DXG USA DXG-5B1V HD DXG Sportster 1080p HD Underwater Camcorder Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this as a gift for my wife in hopes that it was a great little camcorder for the price. It's supposed to be full 1080P camcorder with underwater capabilities. My wife opened up the camcorder and we instantly charged the battery to see how well it works. After the battery was charged I put it in the camera and wanted to see what we got for the price. I noticed that when I push the "Power" button it turned on and then shut down immediately, I then had to turn it back on. I thought that was kind of weird, but we kept on checking this out. Then I noticed that in 1080P you can't zoom at all. So if I wanted to record my daughter's soccer game I guess I would just have to run on the field and follow her around to get 1080P quality video. Then I put it in 720 mode and there you can zoom in and out. Not what I wanted, but maybe I could live with it.
I then did some recordings so I could do a playback and see the quality. It was horrible! The picture was grainy and terrible pictures the further I zoomed in. I tried to play with the settings and found that it didn't help at all. White balance and low light picture quality is not good at all. I was actually embarrassed to have purchased this as a gift for my wife. On the playback the sound was muffled and I couldn't pick up anything more than 2 feet away and was very hard to hear on the playback. It probably doesn't help that the microphone is on the top where your fingers rest. I did make sure my finger wasn't covering the microphone and that didn't make a difference at all. What I did find with the sound,(during playback), is that if you zoom in and out or change or push any buttons it is picked up by the microphone quit well, much better than someone talking.
On to trying to take still pictures. That was horrible too. All the pictures were blurry and grainy. This camcorder is just bad all the way around. I since have returned it hoping it is just a defective one and not a product that was put out for people to buy. Just a disappointment of a camcorder.
Pros: Lightweight, buttons are easy to navigate, waterproof (Didn't test it).
Cons: Complete waste of money, muffled sound, can't hear anything over 2 feet away, can't zoom in or out in 1080P. 720 is all you can record in with the zoom function. Playback of video is grainy and worse than a VCR used on a High Def TV with an old tape, "Still" pictures were blurry and not quality at all.


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Whether you're in the South Pacific surfing the perfect wave, or looking for Nemo in the Great Barrier Reef or simply beating the heat of summer at your friend's pool party, the DXG-5B1V HD is the perfect high-definition camcorder to capture those memories, both above and underwater. The DXG-5B1V HD 1080p High-Definition Underwater Camcorder records real 1080p HD video; takes fantasti still pictures up to 12MP image resolution; features 3" TFT screen' and supports SDHC up to 16GB. Sporting a brushed metal body, the DXG-5B1V HD is IPX8 Greade, this means that you can take it underwater up to 10 feet eep and record with confidence that once-in-a-lifetime whale shark encounter. And when you reach shore, sit back and record that quintessential sailboat as it glides in front of the setting sun!

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JVC Picsio GC-WP10 Waterproof Pocket Video Camera (Blue) NEWEST VERSION Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently noticed that true HD was making its way to the pocket video camera market. There were two others that came out very recently that I was looking at (a Panasonic and a Kodak) before I decided on this JVC. The deciding factor was that this one is waterproof and is capable of time lapse.
Upon what must have been a delayed release, I finally got mine today and must say I am glad I went with this one. There's a little weight to it as you hold it in your hand and cosmetically, well with all the ugly gadgets out there I have to give the designers at JVC props for making this an attractive, even sexy unit, one that I would not be ashamed to take home to Mother. I want to call this a matte finish or something... look at the high res pics and you'll see what I mean.
The quality of the video is as good as you would expect. I am hoping that future software updates will be more feature rich. You can record audio but there don't seem to be any options or settings with regard to the quality. I'm assuming it's recording in mp3 format and if it is, I'd prefer to be able to select the bit rate (320kbps). The time lapse feature is cool and I'd love to see the ability to shoot at a very high frame rate so as to be able to capture a water balloon popping. Overall, the user interface is simple and will not take long at all to get used to.
If you plan to do a lot of time-lapse you'll want to purchase the optional power adapter which will cost you about $35 (Ouch!). Get yourself a 32gb SDHC card and a 2tb external hard drive and you'll be good to go. I won't be able to test the waterproof feature until next Summer. Finally, I can't comment on the on-board editing software because I use a professional editing suite. I'm sure it'll suit most basic needs.
Peace
UPDATE: I had a chance on Monday to shoot some video at our local Zoo. I learned a couple of things worth noting. The battery fully charged does not last long. We weren't at the Zoo for even three hours and I ran out of juice before we left. It makes me wish the thing ran on batteries. The second point is the zoom...I'd advise against using it. If you watch this video, you'll see some outdoor/indoor stuff, and the use of the zoom. I'm noticing what is common among digital zooms, clarity is drastically sacrificed. The indoor shot of the bird is most obvious. I assume that both of these issues are similar to other cameras in the same category. Hopefully in ten years the battery life will be greatly improved. I can't help but wonder if a simplified interface wouldn't help conserve the battery power. Still, not a bad camera for the price.


