5 Comments
Leave a Reply
Using Gravatars in the comments - get your own and be recognized!
XHTML: These are some of the tags you can use: <a href=""> <b> <blockquote> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
Using Gravatars in the comments - get your own and be recognized!
XHTML: These are some of the tags you can use: <a href=""> <b> <blockquote> <code> <em> <i> <strike> <strong>
I bought this for a Florida Keys trip because I had been extremely disappointed with the disposable underwater cameras we used on a previous trip. This one did a good job considering the price–not fantastic. If you want fantastic performance, you will have to buy and spend accordingly. The biggest complaints I have are the inability to see the screen in sunlight and without a viewfinder, sort of shooting blind. Also, sound would have been nice with the video option. When swimming/snorkeling, it is very hard to hold the camera steady because the water moves you and the camera with it, causing some still shots to blur and the videos can make viewers sea sick. If you can stand up to take your underwater shots, your results will be better (but you can’t stand on the reef). The pictures and videos I took while standing in the pool (underwater and out) were very good. This camera does a better job on a sunny day, in clearer water and I did get some great video and still shots of our reef snorkeling. I took lots of pictures above the water as well, and they turned out great–but don’t depend on the maximum zoom–those pictures were pretty grainy. I just took multiple pictures and videos and had some that were wonderful, some that were deleted. It doesn’t come with a memory card– I used a 2g, class 4 card with no problems. I thought the battery life was acceptable as well–shot all day on the same set of rechargeable batteries. I just wanted an inexpensive underwater camera with video option to use maybe once a year, and it proved to be an acceptable option.
Rating: 4 / 5
I’m an amateur photographer who is used to shooting pictures that I’m very happy with on a compact zoom. I bought this camera to take pictures of my kids doing all of their water activities during the summer and have been pretty disappointed.
Pros:
- cheaper than a disposable after several uses
- some pictures are okay, or can be edited to be decent. Large megapix gives you more to work with in terms of editing (and boy, do you need it with this camera.)
Cons:
- No viewfinder, and the screen is virtually impossible to see in the daylight
- Buttons are not responsive or intuitive
- Flash is too weak to provide adequate fill flash
- Some pics are distorted – not just blurry, but wavy.
- Screen is easily scratched, as is the lens – there is no lens cover.
- After using the camera a few times during swimming, the body is peeling.
Rating: 2 / 5
I saw the bad reviews, but I gambled and bought this horrible camera. What a joke. We never even got to use it, because after turning it on the screen would go grey after only a few minutes and it would freeze up – couldn’t even turn it off. This camera wasn’t a lot of money, but we wound up on our tropical vacation with no underwater camera! Please be smarter than me, and notice that the most common ratings for this camera are for only one star. Sure a few people got one that seemed to work, but most people did not, so odds are you won’t either! Don’t waste your time and money, and don’t risk the frustration of not getting what you need for your vacation.
Rating: 1 / 5
I have to say I am pretty pleased with this camera. We bought it to take on our river trip and also use on our boat. It doesn’t do that great indoors, but really why would you use a waterproof camera inside anyway? It takes really clear photos. My only complaint is the zoom. It says 8X zoom, but they aren’t clear when zoomed in, you see the pixels too much. Also when used above the water you have to make sure there isn’t water on the lens or you’ll get water spots on the pictures. All-in-all, for the price this is a GREAT camera. Well worth the money. I have to say it takes better pictures than my every day camera.
Rating: 4 / 5
This camera leaked salt water on the first usage and destroyed the camera. I returned to Vivitar under the terms of the warranty and can not even receive a response from them. I sent camera and letter and obtained proof of delivery and also sent email to vivitar customer service and have received no response.
Rating: 1 / 5