Bushwalk Australia

Hi photogeeks(I know you are out there),

I'm after opinions on this camera
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0901/09010 ... .asp#press
I finally killed my old Olympus happysnapper(fell in one to many creeks ), was really happy with it and like the look of these new cameras.

I am comparing it with this one
http://www.dphotojournal.com/panasonic- ... er-manual/
which seems to have better online reviews in regard to picture quality

Any comments from those who know their stuff, much appreciated.
Cheers, sbs

I have a previous model (9 megapixel) for work - pretty tough but the battery life is poor. I purchased a second battery to get through a days work (200+ images). No viewfinder if thats a hassle for you. I have even take a few images underwater (jetty piles etc) so its definitely waterproof! XD cards are bit more expensive than SD.

I am not taking high class images - just PWS assets so I cant comment on its real photographic abilities as its used as a point and shoot most of the time.

Tanks tastrax,
have found this post viewtopic.php?f=23&t=791 which is quite helpful,
I think Tau-rana has bought one so will quiz her when she gets back from her walk up NE Ridge.
Cheers

IMHO Olympus can produce cameras with great freatures but poor image quality. I'd go for the water resistant Canon, Pentax or Panasonic if I were you. The Canon would be my choice, but for the relatively narrow wide-angle, which is what you want for outdoors photography (35mm). The Panasonic has a 28mm wide angle, which is better. The Pentax W60 and W80 both have a good focal length range, but have a very sorry 175-200 shots per set of batteries, which would completely rule them out for me. The Canon D10 also has a range of 220 shots form a single set of batteries, making the 300+ you get from the Panasonic look really good. Finally, the Canon is waterproof to 10m, the others 3m, which is a major difference.

SO, in summation:

Canon D10
Pros: most waterproof/toughest, highest image quality (shared with Panasonic)
Cons: not wide-angle (35mm), comparatively few shots for batteries, chunky.

Panasonic TS1
Pros: most shots from batteries, best focal length, compact
Cons: less sturdily built

Pentax:
Pros: good focal length range
Cons: not enough battery life, crappy flash and not as sturdy as the D10.

For me, if I was a snorkler or a kayaker, the D10 would be a no-brainer, otherwise I'd go for the Panasonic.

Have a look at this too:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q209waterproofgroup

Good one Drifting,
I may bail on the Olympus - bugger brand loyalty, seems to be quite a few reviews saying that it's a great little camera for everything BUT taking good photographs
Will focus on the Canon or the Panasonic, although the Panasonic has slightly better video features.
I will be buying next week sometime.
Cheers, sbs

post some good samples when you make your choice!

Drifting wrote:post some good samples when you make your choice!

Will do.
I'm going into Rhona, I think it's hard to make that place look bad

Man do I want to get out there.

I just had a look at photos from each camera on http://www.pbase.com . I prefer the panasonic, personally. That's a great site for comparing cameras, as long as you remember that all the photos are from different people.

The salesman in Stallards thought that the Panasonic was the pick of the 3 - Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax. With what I read, comments here and what he said, I was fairly happy with the Panasonic. I think the thing that really sold it for me was the better wide angle on the Panasonic. The salesman also said that the lens is better on the Panasonic.

I'm also tossing up between the Canon and the Panasonic. By all reports it souds like it's a 50/50 split. If you're going to use the camera mainly underwater then get the Canon. Alternatively, if you're going to use the camera on dry land more often then get the Panasonic (which I think is the path I'll take). One of the big downsides of the Canon is the form factor as it doesn't appear to be able to fit in a pocket.

Yeah, the only reason I want a waterproof camera is to protect it against clumsiness and the rain/sweat factor.
I'm going to check them out next week and will probably get the one that is smaller/lighter - the Olympus looks the best IMHO, pity it's not as good as the others.

Just found this thread - after the purchase of an Panasonic FT1. If you like to shoot video also, the Panasonic is the pick of the lot with excellent HD features and a neat LED light built in. Quality is on par with my semi-pro 3 chip, without the hassle of taking two cams, and really suits my needs perfectly. I used to shoot pro video a few years ago, so this is a nice return to video and photo in an easy package. If you had any questions to help you make a decision either way, go for it.

Just bought my Panasonic , it was the video features and streamlined body that got me.
Will play today and take to Rhona next week for a good test. LOVE new toys.

Very happy with the Panasonic, see some pics here viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3403

Must add, the video options are pretty fantastic for such a small camera, but best results are achieved with a tripod, there is a little artifacting leading to 'digital blurring' when handheld.
Will eventually put together a videoblog of this trip so all can see.

stepbystep wrote:... there is a little artifacting leading to 'digital blurring' when handheld.

A little what?

Taurë-rana wrote:

stepbystep wrote:... there is a little artifacting leading to 'digital blurring' when handheld.

A little what?

Sorry R, a bit of f*#@%d up stuff as compared with professional video recording equipment.

when you pan too quickly when taking video, the picture looses clarity. A common issue.