Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)

Comments

1. Tod P. Zechiel says:

   September 21, 2010 at 12:22 AM

   Review by Tod P. Zechiel for Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)
   Rating:
   I purchased this camera for outdoor use while kayaking. I have no intention of using it underwater, but having lost two cameras to water damage; I opted for something waterproof.

   Pluses: 1. The function buttons are tops – easy to find and press.
   
   2. With tapered edges, the camera goes in my pocket easily.
   
   3. Movie audio surprizingly good.
   
   4. Multiple digital pixel settings – as low as 100 KB for
   
   photos at the lowest setting – I e-mail my dad photos, he has
   
   dial-up so short attachments are critical.
   
   5. Photo quality color and resolution is good, including macro.
   
   6. LCD display is good, even in strong sunlight
   
   7. Menu choices are fairly intuitive.
   
   8. Battery life seems good so far.
   
   9. SD card – not that many waterproof cameras allow the use of
   
   the common SD card.

   Minuses 1. Indoor shots are have noise.
   
   2. No hardcopy, comprehensive manual, just an unbound, brief
   
   multifolded paper. The comprehensive manual is on a CD.
   
   Then again, if you are around water, FUJI may figure you
   
   aren’t going to take a paper manual with you.
   
   3. Propriety USB cable for downloads – yet another cable to
   
   keep seperate from a dozen other propriety cables me and my
   
   family has.

   Summary: The camera exceeds my expectation for outdoor use. Granted, the photos in lower light settings have some noise, but most of my photos are in bright daylight. If I am going to an indoor event with low light, I’ll take my Canon that is not waterproof.
2. Shandel says:

   September 21, 2010 at 1:04 AM

   Review by Shandel for Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)
   Rating:
   I have used this camera underwater and on top. Sunsets and sunrises. I really like the way it handles and shoots. Very easy to figure out the settings. The easiest camera I’ve used so far and I’ve been shooting for 40 years. Sometimes I just don’t want to think about settings but know I can get a great photo. I can with this camera.
   
   It’s fun taking a video going down a water slide!
   
   One thing about digital is pushing the card to it’s limit. I got a 4Gig. card and place the settings at the least amount of photos so it has the best quality photo. I can still get over 600 photos to this card! The other important thing is to make sure you hold the shooting button down for a few secs. so the digital camera can auto focus. If you don’t photos will be blured or grainy.
   
   I would recomend this to anyone looking for a great waterproof camera.
   
3. SUSAN LIENESCH says:

   September 21, 2010 at 2:03 AM

   Review by SUSAN LIENESCH for Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)
   Rating:
   I bought this camera to take with me snorkeling in Hawai’i, and to use as a backup camera to my Olympus 20x zoom camera. When i first took it out in Kahalu’u Bay on the Big Island, I was amazed at what this little camera could do. It’s so easy to operate underwater and takes great movies and pics. Seals are watertight and body is very sturdy. Good battery life considering how much I used it every day of my trip. I took it to a manta ray night snorkel and got some once-in-a-lifetime videos (see my youtube vid at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VNaSHoBViE) and was glad the small size made it a great still shot backup when I ran out of batteries in my Olympus. The cool green color and nice quality vids and photos got noticed by quite a few tourists and locals on my trip. The camera’s still photo quality is just fine for everyday shooting. Snap one of these beauties up now and never leave home without it.
4. Nancy Walker says:

   September 21, 2010 at 2:30 AM

   Review by Nancy Walker for Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)
   Rating:
   Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1CDW5WB40BHFW I rarely write reviews BUT this is the best $129 I have ever spent. I was in Hawaii in January and used the underwater capabilities of this cute LITTLE, amazingly easy to use camera. I was surprised to hear the footage of the whales underwater BETTER than I heard them in real life, AWESOME. Please watch and listen to the turtle with the whales screaming in the background, I didn’t think underwater was so noisy!!! I also caught some pretty amazing photos of rainbows, even far away ones. This camera is as sweet as the price!
5. C. Ochsner says:

   September 21, 2010 at 3:00 AM

   Review by C. Ochsner for Fujifilm FinePix Z33WP 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Green)
   Rating:
   If you’re a novice at photography and want to take pictures either out of or under water, you couldn’t ask for a bettter camera. Especially for the price. Either the people who gave this camera a bad review didn’t know how to use it, they have too high a expectation, or are expert photographers who may need a more expensive camera. Or perhaps their camera just didn’t work properly.

