best underwater point and shoot ?

[thegulfer]

OK, I looked at a couple of old threads but not all of them so forgive me if this has been beat to death. I do not frequent this section.

The wife just dunked her Cannon S2 IS when she jumped out of the boat yesterday and it is (soggy) toast. We do quite a bit of diving and it would be used some for that but she is a birder and likes to take the camera on the (small) boat. This is the $$$$second$$$$ time that one has gone for a swim. So.....What is the best point and shoot with a zoom lens similar to the S2 that does NOT require a case? Or is there even such a thing? I'm not looking for super quality photos but the ability to zoom in on the birds so they can be identified is a big deal to her. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[Larry C]

You can get the Olympus Tough 8000 (formerly Stylus) which will go to snorkel depths, but you'll need a housing for scuba. Canon now has the D10. Neither of them will go over 3.6x optical zoom though. For the birds, you'd need an add on tele lens if they make one for it. I was able to google a 2x add on lens for the Canon, I don't think any exist for the tough 8000, though there were a couple for earlier iterations (1030SW, I think).

 

[Sully3]

a lot of the sony point and shoots have long telephotos without
attachments. you could check some of those out for the bird shots

 

[thegulfer]

You can get the Olympus Tough 8000 (formerly Stylus) which will go to snorkel depths, but you'll need a housing for scuba. Canon now has the D10. Neither of them will go over 3.6x optical zoom though. For the birds, you'd need an add on tele lens if they make one for it. I was able to google a 2x add on lens for the Canon, I don't think any exist for the tough 8000, though there were a couple for earlier iterations (1030SW, I think).

Thank you. That Tough 8000 looks pretty good. Maybe just enough zoom to get by and unless she drops it overboard and loses it we should be OK. There's no way I'm letting her on the boat with her D50 and that monster lens.

 

[walke121]

removed

 

[RonFrank]

I don't see this as an equipment question, but a user *training* issue.

Put the camera in a cooler. Put the camera in a zip lock bag. Put the camera in a camera bag!

I've been running around with expensive camera's for a LONG time, and have never had an incident..and I'm often carrying more than one!

If you wife is incapable of keeping a camera out of the drink, get insurance, and here is a list of *weatherproof* cameras.

'Waterproof' Camera Group Test (Q2 2009) Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

 

[jd950]

While on a boat she could use the camera in the same waterproof housing used for diving, just without any tray or strobes, etc. Not as convenient to use as a camera without a housing, but it would open up the selection quite a bit, and if you want it for diving, you will need a housing anyway.

 

[thegulfer]

I don't see this as an equipment question, but a user *training* issue.

LOL, no argument here. Training the spouse, huh? Are you married? (just kidding)

Actually, in all fairness, the "dunkings" have been many years apart and we go out two or three times a week and do have to wade ashore so there has been a lot of exposure. I just think it's time to go the waterproof route and didn't know what was out there.

Thanks for the link. The Pentax Optio doesn't look too bad either. And now that I think about it the accident insurance may make sense if I don't go the waterproof route this time.

 

[thegulfer]

While on a boat she could use the camera in the same waterproof housing used for diving, just without any tray or strobes, etc. Not as convenient to use as a camera without a housing, but it would open up the selection quite a bit, and if you want it for diving, you will need a housing anyway.

Thanks for the response and you are correct. I may decide to go this route. It's just that maintaing a housing as often as we use it is something I'm trying to avoid. If we get into the underwater stuff then for sure this is the way to go.

 

[Nemrod]

OK, I looked at a couple of old threads but not all of them so forgive me if this has been beat to death. I do not frequent this section.

The wife just dunked her Cannon S2 IS when she jumped out of the boat yesterday and it is (soggy) toast. We do quite a bit of diving and it would be used some for that but she is a birder and likes to take the camera on the (small) boat. This is the $$$$second$$$$ time that one has gone for a swim. So.....What is the best point and shoot with a zoom lens similar to the S2 that does NOT require a case? Or is there even such a thing? I'm not looking for super quality photos but the ability to zoom in on the birds so they can be identified is a big deal to her. Thanks for any suggestions.

Get two cameras, one for UW and one for shooting birds.
N