Water proof camera for canoe trip?

[momo3boys]

My husband wants to get a waterproof P&S for a canoe trip in the summer and I was wondering if anyone on here had any good ideas. The reviews for the waterproof cameras are very inconsistent so I was hoping to get some more ideas.

 

[Canuk]

I had an Olympus Stylist Tough for a few years. The build quality was great and was tough as nails. I took it on my motorcycle trips, ski trip and several snorkelling trips. I never worried about hurting or breaking the camera. Unfortunately it got stolen out of my truck, so I no longer have it.

I think all of the camera manufactures have a waterproof sports model, but Olympus has been at it the longest I think. They are a point and shoot camera though, and to get the waterproofing you loose out on a few features. The zoom being one, because the don't have a long zoom lenses like other point and shoots.

I wont be buying another one though, just for the fact I am more into scuba diving now, so I bought a G12 and an Ikelite housing and strobes.

Hope that helps.

 

[Joey_Ricard]

Do you want one just in case it happens to get wet? or are you talking about a camera to swim with and take underwater?

If you are talking about the "just in case factor" read on:

I kayak with my High $$$ cameras all the time and keep my gear in a water bag and keep in the bow. Yes, they have been tested by accident on a couple of occasions and never a drop of water gets in the bag. You can pick up various size bags at any walmart in the camping section.

If you flip a canoe and everything goes in different directions, you may not find the little camera even if it were water proof, but a Yellow bag is pretty easy to spot and grab.

In other words, spend $20 on a water bag and not (unknown $$) on a specific camera if "just in case" was your intention.

 

[pgriz]

I kayak and canoe, and the way I practice those, they are wet sports. Among my kayaking buddies, a lot of different camera bodies are in use, ranging from olympus, panasonic, and Gohero. These cameras get knocked about, get submerged, get beaten up. When it was my time to get one, I did the comparisions, and ended up with a Canon D10, about two years ago. It's been on my kayak during surfing exercises, rolling exercises (both in rivers/lakes and the pools), during x-country ski trips, and even during snorkling and shallow diving. Never had a leak, never stopped working. A bit bulky to accomodate the lens, but very forgiving as far as handling water, rough treatment and cold. It's not as good as my DSLR for pure picture quality, but given the environment I use it in, I'd never take a DSLR where I take this camera. There may be newer models, but I'm very happy with the one I got.

 

[ClickAddict]

I use a Pelican case for on the kayak. Pull it out while on calm sections of the river, tied to kayak so if I flip it's not getting far. Found it does bounce around a bit (Not on lakes but on rougher river runs) so am looking at rigging a rack on the kayak to latch it in place, but otherwise it works fine.