USVI-On-Line

Sorry, I tried to search..but tons of posts come up, most with no camera info..
Need recommendation for underwater camera that takes great pics, is truly waterproof (to 30 feet, just for snorkeling, etc) and is under about $250...that you have had great experience with..Thanks so much~

At that price point I would recommend the Canon D10. It is easy to use and the picture quality is pretty decent.

Read they were having some problems with those..
Any others?

D10 is the best

I love my Kodack easyshare and carry it in my purse everywhere. Kodak just came out with an underwater easyshare for around $80.00, I have read nothing but positve reviews on the D10 though. I plan on getting one(Kodak) for our July trip, Laura

I would stay away from the Olympus, mine flooded while snorkeling on STJ in spite of taking very good care of it. I think several other forumites have had their Olympus "underwater" cameras flood as well.

Bought the D10 two years ago and it is still dry.

Sample here:

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I have the Canon D10 and the Olympus 8010. Both are good cameras. Both *may* flood or have other problems eventually.

Being immersed in saltwater is hard on electronics. The best manufacturing practices and the best handling procedures give you a better chance of avoiding/delaying problems, but odds are, if you take any camera, in any system, into that environment enough times, you'll have an issue sooner or later.

We've had to send two of the D10s back to Canon when they quit working, but they both have been replaced promptly and without hesitation. I expect that at some point in time we may have to do the same with the Olympus.

I wouldn't let a few anecdotal instances of someone's camera failure deter me from buying a particular model any more than I would cross a snorkel spot off of my list because someone said that it was murky/choppy/ boring the day that they went there.

Just my $.02

thanks guys! I will look further into the D10

I totally agree with what augie said. We're on our 2nd Olympus, an 8010 also. I think the first was the 720? We beat the heck out of it for 1.5 years, three tropical vacations and a summer of surfing. It died in STJ last year, out of warranty of course. We had started using it for everything. If you check the specs, it's tested to 100' depth or 60 min. We used in and out of water numerous times per day, then in the sand and anything else we could find. That's not in the specifications.

the main message is that electronics can only take so much abuse. On the 2nd one we bought the extended warranty, usually we never do this, but I recommend it for either brand.

One other point....olympus initiated this segment of the market for compact underwater cameras. They seem to be more agressive in updating their products, I think they're on the 3rd or 4th iteration of design. In theory new designs should correct old problems. I'm not sure but has the Canon been upgraded?

The Canon hasn't been upgraded yet, but I'm sure they're working on one. Recent events in Japan might have an impact on that though.

I've used the Canon underwater housings with their regular point and shoots in the past with no issues. That method is a little more expensive, but I like being able to access just about every part of the case. This allows you to really clean out the salt while soaking it in fresh water. And you can reapply the grease sealant to the rubber seal before each use. Of course these cases usually cost about the same as the camera itself (from Canon anyways). Another great underwater case manufacturer is Ikelite.