and weigh only a tad more than their thinnest landlubber counterparts.
Of course, not every customer is in the market for a new point and shoot, even one as enticing and fashionable as these. If that’s the case, offer them one of the unbearably cute one-time-use cameras from Fujifilm or Kodak, one of the few film camera categories still holding its own.
From a sales perspective, one of the most important things to remember about these swimsuit models is that they’re like the SUVs of camera-dom. They may not spend all that much time off the road or on the beach, but they sure do project the active lifestyle image. That alone may be just as important as their sterling virtues in withstanding the elements. The fact that most of them come in several delicious colors is another big plus when presenting them to folks who are fashion-conscious, female, young or just young at heart.
SWIMSUIT MODEL ROUNDUP
Fun, Funky Style Plus Custom Accessories
Canon PowerShot D10. With accessories including custom face plates, straps and a carabineer hook, this perky waterproof (to 33 feet), freezeproof (to 14º F), shockproof (to 4 feet) compact delivers the goods with 12.1 megapixel capture, the latest Digic 4 image processor, a 3x zoom lens and optical image stabilization. Other features: smart auto scene recognition; advanced face recognition with intelligent contrast and red-eye correction; and a 2.5-inch LCD. It sports a silver/blue body. $276.99*. usa.canon.com
Eye-Catching Form Factor
Fujifilm FinePix XP10. Its engagingly curvilinear water/freeze/shock/dustproof metal-clad “uni-body” is thinner than it looks (about 7/8 of an inch), and it packs a high-tech punch with 12.2 megapixel resolution, a 5x Fujinon zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD and auto scene recognition (SR auto). The XP10 is submersible to 10 feet and also provides HD video capability (720p), AF tracking, face detection, auto red-eye removal and digital image stabilization. It comes in a choice of silver, black or green. $179.95. fujifilmusa.com
Ready for Adventure
Pentax Optio W90. Attractively slim for a camera that’s submersible to 20 feet, the W90’s impressive features include waterproof/freezeproof/ shockproof (4 feet)/dustproof construction, 12.1MP capture, 5x (28–140mm equivalent) optical zoom, a digital microscope macro mode (1cm) with LED lighting, 720p HD video recording, Eye-Fi wireless card capability and a 2.7-inch LCD (16:9). Other features: an autofocus-assist lamp; face detection that works with dogs and cats!; blink detection; smile capture; and infrared remote control compatibility. Designed with the look of mountaineering equipment in a solid black body or with green trim, it comes with a strap and carabiner to attach it to a backpack (floating strap and skin are optional). $272.95. pentaximaging.com
Take It Deep
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2. Surprisingly slim (0.96 inch) and lightweight for a camera that dives to 33 feet, this compact sports a 4.6x (28–128mm equivalent) Leica DC Vario Elmar lens, 14.1 megapixel capture, sonic speed AF for shooting action, 720p HD movie capability in AVCHD Lite format, three aspect ratios (16:9, 4:3, 3:2) and a 2.7-inch LCD. Other features: a built-in LED light; iA suite of automatic technologies for worry-free shooting; title edit/text stamp for entering descriptions; a clipboard function; and support of SDXC cards. Yes, it’s also freezeproof (14º F), shockproof (6.6 feet) and dustproof. It’s offered in blue, orange, silver and yellow. $324.95. panasonic.com
It Looks Like Fun, and Is!