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JVC's new GC-WP10 Waterproof Picsio, a pocket camera designed for fun. Fun, because it's so small, lightweight, easy to use and a cinch to share videos and photos using YouTube, Facebook and other social media sites. Plus the GC-WP10 is waterproof and can be used underwater up to 10 feet! This Picsio features a 3-inch touch screen. Record and playback functions are easily activated by just a light touch on the screen icon. The controls are easy to use and can be operated when wearing gloves. During playback that you'll appreciate the large 3 inch screen by how great the image looks on a larger screen. Other features include electronic image stabilization to minimize camera shake while recording, 4x digital zoom lens and a time-lapse recording mode and records digital stills up to 5-megapixel native resolution, without interpolation. There's a stereo microphone that can be used to record audio as mp3 files. HDMI and AV output to easily connect to a TV.The GC-WP10 Picsio uses a CMOS sensor to record up to 1920 x 1080, 30 frames progressive Full HD video. The video format is MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 and is stored as standard MP4 files for easy importing into various applications without any quality loss. There are three other video recording resolutions, including iFrame, to optimize performance in iMovie '09. Video and stills are recorded to a removable memory card that goes into the SD card slot that can accept SD, SDHC and SHXC memory cards. The memory card slot is also optimized for Eye-Fi cards, which adds wireless capabilities.

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Intova H2O Man Waterproof MP3 Player with Headphones Review

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(More customer reviews)I couldn't get the headphones to fit snugly. The triple-flange earplugs couldn't go deep enough to create a meaningful seal most of the time. In the few cases where they did, the firm armature flexed while I swam and pulled them out. So I'd head a few seconds of a podcast, then water would get into my ears and I wouldn't be able to hear anything.
About the water getting into my ears: I got an ear infection afterwards. Fantastic. I normally swim with waterproof earplugs exactly to prevent that sort of thing.
Charging the device requires you to twist off the earphone connector and twist in a charging module that charges through Mini-usb. Putting music on the device requires you to, again, twist off any attachment, remove a Micro-SD card and get your MP3s on that somehow. Included in the package is a Micro-SD to USB adapter. Not very friendly.
Perhaps if your head is shaped differently from mine they'd work for you. But probably not. Every other ear-related device on the market (I'm a headphone fanatic) fits and works fine, except for these. I'm familiar with in-ear devices, since I wear earplugs daily and use earbuds that require seals in order to get bass.
It gets two stars because it actually does work underwater.

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Kodak PlaySport (Zx3) HD Waterproof Pocket Video Camera (Purple) Review

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(More customer reviews)OK lets start off with this camera is $149 keep that in mind.
The 5.3MP still photos are fairly good, not to bad, but remember this is a video camera first
a dedicated 5MP still photo camera will take much better photos, but again hey these aren't to shabby it just depends on what your trying to do. Quick shots here and there...excellent and better than any cell phone I've had. At a wedding where you want crystal clear and sharp photos....well not so much.
The HD video camera is pretty nice, easy to use and I was just stunned at the digital zoom.
It actually works and works well, not to blocky or grainy...more so at the extreme 4x level but at 2x to about 3x the camera compensated nicely and actually cleared up the image...not sure how they do it, but they do.As others have noted, with rapid movement of the camera you will notice your image jumps or shakes.
Now remember what I told you to keep in mind $149. Yes it does have that little "feature", but it's not
a $299 video camera with a higher quality lens and CCD. Slow down, don't go from left to right or up and
down at 100MPH and it's not bad. Moving images within the video are fine, it's just if you move the camera
itself very rapidly you will notice it.
I tried the 3 HD video modes, and it also has a standard resolution mode as well that I did not try.
I compared all 3 with and with out the image stabilization on which did not seem to improve or degrade the
image at all.
At 720p 30 fps - Not to bad, noticed the jumpyness or shakyness of the image as I moved left to right in my test,
but slow down and it's not to bad.
At 720p 60 fps - Now were getting better, really not bad at all, again not $300 video camera good, but
pretty darn nice, and clearer and the shakyness of the video smoothed out a bunch, again slow down in your
movements for best quality.
At 1080p 30fps - Nice quality...really nice, but the jumpyness of the video is back, you have to take it a bit
slower but nice quality all in all.
I did not try the underwater mode, but assume it works as advertised everything else has so far.
Now I throughly loved the fact that there are no CD's with this camera, nothing in the box to load.
You simply plug in the provided USB cable and the software...every bit of it and all the drivers you need for
the camera are built right in and install on your PC from the camera...this is an excellent feature, I always
misplace the CD's and have to download from the website anyhow.
Speaking of downloading from the website ... this camera is flash upgradeable with new firmware I went to the
Kodak website and found that there was an upgrade I could download to correct a few minor anomalies that they
found...cool so hopefully this camera gets even more corrections in the near future and maybe a feature update
someday?
I also loved the fact that ALL the cables came with the camera. HDMI, USB, and Component video cables...
All of them... they can charge you at least $10 for each individual cable, but they give them to you with
the camera for $149, now how great is that ?!?!
As at least one other reviewer has said, yes - there is no case or protective sleeve that comes with the camera,
but I would take the cables over a case anyday, you know what ever they included it wouldn't be what you wanted.
Either they gave you a sleeve and you wanted a case for your accessories or they gave you a case and you didn't
want to carry all the accessories so you go out and buy yourself a protective sleeve or pouch. So just go get what you want ...
I myself purchased the Kodak Case that Amazon recommended to me .... also a nice purchase, perfect size not to big,
not to small and has a little accessory area that you can carry one of the cables and a spare battery if you need.
This camera feels rugged and well built. It's easy to use, lots of features like image stabilization and face
tracking, it comes with all the cables, free software that's always with you in the camera, and costs only $149.
So not to bad at all, and my conclusion is this if your looking for a sharp and crisp still photo camera drop the
$100 just for that and buy one, if your looking for a excellent video quality camera drop the $300 just for that
and buy one. But....If your looking for a pretty nice, simple and decent quality camera that does it all and
is rugged enough to go out in the rain or underwater drop $149 and buy this one.
I've included a video I compiled and edited down to show the different resolutions and the photos. Keep in mind
that while your viewing that this is an flv file and the actual quality that the camera will give you will be
much higher than what I was able to upload to Amazon, meaning you'll get better quality than what you see on here.

