Rugged, Waterproof, & Weatherproof Cameras

[WasatchWill]

Hi all. I just read through a couple other similar threads looking for camera advice but wanted to start one off focusing specifically around the "rugged" and "weatherproof" cameras that many manufacturers appear to be putting more technology and resources into now.

I've planned out a good number of adventures this year with quite a bit of backpacking, including a solo 60+ mile hike from Provo to Park City (er, Summit Park where my in-laws currently reside), and will be in the market for a good, versatile point-and-shoot to document it and other trips. While using my phone for photos and video is obviously the most convenient and would be the lightest option, it is currently an HTC One with only a 4MP camera. While it does well for close ups, it doesn't take very sharp and high quality landscape shots. Even if it had a better camera, I'd like to preserve its battery for checking in with my family and any ICE (in case of emergency) situation. In time, I'd love to get into the DSLR world and be able to shoot night sky photos, etc, for trips where that would be appropriate, but for this trip in particular, such a set up would be too much weight and time. For now, I want something compact (fits in a pocket), durable, can shoot on the go, holds a decent battery charge, and won't add much more weight, especially when considering that I'll likely be pushing for about 20 miles my first day of the Provo to PC hike. I'd also like it to be something that shoots relatively clear and sharp outdoor, landscape, macro, people, and panorama shots and of course some relatively clean and smooth video to supplement the photos with that will look great in trip reports, blog, social media, and in prints up to at least 8x10 or even 14x10.

I've also considered other trips where there will would be stream crossings, fishing, hanging out around lakes, water in slots down South, snowshoeing (which I'd like to get more into next winter), and of course having my kids around for some of these activities where they love to play with such gadgets. All of these provide potential situations where extra time, care, and sometimes extra accessories have to be taken to keep any other camera operational. With that all said, it's making a lot of sense to me to start seriously considering one of these rugged, waterproof, shockproof, coldproof, crushproof, and all around weatherproof, otherwise read lifeproof, cameras out in the market now. The only protection they seem to be missing is fireproof. I'm sure someone is working on rolling that out in the future.

I know that in years past, there was a huge compromise in image quality and zoom capabilities compared to some other traditional point-and-shoots in their price ranges, and while that still may be the case to some degree, some of the newer models I've been researching the last few days seem to be getting nearer and nearer to equaling the quality of other higher-end compact point-and-shoots in the same price ranges. I had been leaning on a Nikon Coolpix AW-110, but after reading the number of complaints people had about it not maintaining it's waterproofness for very long while out snorkeling and diving among some other negatives, I started to lean more toward the pricier Olympus TG-2. Having an f2.0 lens, superfast focus, a bit more manual control, and super/micro macro ability are the big pluses it offers. However, its video I've seen out there doesn't look as smooth, has a hard time maintaining focus, and produces some nasty mechanical noise that is always picked up by its mic every time the lens zooms in, out, or refocuses and the panoramas I've seen from it aren't very clean.

Now, after reading this article, I'm leaning towards the Panasonic Lumix TS5 for it's overall versatility, alleged better everyday image quality in auto modes, and better video. Having the option to geotag photos and track a route with GPS, read elevation with an altimeter, track air pressure with barometer, and having wifi connectivity & control are all big-time bonus features. The biggest risk for it appears to be that Panasonic is terrible for customer/warranty service. Oddly, this review touts the Olympus to be the best choice and yet this review touts the Nikon to be the best all-around deal with the sharpest image quality among these three.

So...with all that said, does anyone have any good or bad experiences with any of these new and improved "rugged" models mentioned above? Any trip reports or other links containing good sample shots and/or video where they or other similar models have been used, especially out in wilderness settings? Any other recommendations? It'll probably be a couple of months before I would purchase and don't really want to spend more than about $300.

 

[gnwatts]

I have no personal experience with these specific cameras. I have had however several Panasonic digital cameras, and have found customer service to be fast and efficient. My DMC-L1 has a beautiful Leica kit lens, that had a notorious problem with the zoom function, Panasonic replaced the lens twice at no cost, the second time out of warranty. Maybe things have changed over the last couple of years though.
This TS5 has a Leica lens, no better glass on the planet IMO.

 

[Jammer]

Funny -- I was just about to post a review of my purchase from last year of the Pentax WG-2. BTW -- Target has this model on sale quite often for almost 1/2 the Amazon price.

