Checkswrecks
Well-known member
Skoots -
The bunch who I work with live on the road with our cameras and we are living nightmares for the manufacturers because of the travel and beatings we put them through, all while expecting good detail. A few observations and then what I've currently got.
We really liked the Sony features and bought about 15 of them in various models. Fantastic features. While we hated the proprietary memory sticks, they took great photos for a while, but we killed every one over about a 2-3 year period. Same with other Sony equipment we've used and we've sworn off Sony. Granted, our use is tougher than the average family guy, but probably not too far different than the vibration and knocks a moto-camera or computer equipment will get.
We tried the 850SW predecessor to the 1050SW that you got and had the same results with muddy photos. The other downsides were the battery and XD cards that mean we needed to carry more stupid adapters. We're done with those, too. As an aside, the sealed cameras actually held up to rinsing in bleach water pretty well after being exposed to nasty biogoo.
A few folks have the Nikon CoolPix cameras and they haven't done any better or worse than the same price-point Jap cameras. The digital Kodaks come in essentially two ranges. The cheapies are junk and don't even make good door stops. The expensive models do OK, but at those prices the Panasonics, Canons, and some others are better.
Some guys still swear by the AA battery models, but most no longer do. The proprietary battery ones tend to be smaller and easier to carry, the batteries are cheap enough to carry a spare or two, and some have incredibly small chargers that can recharge over lunch. We've also learned that keeping the SD memory card format is the way to go. They are dirt cheap even in huge sizes and SD readers in laptops are common, or you can carry a really small adapter. We also use the SD cards in lieu of thumb drive for whatever else you might need to put on a thumb drive.
For bigger cameras, we've found that the Panasonics produce good shots and can take a beating. I've got an older version of this one (DMC-FZ5) that doesn't have the big funky lens hood. The big-body Panasonics like this have huge glass lenses that let in a lot of light and can do both telephoto and macro quite well. Mine's lived in my backpack for a couple of years without missing a beat, unless the wife is pilfering it. The size is an issue, though. Outside of work and home, I never take it along, just due to the size issue.
What I've come back to for almost everything else and some work sites is the metal-case Canon SD Elph series, currently as a SD1100IS. (Canon review) I don't appreciate the new ones having a plastic battery cover, but so far so good. Mine has fallen down a flight of metal stairs, countless rocks, been rained on numerous times, etc. The only thing I'm somewhat careful about now is to use a stiff case to keep from cracking the window in the back, like the last one. Okay, so my son had it in a back pocket with other stuff snowboarding and sat hard on it. But even since then, it has a viewfinder and still takes good photos so I let the son keep it. I can keep the SD1100 in the chest pocket of my 'Stitch and shoot one-handed easily. (use the lanyard) For the beach I have a $30 windowed pouch off EBay that really does keep it dry. The battery charger is the exact same size as the camera and I do keep a spare, but seldom need it.
The only other thing to add is that one person is now trying the new Pentax waterproof camera and really likes it. Sure looks tempting & I 'm sure I'll be in the market again within a year or two.
FAR better reviews than the Olympus 1050SW got. https://www.pentaximaging.com/digital-camer...0_-_Ocean_Blue/
The bunch who I work with live on the road with our cameras and we are living nightmares for the manufacturers because of the travel and beatings we put them through, all while expecting good detail. A few observations and then what I've currently got.
We really liked the Sony features and bought about 15 of them in various models. Fantastic features. While we hated the proprietary memory sticks, they took great photos for a while, but we killed every one over about a 2-3 year period. Same with other Sony equipment we've used and we've sworn off Sony. Granted, our use is tougher than the average family guy, but probably not too far different than the vibration and knocks a moto-camera or computer equipment will get.
We tried the 850SW predecessor to the 1050SW that you got and had the same results with muddy photos. The other downsides were the battery and XD cards that mean we needed to carry more stupid adapters. We're done with those, too. As an aside, the sealed cameras actually held up to rinsing in bleach water pretty well after being exposed to nasty biogoo.
A few folks have the Nikon CoolPix cameras and they haven't done any better or worse than the same price-point Jap cameras. The digital Kodaks come in essentially two ranges. The cheapies are junk and don't even make good door stops. The expensive models do OK, but at those prices the Panasonics, Canons, and some others are better.
Some guys still swear by the AA battery models, but most no longer do. The proprietary battery ones tend to be smaller and easier to carry, the batteries are cheap enough to carry a spare or two, and some have incredibly small chargers that can recharge over lunch. We've also learned that keeping the SD memory card format is the way to go. They are dirt cheap even in huge sizes and SD readers in laptops are common, or you can carry a really small adapter. We also use the SD cards in lieu of thumb drive for whatever else you might need to put on a thumb drive.
For bigger cameras, we've found that the Panasonics produce good shots and can take a beating. I've got an older version of this one (DMC-FZ5) that doesn't have the big funky lens hood. The big-body Panasonics like this have huge glass lenses that let in a lot of light and can do both telephoto and macro quite well. Mine's lived in my backpack for a couple of years without missing a beat, unless the wife is pilfering it. The size is an issue, though. Outside of work and home, I never take it along, just due to the size issue.
What I've come back to for almost everything else and some work sites is the metal-case Canon SD Elph series, currently as a SD1100IS. (Canon review) I don't appreciate the new ones having a plastic battery cover, but so far so good. Mine has fallen down a flight of metal stairs, countless rocks, been rained on numerous times, etc. The only thing I'm somewhat careful about now is to use a stiff case to keep from cracking the window in the back, like the last one. Okay, so my son had it in a back pocket with other stuff snowboarding and sat hard on it. But even since then, it has a viewfinder and still takes good photos so I let the son keep it. I can keep the SD1100 in the chest pocket of my 'Stitch and shoot one-handed easily. (use the lanyard) For the beach I have a $30 windowed pouch off EBay that really does keep it dry. The battery charger is the exact same size as the camera and I do keep a spare, but seldom need it.
The only other thing to add is that one person is now trying the new Pentax waterproof camera and really likes it. Sure looks tempting & I 'm sure I'll be in the market again within a year or two.
FAR better reviews than the Olympus 1050SW got. https://www.pentaximaging.com/digital-camer...0_-_Ocean_Blue/
