Best point & shoot - regardless of brand

[scottelly]

<p>Just take a look at this camera and read the 12 reviews Bill.<br>

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http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/755627-REG/Pentax_16941_Optio_WG_1_Digital_Camera.html<br>

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I have shot a Sony TX10 16 MP waterproof and shockproof camera, but I was not impressed with the images. I looked at photos from a Pentax W60 on Pixel-peeper.com, and I was impressed (when comparing those images with what I saw from the Sony). I have also compare the features with the competition.<br>

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I presume the article at DPreview that you refer to is this one:<br>

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http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311waterproofcompactgrouptest/<br>

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Certainly the Pentax image quality doesn't seem the best, when you look at this page:<br>

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311waterproofcompactgrouptest/page8.asp<br>

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The Panasonic seems the best from that page and the fact that it also shoots 1080p30 video. But frankly, I like the placement of the lens in the middle of the camera, the lights around the lens, for best macro work, and the rugged exterior of the Pentax Bill. Plus . . . I don't believe the Pentax images look that bad. Go for the Panasonic, if you like. It does seem like a very nice and rugged camera. It is rated to 39 feet deep instead of 33 feet (which is what the Pentax is rated for). The biggest issue for me is the fact that the purple Pentax WG1 that I linked to above is $241.74 (the WG1-GPS is $300) at B&H, but the Panasonic is $300. Why spend 25% more money? (I don't care that much for the GPS functionality, but if you are willing to pay $60 for it, then go for it!) There is a slight zoom range advantage in the Pentax, and the Pentax has 97 MB of built-in memory (compared with 19 in the Panasonic). Of course, the Panasonic has advantages. I like the long exposure modes, and there's nothing like having a built-in compas, altimiter, and barometer, right? If the image quality is a lot better than the Pentax, then you might prefer to get the Panasonic for the extra money. It DOES shoot 1080p30 video after-all.<br>

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Look at the reviews of the Panasonic here:<br>

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/752105-REG/Panasonic_DMC_TS3A_LUMIX_DMC_TS3_Digital_Camera.html<br>

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You can see there are a couple of slightly negative reviews, though there are 33 vs. 12 for the Pentax I linked to above, and the most negative review is about a feature that the Pentax doesn't have anyway (GPS).<br>

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One thing I find interesting is that this review says there is only 26.7 MB of internal memory in the Pentax:<br>

http://www.dcviews.com/_pentax/wg1.htm<br>

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I was not able to find sample images from either camera on Pixel-peeper.com, unfortunately.<br>

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One advantage the Pentax has over the Panasonic is the digital microscope mode. I thought this would be an interesting feature to experiment with back when Pentax came out with the W90. It focuses to 1 cm away from the lens. The Panasonic can only focus to 5 cm (2 inches). Of course, 2 inches is very very close!<br>

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I am still convinced the Pentax is the camera for me Bill. I don't put a lot of faith in the image quality comparison in that test. I will post some photos, when I get mine, so you can see.</p>

[scottelly]

<p>Hey Bill, check out these videos!<br>

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http://youtu.be/oGriQdAPwTk<br>

http://youtu.be/rFKPGNE5oWE<br>

http://youtu.be/6tMpBqtazhE<br>

http://youtu.be/3fatTxKKoHU<br>

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Now I like the Panasonic more than I did before.<br>

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I did some research into the full 1080p30 video of the Panasonic FT3, and it captures at 17 Mbps - not good enough, as far as I'm concerned. Still, it is probably better quality than what the Pentax can do. I really don't know. The reviews all seem to prefer the FT3 video over everything but the Sony TX10 video. The Sony is more compact, but I suspect the Panasonic is the better camera overall. The still images certainly seem to be superior to the stills from the Sony. I hate the look of the noise-reduced images from the Sony TX10.<br>

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Here is another review of the Panasonic TS3: http://www.panasoniclumixdmcts3.com<br>

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I'm almost convinced the Panasonic is for me now (still . . . I like the intervalometer for shooting time-lapse video, macro capabilities, panoramas, and lights on the Pentax, not to mention the more attractive price, so maybe not). Image quality is important, but any point-and-shoot will only be capable of sub-standard image quality, so it is not as important in a point-and-shoot as it is in a DSLR. For me, it's the extra features that make the difference in a cheap, waterproof camera.</p>

[scottelly]

<p>Here's an interesting video, which shows another reason to go for a Pentax Bill:<br>

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http://youtu.be/BmmoYapIJ0k<br>

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Here are some more demo videos for the Pentax WG1:<br>

http://youtu.be/iqX-4J--iUo<br>

http://youtu.be/ymr2e_KVL_c</p>

<p> </p>

[scottelly]

<p>Here's the waterproof remote for the Pentax Optio WG1 (also works with W90 and most other models): http://www.pentaximaging.com/accessories/Remote_Control_WP</p>

[scottelly]

<p>Here it's cheaper: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/688838-REG/Pentax_39892_Waterproof_Infrared_Remote_Control.html<br>

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Of course, that's just in case you decide for the Pentax, instead of the Panasonic!<br>

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;)</p>

[david_olsen5]

<p> Look up the specs of the Samsung TL 350 on the internet. It has a Schneider 24-120mm lens that starts af/2.4. It does 1080p video at 30fps, and can take a still photo while doing video. I bought mine for $ 249 from Beach camera about 4 months ago. Unfortunately, it has a 1/2.33 size sensor so it may not be that good at high iso's. I'm afraid that by limiting yourself to $ 200 or so, you have eliminated all of the good p&s cameras.</p>

<p>DaveO</p>

[kparratt]

<p>I agree with David Lee, and say "Lumix". Yes there are a range to choose from bearing the name, but Arnulfo has already stipulated $200, so that narrows it down.<br>

So, 200 bucks worth of Lumix will be at least as good as the same spent on anything else.<br>

(Mind you, 400 bucks worth of Lumix would be not twice as good, but more like several times better.)</p>

[hernan_enriquez]

<p>The Elph 300 is great! About 200dls.</p>

[scottelly]

<p>He already has a Nikon SLR people! He's looking for something for fun. I'd say that a rugged, cheap point-and-shoot would allow him to take a camera to places where he wouldn't dream of taking his SLR. That's why I suggest a water-proof, shock-proof, cold-proof point-and-shoot. It's fun to shoot underwater, whether you do it in the ocean, in a lake, in a stream, in a pool, or just in a bath tub. It's also nice to be able to shoot in a shower or out in the rain. How many people go out in a torrential down-pour and shoot photos? (not many)<br>

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Lumix does look good Kevin - especially the FT3. Still, I think I'll save the $60 and get the Pentax. After a while I might get some new replacement of the FT3 that does 1080p60 at 28 Mbit or something.</p>

[kparratt]

<p><a href="

camera test. </strong></a><br>

Enjoy ;-)</p><div></div>

[mervyn_wilmington]

<p>My 'main' camera is a D700, but I wanted something I could stick in a pocket when wandering around. I spent a good deal of time researching and obtained advice on this forum. I wanted a camera with a long zoom capability and a degree of manual control.</p>

<p>I bought a Fuji 70exr and a Lumix TZ65. Both were new but very inexpensive because they were discontinued. Used with a bit of sense, they produce excellent results. I use them both with confidence.</p>