I've had my share of battery issues and technical failures over the years, so I like to have two cameras on my long hikes. I usually take a "good camera" and a "pocket camera". I primarily use my main camera for video and important shots, and use the pocket camera for documenting various reference points or to capture those spontaneous moments.

My pocket camera has usually been a relatively cheap point and shoot -- and it seems I usually kill it every other year! This was my main motivation to buy a rugged camera w/o the extending lense. I also thought doing some "in water" shots could be really cool.

Overall I have mixed feeling on the WG-2. One of the features I looked forward to the most was the interval recording. I got a chest harness to record every 10 seconds for my Boulder to Moab Hike. Unfortunately it didn't work out. It wasn't totally the fault of the camera, but the majority of the shots weren't that great due to the angle and necessary auto settings. Higher intervals killed the battery and more sparse shots were too disjointed when strung together.

My other complaint was that the camera was just a bit too bulky to be a great pocket camera. It felt big and didn't go in/out with ease.

But... the quality of pics and video was actually pretty good.

If you look at my hike report thread, all the pictures from Millard Canyon Overlook to the end were shot with this camera. All the video after about 2:45 in the video was also with the Pentax.

Truth is... if it was the only camera I had on a hike I would probably like it -- but as a back-up pocket camera it didn't really fit my need.

- Jamal

 

[Mike K]

I have the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4. It's been a solid camera. I don't use the geo-tagging features or the altimeter. And mine doesn't have the wireless feature. Also, according to dpreview, the TS4 has a CCD sensor vs. a CMOS in the TS5 (I'm honestly not sure if that would equate to different picture quality). The time lapse feature of the TS4 sounded cool at first but is very limited. I think the minimum interval is one minute. Weak. I've taken it on many river, mountaineering, and fishing trips and it's held up just fine. Picture quality is solid as far as I'm concerned. I don't have any major gripes about this camera. It gets the job done for me when I need the waterproofness. I have a bunch of flickr sets that have sample pics/vids (99% of the pictures/sets from May 2012 to present are using the TS4). Just keep in mind I'm not the best photographer! =)

 

[Nick]

I don't know much about these rugged/waterproof cameras, but a CMOS sensor should provide better quality than a CCD.

 

[IntrepidXJ]

I've wanted a rugged/waterproof camera for a long time, but none of them come with one feature that I require (unless something new has come out recently that I missed)....which is the capability of shooting RAW. I ended up picking up a Canon S110 and getting a waterproof housing for it...unfortunately, this prevents it from being pocketable....

 

[steve]

I've planned out a good number of adventures this year with quite a bit of backpacking, including a solo 60+ mile hike from Provo to Park City (er, Summit Park where my in-laws currently reside)

That sounds like an awesome hike.

 

[WasatchWill]

@Jammer Those photos are not too bad. That looks like an insane trip from Boulder to Moab. 18 days? Wow! Didn't think it would take nearly that long for such a trek but then again, that is some crazy rough terrain down there so it makes sense.

@gnwatts From what I've read in reviews, Panasonic is good about servicing other typical defects within warranty, but when it comes to any leaks that occur with these "waterproof" models, many people are reporting that they are rejecting service claims on those and blaming it all on misuse and abuse. Who knows, maybe that it true in most cases, but as a precaution, I don't think I'd want to intentionally fully submerge it in any bodies of water. Luckily, the leak problems reported with the Panasonic don't seem to be nearly as common and widespread as is the case with the Nikon AW110.

@Mike K That TS4 appears to put out some terrific shots for that kind of camera. That was just the kind of stuff I was looking for and it looks like that model handles the outdoors stuff real well in most situations. Thanks for sharing your flickr stream. Love that miniature effect filter it comes with among others. This Panasonic line also appears to produce the highest quality Panoramas among the rugged models so that is nice. And as @Nick said, the jump from CCD to CMOS should add a touch more to the quality. However, jumping up from 12 to 16MP on such a small camera sensor might negate that benefit in some instances due to JPEG compression and noise reduction, but I've also read that setting these newer 16MP rugged cameras back down to 12MP can produce somewhat better images with less NR. I would hope that would prove to be the case with the TS5 or whatever I decided on if it becomes necessary.

@sixstringsteve Shooting for June with that hike. I'm excited. I have trips to Goblin Valley/San Rafael and Capitol Reef/Burr Trail area before then, but June still can't get here soon enough.

