Waterproof Digital Cameras At PMA 2009

One of the themes at PMA this year was waterproof point-and-shoot cameras. It seems the camera makers have all decided the time has come for underwater digital cameras. For the past few years, underwater point-and-shoot digital cameras have been the exclusive domain of Olympus and Pentax. Pentax got the ball rolling back in 2005 with their 5-megapixel OptioWP. Then Olympus introduced the Stylus 720 SW, which was shockproof as well as waterproof. Both companies have had several updates since they first started making underwater cameras and depth ratings have gone from 5 feet to over 30 feet. But until recently, there wasn’t any other competition (with the exception of Ricoh’s 10-megapixel G600, which isn’t readily available in the US). That has decidedly changed now, and the features and performance of waterproof cameras have matured as well. Underwater cameras used to be pretty basic point-and-shoots but the new models we saw at PMA are no-compromise, high-performance cameras that also happen to be waterproof.

Not every camera manufacturer introduced an underwater digital camera at PMA this year. It seems like everyone has one, but that’s not the case. Canon, Panasonic and Fujifilm all introduced their first waterproof digital point-and-shoots at the tradeshow. But that still leaves Nikon, Samsung, Kodak, Sony and Casio out of the pool, so to speak. But since the only swimmers for the past few years were Olympus and Pentax, it’s notable that three major camera makers decided to come out with waterproof cameras this year. It’s become more and more difficult to differentiate new cameras with increased resolution, style or standard features like zoom range or a larger LCD screen. With only two players, the rugged, waterproof camera space probably looks like a good target to camera makers looking to expand their product lines. The good news for rest of us is the new competition will improve the quality of the cameras and make them more affordable.

The first waterproof camera announcement for PMA was the 12-megapixel, waterproof and shockproof Panasonic Lumix TS1. I was really excited about the TS1 because it has optical image stabilization as well as the promising new AVCGD Lite HD video recording format. I was lucky to get to shoot with the TS1 at a special Panasonic press event in Miami, last month, and I was impressed with the results. You can see some sample photos in my Panasonic 2009 Miami Lumix Camera Introduction article.

Fujifilm was the second to announce a waterproof camera for PMA – the 10-megapixel Finepix Z33WP. The Z33WP is pretty standard as far as camera features go. It’s not shockproof and it’s aimed more at the casual user. But it’s nice to see Fujifilm jumping into the waterproof camera space. The camera is very compact, definitely pocket-sized, and has a nice ergonomic design.

Canon was the last to announce an underwater camera for PMA – the 12-megapixel PowerShot D10. Canon generally delivers the best image quality of all the compact digital camera makers and as far as specs and features go, the D10 has it all. It’s shockproof, waterproof to 33 feet, freezeproof, it has optical image stabilization and Canon has had a couple of years to refine their 12-megapixel compact camera image quality. The PowerShot D10’s unique Easter egg styling sets it apart from the more traditional designs of other waterproof cameras. It’s obviously designed more for the water than a pocket – I don’t think it would even fit in most pockets. But even if it’s a little big for my taste, I’m looking forward to testing it to see if it has the image quality I’ve come to expect from Canon point-and-shoot digital cameras.

Even though Olympus didn’t have any brand new waterproof cameras at PMA, they announced three new models just a few weeks ago at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – the Stylus Tough-8000 & Stylus Tough-6000 and the Stylus-550WP. They’ve rebranded their Stylus SW waterproof camera line and split it into the Stylus “Tough” and Stylus “WP” cameras. The Olympus Stylus-Tough cameras are more rugged, with waterproof, shockproof, crushproof and freezeproof bodies. The Stylus-WP line is for more casual use and those cameras will just be waterproof. The new 12-megapixel Stylus Tough-8000 and 10-megapixel Stylus Tough-6000 both have Olympus Tap Control, which allows photographers wearing gloves to access key controls by tapping the camera instead of having to push buttons.

It was neat to see and compare all the new waterproof cameras at PMA. We’ve come a long way since the Pentax OptioWP was introduced, in 2005. Waterproof cameras used to be compromise cameras. But that’s not the case anymore. The waterproof cameras we saw at PMA this year are full-featured cameras with more zoom, real image stabilization, video and impressive water and shockproofing. They may cost a little more but if you’re shooting in wet, sandy and otherwise nasty conditions, they’re worth the extra cash.

Related Content:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 Miami Preview
Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP Announcement
Canon PowerShot D10 Announcement
Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 & Stylus Tough-6000 Announcement
Olympus Stylus-550WP Announcement
Outdoor And Waterproof Digital Cameras Guide