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The Kodak PLAYSPORT has as much appetite for adventure as you do. And it's not afraid to get wet. This audacious little camera can plunge up to 10 ft under water and capture the entire experience in full 1080p HD. And you don't need to worry about blurry footage when things get a little shaky. With built-in image stabilization, the Kodak PLAYSPORT will stay steady as a rock. From the waves, to the slopes, to the mud-soaked trails, this baby was made for the extremes.

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Kodak Mini Video Camera with SD Card (Grey) Review

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(More customer reviews)I wanted something small and waterproof for kayaking and canoeing...and of course geocaching.. I have a kodak zx1, a flip mino, but I wanted something smaller than those....I thought about this camera for a while/watched sample videos on youtube,finally broke down and bought this at a "best" store for $89 without a card. This camera is simple to use! turns on very quickley,and starts recording quickley.I like the 1.8" screen....big enough to see what your recording/but small enough not to use too much power...I fully charged the battery/took 2 hours of video, and I still had battery to spare! battery life is great!...this is a simple video camera/ captures video very well!small enough to put in your pocket/battery still charged after a week of frequent use!Sound quality is very good/however the only "downside" for me is......no image stablization/not a big deal/ but is slighty noticed when quick movement happens...small,waterproof,long battery life,good quality video,good quality sound, simple and easy to use.I like it/and now at the time of my review/it is $20 less than what I paid AND you get a micro card included!great deal..if you go to youtube and type ......snow2112dog..... you will see my kodak mini video test...it shows indoors.outside at night and outside during the day...and the 3x zoom at the end of the airplane....all in under 1 minute.

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Did that just happen? Some moments in life need an instant replay button. With the KODAK Mini Video Camera, you've got one with you wherever you go. This itty-bitty video camera easily slides into a pocket - even your skinny jeans. With one touch the Mini captures all the highlights, and the pop-out USB arm makes it seriously simple to share the fun on FACEBOOK and YOUTUBE sites. Plus it's built to withstand your craziest days - from a fumble in the rain, to a trip to the bottom of your bag. The Mini is ready when you are - so the next time you hear, 'Did that just happen?" you can show the instant replay. The real KODAK Moment happens when you share.

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ATC2K Waterproof Action Cam Review

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(More customer reviews)Alright this camera is not your HD super resolution camera that you will want to use as a stand alone unit for any event. What it is however is for a low price you are getting a WATERPROOF to ten feet dust resistant durable camera that can go places that few would even dream of taking much more expensive fragile units.
for example I take mine and put it inside a plastic bag and jump off a cliff with it a little work and you can get some sweet shots as the water comes at ya and next thing you know your underwater. Try that with a handycam. Im excited for this summer because i want to try attaching it to the rope of our tow boat when wake boarding for a sweet up close and personal view complete with wipe outs.

when mud digging in my four by four I Velcro it right up on the front bumper for a extreme rarely seen angle. You could mount it underneath near the axles while flexing for a cool shot also.
You tube has some awesome videos of them being mounted onto the back of rockets and blasted into the sky. Be creative with the thing!
Your getting what you pay for here, a low resolution cheap camera that is waterproof and inexpensive enough to be somewhat disposable to get shots for action videos that would otherwise be very hard or impossible with equipment ten times as expensive. So long as you don't have to watch hours of this cameras video at a time the resolution is fine, set this camera up in a creative way than mix it in with higher quality video from another camera in a more conventional location on the scene and you'll have a great video to showcase.
This thing stays in the bag with my DV camera when I go out in the outdoors.

