Waterproof
Compact
Waterproof
Waterproof
Waterproof

Small sensor = grain
No viewfinder
Slow autofocus
Manual exposure controls limited (too many "modes", no straightforward shutter speed/aperture setting)
Proprietary battery (though they are cheap and very small, so not entirely a bad thing)

I've had a WP for a year and a half now, which means this review is already ancient history. But if you're still reading it's probably because you're considering one of the successor models (WPi, W10, etc.), and you wonder if the waterproofness really works.

In short, yes, it does, even after 18 months of abuse. In fact, the waterproofing works so well I'm happy to overlook the camera's flaws and rank it among the best photography purchases of my life.

I have a collection of amazing photos of my daughter the fish, whose smile is apparently magnified out of all reasonable proportion by being underwater. I had no idea how happy she was when she was swimming and diving until I got this camera. I've also managed to get some truly wonderful skiing and biking pictures, ones which only happened because I was willing to throw this little indestructable camera in my pocket since I new it was impervious to rain and snow. Of course, for both kinds of photos it is the combination of waterproofing and extremely compact size that made the opportunities possible.

Now, the flaws are definitely many: no viewfinder, small and proprietary battery, grainy photos in anything less than strong light, and a slow and none-too-impressive autofocus. But most of these problems can be circumvented (shoot from the hip and crop later, carry a spare battery, force the ISO low and use the flash, use manual focus and trust the depth of field you get with the small form factor), and all of these problems are easily ignored when you get that first amazing picture from in the waves or on the side of a soaking mountain, the one that you simply wouldn't have had a chance at with any other camera because the camera would have been in your pack (or trunk, or office).

Sorry if I've skimped on the technical assessment here, but all the specs are out there, and there are plenty of sample photos to examine (hint: search Flickr to see the kind of results real users are getting in the real world). And as I said, this model has already been superceded by newer ones which probably have slightly fewer (well, different anyway) limitations. But the core feature, the ability to take, and use, the camera literally anywhere without worry of water damage, well, that feature is priceless, and I'll never have another point and shoot without it.

-small and light
-water and weatherproof (if that weather happens to involve water:-)
-easy to use
-large viewing screen
-easy to customize settings
-easy to clean

-horrible AF in low light conditions
-no optical view finder
-shots can appear grainy
-proprietary battery, no AA's here

Not a bad camera, not a great camera, but it's durability, size, and water/weatherproofness made it a wise choice for a field geologist. The ratio of great shots to forgetable shots isn't as good as other cameras I've used.

A good second camera for when the going gets tough. Great for myself since I'm a field geologist and find myself in foul weather often and still like to shoot.

Similar Products Used:

-Sony DSC-P71
-Several different point-shoot Canons