 

[Mike K]

I'm with you, I probably wouldn't intentionally dunk it (even though it should be able to handle it). I also like the miniature effect. The pano mode is useful, too. Glad my pictures were able to give you a sample. Good luck on your decision. It's always fun to get new gear!

 

[WasatchWill]

disregard...this was originally a duplicate to what's posted below.

 

[WasatchWill]

So after more research, reviews, comparisons, and lots of pondering, I'm starting to vacate my desire for one of these "rugged" cameras. While the extra ruggedness they all offer would add some nice security, at the end of the day, I really want great image quality, and if I can get better quality out of some non-rugged models at the same prices, I think I'm willing to compromise on the rugged features. It still has to be fairly compact and lightweight so as to easily slip in a pocket or at least be able to comfortably go in a case clipped on my hip belt or shoulder strap without being clunky. So...now I'm taking a hard look at the Canon Elph 330 and Panasonic LX7.

Canon Pros:

• Cheaper ( $120, closeout)
• Lighter weight (5 ounces & change)
• Fits comfortably in a shirt pocket
• Greater optical zoom (20x)

Canon Cons:

• No Panorama mode (Does have stitch assist function though)
  

Panasonic Pros:

• Shoots RAW + JPEG
• Excellent Low Light
• Time Lapse Mode
• Full manual controls (Aperture, Focus, Exposure length, etc)
• ND filter
• Sweep Panorama mode
• HDR
• 1 cm Macro
• Additional lens options
• Hot shoe for optional accessories (viewfinder, lamp, etc)
• and more...

Panasonic Cons:

• More Expensive ($300)
• Heavier (10 ounces and change)
• A bit bulkier (about the size of a large smart phone but almost 2 inches thick)
• Smaller Optical Zoom (3.8x)

Both have excellent and above average reviews across the board. While the price, size, and weight are all tempting enough to choose the Canon, the Panasonic is incredible with all the options and features it offers for what is still a relatively compact and lightweight camera of its class. The Panasonic offers much more creative options, such as activating the ND filter and being able to capture motion blur on a stream or waterfall, and so on. It also looks like it'd be a great camera to get some good experience and preparation on (manual controls, RAW image processing, etc) before making a jump up into the DSLR world and for those reasons, I'm leaning a bit more toward the Panasonic for the moment. I've noticed some Canon S series cameras being popular among some other forum members here, but for about the same price and a few more ounces, it appears that the Panasonic offers much more creative freedom.

If anyone has any experience with these models as well, I'd love to hear your opinions and see samples.

 

[Nick]

Sounds like you've done a lot of research! I am of the same mindset that rugged would be nice, but quality is more important.

I think perhaps you aren't comparing apples to apples though. If you really want to weigh comparable cameras from the two brands, you should be comparing the Canon S series or the G series to that Panasonic.

EDIT: Somehow missed that you aren't interested in the S. In that case, I'll just say that I like the Canon OS better than Panasonic.

 

[steve]

x2 on the apples to oranges comparison. I'd go with an s110 over an Elph 330. The S-series also has full manual controls, the ability to shoot raw+jpeg, it's tiny, and IQ is great. Here's a report from Miss Buffalo where she used her s110 for everything except the first 4 pics.

I think it all comes down to size vs features. The s-series is a point and shoot. The Panasonic doesn't seem as pocketable, but it seems to bridge the gap better between a DSLR and a point and shoot. I've heard great things about the Panasonics.

 

[Riggs]

I've got a Nikon DSLR, D90, and love the quality and control of it, but have never carried it backpacking because of the volume, weight and abuse it'd take. We have an earlier edition of the waterproof Panasonic you originally listed, our is DMC-TS2. We've taken video snorkeling in salt water, have jumped from several feet into water with it. Only once can I remember moisture getting in, and that dried quickly with leaving it open. I love the ruggedness and small size. Pics are good enough for me, but of course not to the level of better cameras.

 

[WasatchWill]

Thanks guys. I wasn't trying to compare an apple to an apple as much as I was really trying to weigh the benefits of lighter weight, pocket packability, and cheaper cost against a more expensive and heavier option albeit with many more options and manual controls. I've looked more into the S110 and while I'll give it more consideration, it has also lead me to the Panasonic LF1 which I must now throw into the mix for serious consideration. This offers nearly all that the LX7 offers minus the ND filter, hot shoe, and slightly wider aperture, but is much more compact and as a result, is much more comparable to the Canon S110. Ah...decisions, decisions.

 

[vvdowa]

Thanks