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Olympus Stylus 770SW 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have an Olympus 770 SW (NOT the 720 SW), for sure...and I like it. I have had five digital cameras before, and this one is terrific. Considering that it's a sub-compact pocket camera, image quality is fine (not equal to that of a digital SLR, but I don't want to carry around a big box like a DSLR). Shadow detail is especially impressive. Operation is smooth and intuitive. The screen is fine, even outdoors. Shutter lag, a big concern of mine as I like to photograph my kids at sports, is minimal and can be zero if you prefocus. The number of custom scene settings is impressive. I bought it because of the waterproofing and shockproofing, and because of prior good experience with Olympus over the years, but I'm just as happy with the pictures it takes under normal circumstances too.
A few gripes that stop me from giving the camera 5 stars:
1. The battery cannot be recharged when it's in the camera. For a total of $80 or so, you can get an external power source and a cable, and together they let the camera run a long time without draining the battery, but they don't charge the battery. Battery life is fine for a day of normal shooting, but if you use the camera actively, every single night you pretty much have to unlock the case, take out the battery and charge it, then remember to put the battery back in the next day. Each charge takes 5 hours. I'm going to take the same $80 and instead buy two extra batteries to be comfortable--One in the camera, one reserve along with me, and another charging at home. Even so, it will take some planning and thinking to keep batteries ready all the time on a vacation. It would have been much nicer to have a holster or a charging socket on the case.
2. The case is actually smaller than it needs to be. It could be significantly bigger and still fit in my shirt pocket, which is my standard size requirement. As it is, the advanced engineering is impressive to pack all the features in a tiny box, but the camera is more expensive than need be, the lens is smaller than it should be (depending on zoom position, the lens is between f/3.5 to f/5.0, which is pretty weak), it's harder to hold the camera than need be, and if the case were bigger, there would be room for a nice little charging socket too.
3. There is indeed a background, almost mechanical noise introduced when filming videos. It probably can be filtered out, as it's very constant and very low pitched, but it's mildly annoying.
4. Time between shots is too long--it takes several seconds to save each shot at full resolution.
5. You can use the internal memory only if there's no memory card in the slot. Given the slow transfer speed to the card, it sure would be nice to be able to save a dozen or so shots very quickly to the internal memory and then transfer them to the memory when you have time.
For all that, though, I'm really looking forward to using this camera on a forthcoming sea kayaking and snorkeling trip this summer. With one camera, I'll be able to take snapshots above and below water, also modest videos underwater (there's a special scene selection to do just that)!

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Olympus Stylus 770SW 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

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GoPro Motorsports HERO Wide Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)Gopro Motorsports HERO WIDE 5 Megapixel 170 Degree Lens Camera (Silver)
I was excited to see the video clips on the Gopro site. My use is on a Motorcycle. When I go the product, I found the display a bit disappointing. It is very small and you read it upside down as you might look at the camera with the 'Hero' logo in the lower right corner. The unit itself is somewhat simple in design and doesn't give you the feeling of the quality in even the most common digital camera's you would buy today. Two double AAA batteries go in the back with a cover that you slide off. This cover has a tendancy to slide off while general handling of the camera and is annoying. Do not, let me repeat, Do not use alkaline batteries in the camera-- they don't function properly. With fresh batteries my unit will only run for a short while and then shut off. It also has very erratic operation. Changing to the recommended Eveready NI-MH batteries solved the problem and although not cheap with the charger and all, they are necessary.
The quality of video is ok, but does not work well in low light. This camera does not adjust well to varying light conditions and should generally be used in brighter conditions or full sun. The camera has no anti-shake capabilities so on a motorcycle things are jerky. Make sure you want the 170 deg wide angle as everything is noticably bent with the wide angle even in the focal portion of the picture. And, don't expect clear audio--you won't get it here. The audio quality is terrible. Even with the camera out of the protective waterproof case, there is a constant buzzing noise and the volume is faint even if you talk right in the microphone. In the case on a motorcycle, the sound is unuseable and unrealistic.
For digital cameras these days, being limited to a 2gb card doesn't make sense. The entry level cameras will take 8gb at this point. In talking with GoPro tech support, they are working on a patch to allow 4gb cards, but it seems like a major task for them. All in all, I am disappointed in the quality and performance of their newest product.

