Please recommend good value in a ruggedized point-and-shoot camera
July 4, 2011 7:56 PM Subscribe
Recommendations please! What is the current sweet spot, value-wise, for a "ruggedized" point-and-shoot camera?
I need to buy a camera for the long-term use of someone who is hell on things.
Criteria:
* Small and portable
* Rugged/water-resistant
* Simple to use. This person has zero interest in fiddling with settings (but then again, I think pretty much every camera has a "simple mode," don't they?).
* Video would be good (although, again, doesn't pretty much every camera do video these days?)
I want to get this person something they can use for a long time, but don't want to get more camera than they need. What are the best options right now?
I need to buy a camera for the long-term use of someone who is hell on things.
Criteria:
* Small and portable
* Rugged/water-resistant
* Simple to use. This person has zero interest in fiddling with settings (but then again, I think pretty much every camera has a "simple mode," don't they?).
* Video would be good (although, again, doesn't pretty much every camera do video these days?)
I want to get this person something they can use for a long time, but don't want to get more camera than they need. What are the best options right now?
I have the Olympus stylus 1030sw, and it lasted a few years attached to my lifejacket while whitewater kayaking every weekend. It was routinely subjected to full immersion, freezing temps, and probably even highish water pressures. I also dropped it many many times, and the only damage was cosmetic.
It still takes pictures, but one of the screws came off the cover, and I haven't been able to find a replacement, so it's not currently waterproof. If you buy the thin platic case for it, it should hold up even better.
(I haven't looked into cameras in the last 2 years, and I assume that there are other manufacturers that can match Olympus's specs now)
posted by Metasyntactic at 9:24 AM on July 5, 2011
It still takes pictures, but one of the screws came off the cover, and I haven't been able to find a replacement, so it's not currently waterproof. If you buy the thin platic case for it, it should hold up even better.
(I haven't looked into cameras in the last 2 years, and I assume that there are other manufacturers that can match Olympus's specs now)
posted by Metasyntactic at 9:24 AM on July 5, 2011
Response by poster: Akeem - Thank you very much!
You too, metasyntactic.
Anyone else?
- aj
posted by Alaska Jack at 6:12 PM on July 5, 2011
You too, metasyntactic.
Anyone else?
- aj
posted by Alaska Jack at 6:12 PM on July 5, 2011
Response by poster: Well, I was hoping for more input, but I went ahead and settled on the Panasonic DMC-TS10.
If anyone else is reading this, dpreview made mention of doing a big roundup of rugged point-and-shoots later in the summer, but I couldn't wait until then.
- aj
posted by Alaska Jack at 1:14 PM on July 6, 2011
If anyone else is reading this, dpreview made mention of doing a big roundup of rugged point-and-shoots later in the summer, but I couldn't wait until then.
- aj
posted by Alaska Jack at 1:14 PM on July 6, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I translated "current" and long-term use into wideangle and image stabilisation; this is 2011 after all and cameras without IS and starting at 35mm feel dated. Now find a couple of reviews for this selection.
posted by Akeem at 12:36 AM on July 5, 2011