   I wasn’t expecting a lot from this camera based on the price and some reviews, but because of some of the shared photos, I decided to give it a try. If it didn’t work, I at least didn’t spend a whole lot. What I got was an amazing camera for a great price. I’m an extremely picky person and it takes a lot to impress me, but that is exactly what this camera did. Since I was snorkeling and floating on top of the water bobbing up and down, fighting against the current and using mostly the zoom feature my expectation was a lot of blurred pictures. So much so, that I wasn’t even eager to get back to the ship to load the pictures onto my laptop to see what I got. When I finally was mentally set for a big disappointment I loaded my pictures onto my laptop. What I saw couldn’t have surprised or excited me more. The pictures were beautiful and the movies I took were phenomenal. If you are a novice or a intermediate photographer, I highly, highly recommend this camera especially if you want to take underwater photos. I think it does great out of the water too. I have uploaded a few of the pictures I took so you can check those out. My two disappointments were that it was overcast (Fugifilm has no control over that)and I think some of the photos would have been better had the sun been out showing off all the colors of the fish and coral. And that the camera is only good for 3 meters under water. So I wasn’t able to swim to the bottom of the ocean with it to take pictures. I had to stay on the surface. Regardless, it had the zoom that worked perfectly. One other nice thing was that I didn’t have to worry about it if it rained or got wet while out on the ocean.
6. Kara says:

   September 21, 2010 at 3:24 AM

   Review by Kara for Vivitar ViviCam 8400 8.1 MP 2.4-Inch TFT LCD Screen Underwater Digital Camera
   Rating:
   Just got this camera, and so far find it to be a fantastic value. I was drawn to this camera by it’s price and megapixel size (of up to 8.1). This price I got it for is very competitive with similar cameras of lower 3-6 megapixel ranges (I snagged it for about ninety dollars).

   But please do keep an eye on the prices because I’ve seen the price on this change very frequently (in a matter of minutes) and vary about $15, since I started writing this review.

   Why else did I get it? I’m going on a trip to the Bahamas in August and don’t want to take 35mm underwater disposable cameras with me. Airport X-ray machines can ruin the film if it’s in your carry on (since most of those cameras use ISO 800 film) and that’s the only luggage I plan on bringing. So I wanted to take a digital camera since I’ll be snorkeling while I’m down there, as well as have it not get ruined if it fell off a kayak or it started to rain. I’m too terrified to try one of those underwater pouches for my primary camera (a Samsung S700) due to lack of reviews on the pouch-type it would require and fear that if it got ruined I’d be out my favorite camera so I’ve opted for this camera and so far I am SO glad I did! Vivitar seems to have fit a lot of nice features into this point & shoot camera.

   But if you’re looking for a professional camera, let me stop you right now and tell you to look elsewhere as this probably won’t be anywhere near your expectations. This is by no means considered a professional camera. However, if you’re looking for a better option than a 35mm underwater disposable… then it CERTAINLY provides better results than a 35mm film underwater point and shoot camera. I say this with experience from using those 35mm film underwater disaster cameras but from also working in a photo lab where I’ve seen the vast majority of what those cameras produce at water parks and the Caribbean… and the Vivitar Vivicam 8400 camera is by far so much better.

   I tested it in my friends pool yesterday and it had no leaks around the gasket/closing mechanism and the pictures were surprisingly clear! I will add some sample photos to the product gallery as soon as I get some I’m willing to share with the public at-large. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 and that’s because I’m nitpicking.

   Pro’s:
   
   - Water resistant up to 30 feet!
   