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Fujifilm FinePix XP10 12 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The Fujifilm Finepix XP10, newly available in April 2010, is a stylish little ultra-compact camera that invites you to have fun outdoors while taking pictures. It:
- is waterproof to 10 ft. under water, perfect for swimming pools, beach, snorkeling (note: do not use in hot water!)
- is shockproof up to 3 ft., great for jogging, cycling, or even letting your baby learn to take pictures
- is freezeproof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius)
- is dustproof
- is weatherproof except in very hot climates
- has 12.2 effective megapixels
- has 5x optical zoom and features a Fujinon lens for great clarity; lens focal length is 36-180mm in 35mm film camera terms
- takes 720p widescreen, VGA or QVGA video
- can zoom optically in video mode (but see note on audio recording below)
- is really small and weighs just a little over 5 oz. with battery and SDHC card
- uses SDHC memory card, no more xD that was championed by Fuji and Olympus
I bought a green XP10 because I love spending time in the water -- and the green body looks really nice (and works whether you are a guy or gal)! I find that, outdoors during the day, the XP10 takes pictures with excellent clarity and excellent color saturation and contrast. Using fill-in flash in daylight truly enhances the picture. Indoors, because the XP10 lacks Fuji's legendary SuperCCD technology, picture quality is average for a compact or super-compact camera. It does have two natural-scene modes where it boosts the ISO (light sensitivity of the image sensor) at the expense of increased noise. I bought my XP10 to be used outdoors, in the pool and at the beach, so I haven't taken many indoor pics.
Video shooting at 720p yields smooth, clear HD video clips. BTW, video size is limited only by the 2GB FAT32 file size limit -- this means even if you pop in a 16GB SDHC card, the longest video clip can only go up to 2GB in file size, due to the limit imposed by the FAT32 file system. Video is recorded as motion JPEG in an AVI container, so it can be played on many, many devices, at the expense of slightly larger file sizes than a more compact format like MPEG-2 or MPEG-4.
While you can zoom optically -- a feature that every digital camera should have -- audio recording's volume level is lowered during zooming. Instead, the camera picks up some noise from the lens mechanism and that noise overwhelms the ambient sounds you want to record, which can be annoying when played back on a large TV. My advise is to use zooming sparingly during video mode. If you want great video recording on a compact digital camera, you should get a Sony or Canon or Panasonic camera (be prepared to pay a lot more for the waterproof feature, though).
Battery life is on the short side, rated at 165 shots per charge with flash on 50% of the time. This is not surprising given the ultra-compact form factor. It's not an issue for me because I only use it at the pool (i.e., I have other cameras for other occasions); but if you plan to take it on a day trip to the beach, a spare battery is a probably a must, especially if you use the flash a lot or take a lot of HD video. BTW, regardless of the digital camera you buy, I think a spare battery is pretty much always a necessity. Fuji deserves kudos for including a very compact 100-240V wall charger.
Anyway, my sample video clip shows how the camera works under water. The video resolution was set to QVGA (320x240) for easy upload to Amazon, but you should be able to see the amazing clarity both in and out of water (allowing for artifacts introduced by Amazon's video compression).
In summary, the XP10 is a great waterproof, shockproof camera that every water enthusiast should bring along to record fun memories.

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Fujifilm FinePix XP10- 12MP, Fujinon 5x Periscopic Optical Zoom, 2.7" LCD, New uni-body chassis with a tactile grip finish, 4-Way Protection: Waterproof - 10ft (3M), Shockproof - 3ft (1M) and Freezeproof 14*F (-10*C).Other features include: Face Detection w/ Red Eye Removal, Digital Image Stabilization, High Sensitivity 1600 ISO, 6 Scene - SR Auto Automatic Scene Recognition, One-Touch HD Movie 720p w/ Sound, Thin Metal Body 21.7mm, Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery.

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GoPro Helmet HERO Wide Camera Review

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(More customer reviews)I was looking for a small, wide-angle video camera to take some footage of a new "ropes-type" adventure course in the Oak Trees high above the Central Florida Zoo. I wanted to create a video of the course so that whoever watched it would FEEL like they were doing the course themselves.
I looked around and it came down to two cameras, the GoPro or the Vholdr Contour. I chose the GoPro because of its: price, 170 degree lens, top mounted on helmet, and it's really waterproof. However, now that the ContourHD is out, I'd seriously consider getting it instead because of it's outstanding feature set.
Here are some pros and cons I have from using the GoPro 5MP.
Pros: Simple, rugged, aim through viewfinder, 170 degree lens (easy to aim!), several mounts included, mounts on top of helmet...not on side, takes AAA batteries (find them anywhere...and rechargeable NIMH's work great). With it's "take a picture every 2s" mode, it can serve as a cheap and portable security camera too.
Cons: No view screen to see replays (but competition doesn't either), only takes 2GB memory cards (1 hour video), Mode icons are too small, no display of elapsed/remaining time, only "medium" video quality.
The end result is the GoPro worked great as an entry level priced helmet camera...it did exactly what I expected and I wouldn't cry if I broke it during an "adventure".