Vivitar ViviCam 8400. This affordable 8.1 megapixel cutie lets you take stills and VGA movies underwater down to 33 feet. Its fixed focal length f/3.1 lens provides some framing flexibility via an 8x digital zoom feature, and AF from 4.9 feet to infinity. Other features: integrated flash system; ISO settings of 50, 100 and 200; shutter speeds of 1/20–1/6,000 sec; autoexposure; four white balance settings plus AWB; and a 10/20-sec self-timer. It’s powered by two AA cells, has 64MB of internal memory and weighs in at 5.3 ounces. It’s available in yellow, blue and black bodies. $87.95. vivitar.com
For the Splash and Scuba Set
GE G5WP. This sleek 12.2 megapixel camera in General Imaging’s Active series has a 4x (38–152mm equivalent) f/3.5–5.2 optical zoom lens, is submersible to 16 feet, has single or 9-point multi-zone AF, shoots VGA movies and has a 2.7-inch LCD with auto brightness setting. Other features: face, smile and blink detection; red-eye removal; auto scene recognition; auto and manual exposure modes; ISO settings of 80–3200; pan-capture panorama, which produces wide-view photos by panning the camera across a scene; and a slim 4.4-ounce body that’s only 0.8 inch thick. It’s offered in gray, blue and raspberry versions. $179.95. general-imaging.com
Contemporary Styling, High-Tech Edge
Casio Exilim EX-G1. This striking 12.1MP compact is waterproof to 10 feet, shock resistant (to 7 feet), dustproof and freezeproof (14º F), and it also includes useful functions like best shot interval shooting for stills (10 sec to 3 min) or VGA movies (3–30 min). Scene modes include snow, beach and underwater to take the excess blue out. Other features: face detection and multi-image capture mode; a 3x optical zoom lens (38–114mm equivalent); a 2.5-inch LCD; voice recording; and ISOs to 3200. It’s only 0.78 inch thick. A cool feature is Casio’s dynamic photo, which lets users “cut out” a moving image and insert in on another still background in-camera. It comes in black or red. $200.95. casio.com
Crisp Ultra-Modern Form Factor
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5. Claimed to be the thinnest true waterproof (10 feet) camera with Optical SteadyShot image stabilization and touch-screen operation (even underwater), this 10.2MP compact has a freezeproof (14º F), shockproof (a 5-foot drop), dustproof body that’s 0.7 inch thick. Packed into it is an amazing feature array, including 720p HD movie capability, a “press-and-sweep” panorama function, 10-fps burst rate, a 4x Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 25–100mm equivalent lens, 3.0-inch LCD, ISO 3200, scene modes plus intelligent scene recognition, backlight correction HDR that combines highlight and shadow details of two captures into one natural-looking image, and support for SDXC cards. A floating strap is optional. It comes in black, red, pink, silver and green. $329.99. sony.com
Minimalist Design, Maximized Feature Set
Samsung AQ100. This 0.78-inch-thick 12.2MP compact is waterproof to 10 feet and boasts an impressive feature set, including enhanced low-light performance (to ISO 3200), a 5x (35–175mm equivalent) optical inner zoom lens, 720p HD movie mode at 30 fps for recording above or below water, and a 2.7-inch LCD with intelligent brightness control. Other features: smart filters (miniature, vignetting, fisheye, color effect); smart auto scene recognition (still/movie); an anti-dust system; perfect portrait that includes beauty shot, face detection, self-portrait, smile shot, blink detection and red-eye fix; a photo style selector; and smart album, which automatically organizes photos into collections and can even search by faces. It’s available in red and blue. $196.95. samsung.com
Pioneering and Rugged
Olympus Stylus Tough-6020. This shockproof, waterproof (16 feet), crushproof and freezeproof (14º F) compact delivers 14MP, a 5x (28–140mm equivalent) optical zoom and 720p HD video using a one-touch button. It can survive a 5-foot drop, and its stainless steel/aluminum exterior is matched with rubber gaskets and O-rings. Other features: a 2.7-inch LCD; pet mode; magic filters (pop art, pin hole, fisheye, drawing); intelligent auto mode; four underwater modes; in-camera panorama; an LED illuminator that works like a flashlight; and tap control, which lets users operate it with a tap on its top, back or sides when wearing gloves. The optional PT-048 underwater case permits use to 130 feet. It’s offered in black, pink, blue and green. $236.99. olympusamerica.com
UNDERWATER SINGLE-USE: Two Cool, Cost-Effective Alternatives
Kodak Sport Single-Use Camera. This perky little critter gets down to an amazing 50 feet underwater thanks to its rugged, durable, shockproof outer shell, and it will withstand the rough and tumble of rocky trails and bumpy rides. It’s got a scratch-resistant lens, comes with a wrist strap and it’s loaded with a 27-exposure roll of 35mm Kodak Ultra Max 800-speed film for sharp underwater shots or pictures outdoors in bright daylight. $7.49. kodak.com
Fujifilm QuickSnap Waterproof. Attractively styled with an oversized wind knob and shutter release, this cute recyclable gets down to 35 feet below the surface and will stand up to humidity, dust, dirt and sand. It includes a wrist strap and it comes preloaded with a 27-exposure roll of Fujicolor Superia-XTRA 800-speed film for underwater or outdoor daylight shooting. $6.99. fujifilmusa.com
* All are average street prices.