Waterproof Digital Camera

[Livefree]

Can anyone recommend a waterproof (and sand proof) camera? My daughter is asking for one..she had a Canon Powershot which worked great..until she took it to the beach and that was the end of it.

 

[NW-Bound]

Both Olympus and Pentax have waterproof cameras that you can take diving down to 10 or 30ft, I don't recall. They are a bit pricier, but really rugged. Some can take a drop down to concrete floor from a height of a few feet. I have been tempted but have not bought one. For that ruggedness, something got to give. Like the zoom lens must be enclosed, so the zoom range is limited, and they weight more, etc...

 

[Livefree]

waterprof Camera

yes I knew Olympus had one not sure how good it was. here is a link

Olympus Stylus Tough 6020 14 MP Digital Camera (Green)

 

[GoodSense]

Canon also has one but it's pricier than some other brands. I am a Canon fan so I always go with them.

 

[Nords]

yes I knew Olympus had one not sure how good it was. here is a link

Our kid water-tested our two-year-old Olympus Stylus 1030SW down to 20 feet... and it failed.

It's easy to spend $300-$400 on a user-friendly waterproof camera, so I'm intrigued by TargaDave's GoPro:
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/recent-photo-50002-4.html#post993293

Ignore the surfboard mount and consider it just as a camera to carry around in a pocket or a fanny pack.

Or you could buy just about any digital camera and put it into a waterproof housing.

 

[yakers]

How important is the sand proof? Much harder to do than waterproof. Saw thousands of dollars worth of camera equipment ruined in desert sand storms. Minimizing exposure is the best approach here.

 

[TargaDave]

Had both an Pentax and Canon Powershot waterproof P&S. Both great for the intended use, including getting beat around in the sand and salt air, though I favor the Canon a bit more. I tend to loose them to the briney deep before anything goes wrong with them The video function works nicely on both cameras as well considering the basic functionality. I used the Canon in some of that vid I posted

Only thing about the Gopro is that it's very wide angle (>170 deg) so it's not great for any distance work. Not really intended to operate like a traditional camera, more of a set it, play, and turn off when done. Good luck!