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Olympus Stylus 720SW 7.1MP Ultra Slim Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I'd give this camera 3.5 stars for the money.
I arrived at the decision to buy this camera after a bit of circuitous route. Long ago I loved my old Nikon CP-990. Then I had a kid and for the first year or so it was ok. But after he started moving around on his own I found the camera to lacking in focus speed, frames per second and a few other tech specs. Not wanting to spend a fortune shooting him with my F3 Film camera so I got a D-70 and life was good, still is.
However as he gets older and more adventurous we find ourselves in places I dare not take the "nice" camera. The pool, the beach, the sandbox, muddy days, the creek etc. At the same time my wife wanted a pursable camera so that we could have something with us at all times without lugging around a rig.
So a pocket Point and shoot (PNS) seemed to be in the cards. I was all set to get the Pentax Optio WPi when Olympus announced the 720SW. It was good to 10 feet instead of 5 and was shockproof and had a form factor liked better than my wife (bigger LCD). So we held out and bought it. I've had a chance to play with it a couple of weeks and this is my impression.
Pros-
Small - Fits in the pocket/purse without issue.
Faster than yesterdays PNS for turn on, focus and lock time
Easy to use - Has the standard full auto mode and some "scene" modes that are easy enough to figure out. They tell you what they are for and give sample pictures.
Build Quality - I've never seen a point and shoot built like this. You could put this thing on the end of a chain and use it as a weapon and then take pictures of your vanquished foe afterward. Its tough. It has an all metal frame that surround it, the front plate is plastic, the back glass, metal and plastic. It feeds very solid. I haven't tested its robustness yet but its good.
Internally focusing lens - You know those cameras that stick a snoot out when you turn them on? I find that somewhat annoying but more importantly I've seen those die when you get dirt or sand in the snoot. I've lost a couple of film PNS that way and seen a few digitals go down as well. Everything here is internally focusing. Its sealed, nothing to stick out or break off. I let my 2 year old play with the camera, he didn't break it but seems to instinctivally grip it with a sticky finger on top of the lens.
Lenscap - The Pentax WPi does not have a lenscap! This one does. I once heard the salesman say "oh but it has a protective plastic cover in front of the lens so it doesn't need one" Ookkkay, so the lens doesn't get scratch, the cheap non replacable plastic in front of it does. Its still a scratch in front of your picture! The olympus has a more robust wiper type lenscap that can sweep stuff away instead of getting gummed up.
Waterproof - This trick more than anything else is why I got the camera. Take it to the pool, take it IN the pool and get cool pictures. Pay the beach no head, splashing at bathtime, no worries. My son gooped it up pretty good, just ran it under the faucet and dried it off with a soft towel. Don't try that with your normal camera.
High ISO - This camera can go to ISO 1600 which for its class is amazing. Higher ISOs make your sensor more sensitive but increase noise. ISO 800 and above starts looking very noisy and that's not uncommon in many digitals. Most small ones fall apart by ISO 400.
Big Screen, Fast Zoom - It has a very generous 2.5" LCD screen. When you take a picture and review it you can zoom in very quickly. Really great for taking a picture of a tourist map and taking it with you.
Cons-
Too small - Yes, too small. I'm not a big guy, my fingers fit ok but big guys might have some issues. Also the camera is so small and light its kind of hard to hold very steady. It doesn't have the weight to dampen your tremors and you really can get a good two handed grip on it, its always a finger hold.
The "Image stabilization" - It promises no more blurry pictures because of "image stabilization". Well its not really image stabilization. When you kick that feature in it does an ISO boost (makes the sensor more sensitive to light) which lets you reduce the shutter speed so you don't have camera shake as much. The drawback is that you get more noise and less quality in your picture than if it had real image stabilization.
Camera downloads kill the battery - If you plug your camera into the computer to download the pictures plan on charging the battery right after. It sucks it down big time. Get a card reader for $15 at any discount shop.
Stupid XD Card memory format - It uses the "XD" memory format which is neither as cheap or fast as Secure digital or Compact flash. It's the same size as an SD card but different shape. Had to go get a new card reader to deal with it. Dowloaded about 5x faster. Most people don't have those cards laying around so plan on forking out some extra $$$.
Can't zoom on video mode - When you start taking a movie you can't use the optical zoom, it can use the digital zoom be those are not too good.
Review screen isn't all that pretty- Big screen but not great resolution. You can zoom in real close but it lacks sharpness. This might let you think the image is not sharp but it is.
That sums up the pros and cons, but what about image quality? Does it take good pictures? Well I would say it takes ok pictures. I've seen better, I've seen worse. I've gotten somewhat used to Digital SLRs with good lenses so perhaps I'm not the best to judge. My wife thinks they are fine.
For family stapshots of the kids by the pool or at the beach it is fine. Don't expect your photos of opportunity on vacation to far away lands to make the cover of a magazine though. This camera is at its best when getting the shot becomes more of an issue than getting it perfect.
The best camera to use for any shot is the one you have with you. This little thing is a go anywhere do anything kind of camera. You can take it with you to the beach, the pool, on a 3 day hike through the mud and rain, across the desert and into the rainforest and not worry about it when you fall of your mountain bike doing it all..
If it gets dirty or goopy find a bucket of water or a hose and wash it off. If that's important then this is the way to go. If that doesn't really matter there are smaller and cheaper cameras that will serve you just as well.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus 720SW 7.1MP Ultra Slim Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

Less than 0.8thick, this versatile, compact digital camera is designed with the signature style and performance for which the Stylus line is renowned with the added benefits of shock-proof and waterproof technology - perfect for any situation, durable enough for shooting in any conditions. Features: Shock-proof to 5Waterproof to 10Bright capture technology Digital Image Stabilization mode 28 shooting modes Easy to see 2.5LCD screen One-touch PictBridge printing Olympus includes: Stylus 720 SW digital camera Li-42B Li-ion rechargeable battery and charger USB cable, audio/video cable Wrist strap QuickStart guide Basic manual (2) CD-ROM s (Olympus master software and advanced manual) Warranty card

