Recommendations for a good, but cheap, digital camera

[yakscientist]

For those of you that are fishing J-bay, or taking pictures of fish out on the water regardless, what sort of digital camera do you use? I usually use my cell phone, but it doesn't usually take good enough pictures, and probably takes them too slowly for that matter, so I'm looking for a cheap waterproof digital camera. It doesn't need to be good beyond 10 feet or so, just rated for accidental immersion, and I'm trying to get one for under $70. I've seen a few on ebay and amazon, just wondering what you all have had experience with. Also, I'm not looking to make the jump to a go pro or another "action" type camera, just want the digital point-and-shoot for now. Thanks!

[mchottie]

Not sure on price, but a few years ago Olympus had some nice pocket sized water resistant point-n-shoots.

http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/digi....html?limit=24

^ New prices are a bit steep w/ 16MP chip, but some searching around online should prove 12MP older models with more reasonable used-market prices.

* Caveat - They take xD (NOT sD) cards, so factor in buying one of those also. If you already have a stack of SD cards to use, steer clear of Olympus.

[J.A. Veil]

Cheap and good do not always describe the same product. In 2003, I purchased one of the earliest water resistant (not waterproof) digital cameras available on the consumer market. It is a Pentax Optio 33WR. It has a 2.8 zoom and 3.2 megapixels. It was not cheap at that time, but it takes good pictures and I have no worries about getting it wet. By the way, I am still using it today (nearly all the photos I post on Snaggedline are taken with that 14-year-old camera). In 2011, I took it fully underwater down to 20 ft depth on the Great Barrier Reef. Even if it had fried the electronics then, I would have felt that I had gotten my money's worth. But the darn thing keeps ticking along.

The point behind the story is that buying cheap is not always the best bargain in the long run. You may find something that meets your needs for under $70 as you suggested, but chances are that camera will not serve your needs for the long haul.

P.S. Here is a photo I took this morning using the old Pentax. It is a large pufferfish that inflated after I hooked it on a 3" Fat Sam mullet paddletail. The image quality is sufficient for my fishing chat board needs.


002.jpg

[nhunter344]

* Caveat - They take xD (NOT sD) cards, so factor in buying one of those also. If you already have a stack of SD cards to use, steer clear of Olympus.

My n=1 is that I couldn't get my old xD Olympus' to last. Maybe a year or so before seals started failing. When the seals weren't failing, the xD cards kept getting corrupt. Their newer waterproof lines seems to be a bit better.

Check out Costco. They usually have a few to choose from. Maybe not in the $70 range though. You could also forget about the waterproof/resistant part and look for a point and shoot and one of those waterproof pockets. Like these.

[Mark]

I use a Lumix DMC-TS25 waterproof camera for my on-the-water shots.

I believe it retailed for under $150.

I happen to be in FL at the moment and took these with my Lumix yesterday and today:

P1020641.jpg P1020644.jpg P1020659.jpg P1020664.jpg P1020675.jpg

I've been very pleased with the photos it takes.

P.S. It's smaller than a cell phone and fits nicely into a pocket on my PFD.

[Mainline 9]

I'm still using those first or second generation digital cameras in the 2-3 mega pixel range that my kids outgrew. No, they're not waterproof but with a little care, they last a year or two before catching a wave and turning to toast. For what it's worth, eBay had 109 of these for sale earlier today for $20 or less.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[suicyderider]

https://www.amazon.com/Ivation-Under...l+camera&psc=1

[Slobber Bob]

I use a Lumix DMC-TS25 waterproof camera for my on-the-water shots.

I used to have one of them for many years and liked it too. Unfortunately I maxed out it's shock proof drop height and no longer have it If I ever get around to buy a new camera, I'd look at one again.

[AintMisBehavin]

I take pictures with the go pro Sessions 5. Not inexpensive, but serves dual functions. In spite of how it looks, I am trying to carry fewer items these days!

[silasvirus82]

Not sure on price, but a few years ago Olympus had some nice pocket sized water resistant point-n-shoots.

http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/digi....html?limit=24

^ New prices are a bit steep w/ 16MP chip, but some searching around online should prove 12MP older models with more reasonable used-market prices.

* Caveat - They take xD (NOT sD) cards, so factor in buying one of those also. If you already have a stack of SD cards to use, steer clear of Olympus.

My Olympus TG-4 uses standard SD cards, however it does not meet OPs budget. I'll bet you can find used ones though, especially previous gens for less.