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Olympus X-560WP - Digital camera - compact - 10.0 Mpix - optical zoom: 3 x - supported memory: xD, microSD - green Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this camera just for underwater use, I wasnt expecting much from it because of how cheap the price is but wow it did not disappoint! It takes wonderful, clear under water portraits and even videos. I also took some pictures outside of the water and I was impressed. It is such a nice camera to have and not have to worry about getting it wet. I highly recommend this camera for those who want a waterproof camera and do not want to spend much for it.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus X-560WP - Digital camera - compact - 10.0 Mpix - optical zoom: 3 x - supported memory: xD, microSD - green

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Olympus Stylus 550 WP 10MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD (Blue) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought this for an upcoming trip to take snorkeling, but first wanted to test it out. So I went to a pool party for a 4 year old, and gave the camera to my 6 year old neice and told her to do whatever she wanted with it. I posted 2 pics above for you to see. I figured it a good score just for still working after a 6 year old dropped it into the pool twice, and once even got a nice big scratch on the side, but still works great. The pics aren't perfect, a little washed out, but the only reason I bought this camera was to take it underwater, and the price. I'm sure if you spent more money for the canon it might take better pics, but these will do just fine for me. So if you are looking for a basic underwater camera that takes decent pics, more for photo albums than publishing, this camera is probably for you. The kids LOVED it, and if my 6 year old neice can work it underwater, everyone else should have no trouble.
The only Con I have is that the battery was almost completely drained after about an hour and a half underwater. Don't know if it uses up more power somehow underwater, but that is my only concern. Haven't tested it long enough to know if that is normal or not yet.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus 550 WP 10MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.5-Inch LCD (Blue)

Dive in with the camera that goes anywhere. The waterproof, sporty STYLUS-550WP is one camera you wont need to handle with care. Its built to survive whatever you can dish outthe pool, the game, or even the beach. If you are the type that is always on the go, this camera can keep up. Includes: STYLUS-550WP Digital Camera USB Cable, Audio/ Video Cable Manual Wrist Strap Lithium-Ion Battery (LI-42B) & Charger (LI-41C) OLYMPUS Master 2 Software CD-ROM Warranty Card MASD-1 (microSD Adapter)

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Vivitar ViviCam 8400 8.1 MP 2.4-Inch TFT LCD Screen Underwater Digital Camera Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Just got this camera, and so far find it to be a fantastic value. I was drawn to this camera by it's price and megapixel size (of up to 8.1). This price I got it for is very competitive with similar cameras of lower 3-6 megapixel ranges (I snagged it for about ninety dollars).
But please do keep an eye on the prices because I've seen the price on this change very frequently (in a matter of minutes) and vary about $15, since I started writing this review.
Why else did I get it? I'm going on a trip to the Bahamas in August and don't want to take 35mm underwater disposable cameras with me. Airport X-ray machines can ruin the film if it's in your carry on (since most of those cameras use ISO 800 film) and that's the only luggage I plan on bringing. So I wanted to take a digital camera since I'll be snorkeling while I'm down there, as well as have it not get ruined if it fell off a kayak or it started to rain. I'm too terrified to try one of those underwater pouches for my primary camera (a Samsung S700) due to lack of reviews on the pouch-type it would require and fear that if it got ruined I'd be out my favorite camera so I've opted for this camera and so far I am SO glad I did! Vivitar seems to have fit a lot of nice features into this point & shoot camera.
But if you're looking for a professional camera, let me stop you right now and tell you to look elsewhere as this probably won't be anywhere near your expectations. This is by no means considered a professional camera. However, if you're looking for a better option than a 35mm underwater disposable... then it CERTAINLY provides better results than a 35mm film underwater point and shoot camera. I say this with experience from using those 35mm film underwater disaster cameras but from also working in a photo lab where I've seen the vast majority of what those cameras produce at water parks and the Caribbean... and the Vivitar Vivicam 8400 camera is by far so much better.
I tested it in my friends pool yesterday and it had no leaks around the gasket/closing mechanism and the pictures were surprisingly clear! I will add some sample photos to the product gallery as soon as I get some I'm willing to share with the public at-large. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 and that's because I'm nitpicking.
Pro's:
- Water resistant up to 30 feet!
- Supports an external SD memory card in up to 8GBs in size! This was great for me as I already have plenty of this type of card from my other camera. And this type card is generally inexpensive compared to other size cards. Just to give you an idea of storage capacity I put a 4gb SD card in the camera and it said I could store 1596 pictures at the highest 8.1mp setting OR 1 hour 37 minutes and 15 seconds of video! Obviously, you can do a combination of each if you switch between the modes.
- Uses AA size batteries. I've been using energizer rechargeables in this and got a decent amount of life from them from STEADY non-stop use. My suggestion would be to use the photo lithium or the rechargeables as I'm sure that just like all other digital cameras on the market, that they would probably suck the life out of the cheaper basic alkalines.
- Reasonably large LCD screen on the camera at 2.4 inches.
- Can record photos AND video.
- Comes with an adjustable wrist strap so it's easy to secure to your wrist--however, should it come off your wrist the bright yellow color of this camera makes it easy to spot to retrieve unlike the blue model.
- Sinks somewhat, so you won't have to deal with too much resistance to keep it staying underwater.
- Has the screw hole on the camera's base for mounting to a tripod.
- When powering off the camera it clearly displays "Bye-Bye" on the LCD screen.
- Easy 1 touch "Mode" button to switch between capturing still photos or video.
- Lightning bolt button easily lets you change from auto-flash, flash (for all photos), or no-flash.
- Can take photos with Super Fine, Fine, or Normal settings.
- Although the camera is 8.1MP, you have the choice of shooting photos in the following resolutions (8M, 5M, 3M, 2M, 0.3M)-This can be great if you're limited on how much space is on your memory card.
- You can adjust the white balance in Still Photo mode OR in Video mode. It defaults to "AWB" (auto white balance) but if you know how you're lighting will affect your photos you can change it between Auto, Day Light, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Cloudy.
- There are 3 Color Effect options to shoot photos in: Color, Sepia and Monochrome.
- There's the option of changing the exposure setting from (-2.0 to +2.0): -2.0, -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, Auto, +0.5, +1.0, +1.5, +2.0
- It offers a Self Timer of either 10 seconds or 20 seconds.
- Date stamp is optional.
- A "Burst Snapshot" feature allows you to set up the camera to take 3 continuous images as you move the camera.
- Video's are recorded in *.AVI format which are compatible with most Windows type movie-maker programs (ex: Windows Movie Maker, Corel VideoStudio, and many others)
- You can change the resolution of the video recording from 640x480 or 320x240. AND change how many frames per second it records (15fps or 30fps)
- You can "lock" the pictures you've taken to prevent them from being accidentally deleted.
- A Rotate option allows you to rotate photos taken at a 5M resolution or lower, on the camera.
- English not your primary language? No problem. There are 7 language options to choose from on the submenu: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.
- You can set the light frequency from 50Hz to 60Hz.
- The beep/buzzer sound on the camera isn't annoying loud, but you can disable it if you'd like.
- Comes with a USB/TV-out cable so that you can play back your photos on the TV or even take photos or video's while hooked up to the TV! Just use the USB cable provided, plug the small end into the camera and then the yellow jack to your yellow jack on your TV, and then turn on the camera! (I've never had this feature before and I think this is awesome!)
Con's (and most of these are me nit-picking):
- There is a very apparent shutter-lag. The image you THINK you took will freeze on the screen after hitting the shutter for a couple seconds but in actuality it captures your picture about 1-2 seconds later and the actual captured image will flash on the screen for about a 1/2 second.
- It does not capture photos well at night or in dark areas.
- The locking/closing mechanism on the camera for the area where the SD card and battery compartment is feels a little cheap to me. I think a better material could have been used than plastic clamp/lock. So I would advise closing and opening it with care. You have to push a small black arrow right first to release the long plastic lever, pull that lever all the way down, and then the hinge will release to open the compartment for the batteries, SD card slot, and USB connection.
- Buttons on the camera seem a little stiff to press down on, this is probably due to the type of engineering required for this type of cameras purpose.
- The Vivitar 8400 is a little larger and heavier than my Samsung S700.
- There's no lens cap to protect it when not in use.
- No separate "delete" button function. If you want to delete a picture on the camera during playback mode you have to hit the "OK/Menu" button and navigate to the delete option.
- After taking a picture, there is very little delay and it disappears very shortly off the LCD screen so there's no time to check it. You have to use the playback mode.
- No sound on Video recordings which I think is a bummer given that the lower grade model-though priced higher (seen here: Vivitar VIVICAM-6200W 6.0 MegaPixel Underwater Camera with 4x Digital Zoom 2.0" LCD) had the sound in its video recording option.
- No regular viewfinder like on standard cameras so that you don't use up battery power with the live-view LCD screen. And the screen can be somewhat difficult to see underwater.
- When switching from auto-flash, flash (for all photos), or no-flash mode using the lightning bolt sometimes it "hangs up" and gets caught switching and the screen will go blank and a blue light beside the screen will flash.
- The Rotate option does not allows you to rotate photos taken at the highest 8M resolution, on the camera.
- The 61 page user manual is on the CD that comes with the PhoTags software. I realize this is a greener alternative but I would've liked to have had it already pre-printed.
- The Photags Express software is not compatible on Macintosh computers.
- Does not come with batteries.***UPDATED*** 09/07/2009
I just wanted to update you all on my experience with this camera in the Bahamas... and quite frankly, I think it worked out great during all 6 days of snorkeling and swimming! And would still give it 4 stars! NO LEAKS--Even after opening it every night to access the hub in the camera so I could play the pictures and video back on the TV using the video cable that comes with the camera and re-closing it! I used Energizer Lithium AA batteries in it and did not have to change them at all the whole trip. I've added a few pictures from when I went snorkeling to the customer gallery... and one of the great reasons why I still think this was better than a 35mm underwater disposable... I took some great video as well! (I'll add a compilation of video clips I shot to through a "video review" as soon as I figure out how to). However I did want to make some tips/notes for potential buyers or current users...TIPS & NOTES:...Read more›

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