   - Supports an external SD memory card in up to 8GBs in size! This was great for me as I already have plenty of this type of card from my other camera. And this type card is generally inexpensive compared to other size cards. Just to give you an idea of storage capacity I put a 4gb SD card in the camera and it said I could store 1596 pictures at the highest 8.1mp setting OR 1 hour 37 minutes and 15 seconds of video! Obviously, you can do a combination of each if you switch between the modes.
   
   - Uses AA size batteries. I’ve been using energizer rechargeables in this and got a decent amount of life from them from STEADY non-stop use. My suggestion would be to use the photo lithium or the rechargeables as I’m sure that just like all other digital cameras on the market, that they would probably suck the life out of the cheaper basic alkalines.
   
   - Reasonably large LCD screen on the camera at 2.4 inches.
   
   - Can record photos AND video.
   
   - Comes with an adjustable wrist strap so it’s easy to secure to your wrist–however, should it come off your wrist the bright yellow color of this camera makes it easy to spot to retrieve unlike the blue model.
   
   - Sinks somewhat, so you won’t have to deal with too much resistance to keep it staying underwater.
   
   - Has the screw hole on the camera’s base for mounting to a tripod.
   
   - When powering off the camera it clearly displays “Bye-Bye” on the LCD screen.
   
   - Easy 1 touch “Mode” button to switch between capturing still photos or video.
   
   - Lightning bolt button easily lets you change from auto-flash, flash (for all photos), or no-flash.
   
   - Can take photos with Super Fine, Fine, or Normal settings.
   
   - Although the camera is 8.1MP, you have the choice of shooting photos in the following resolutions (8M, 5M, 3M, 2M, 0.3M)-This can be great if you’re limited on how much space is on your memory card.
   
   - You can adjust the white balance in Still Photo mode OR in Video mode. It defaults to “AWB” (auto white balance) but if you know how you’re lighting will affect your photos you can change it between Auto, Day Light, Tungsten, Fluorescent, and Cloudy.
   
   - There are 3 Color Effect options to shoot photos in: Color, Sepia and Monochrome.
   
   - There’s the option of changing the exposure setting from (-2.0 to +2.0): -2.0, -1.5, -1.0, -0.5, Auto, +0.5, +1.0, +1.5, +2.0
   
   - It offers a Self Timer of either 10 seconds or 20 seconds.
   
   - Date stamp is optional.
   
   - A “Burst Snapshot” feature allows you to set up the camera to take 3 continuous images as you move the camera.
   
   - Video’s are recorded in *.AVI format which are compatible with most Windows type movie-maker programs (ex: Windows Movie Maker, Corel VideoStudio, and many others)
   
   - You can change the resolution of the video recording from 640×480 or 320×240. AND change how many frames per second it records (15fps or 30fps)
   
   - You can “lock” the pictures you’ve taken to prevent them from being accidentally deleted.
   
   - A Rotate option allows you to rotate photos taken at a 5M resolution or lower, on the camera.
   
   - English not your primary language? No problem. There are 7 language options to choose from on the submenu: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese.
   
   - You can set the light frequency from 50Hz to 60Hz.
   
   - The beep/buzzer sound on the camera isn’t annoying loud, but you can disable it if you’d like.
   
   - Comes with a USB/TV-out cable so that you can play back your photos on the TV or even take photos or video’s while hooked up to the TV! Just use the USB cable provided, plug the small end into the camera and then the yellow jack to your yellow jack on your TV, and then turn on the camera! (I’ve never had this feature before and I think this is awesome!)

   Con’s (and most of these are me nit-picking):
   
   - There is a very apparent shutter-lag. The image you THINK you took will freeze on the screen after hitting the shutter for a couple seconds but in actuality it captures your picture about 1-2 seconds later and the actual captured image will flash on the screen for about a 1/2 second.
   
   - It does not capture photos well at night or in dark areas.
   
   - The locking/closing mechanism on the camera for the area where the SD card and battery compartment is feels a little cheap to me. I think a better material could have been used than plastic clamp/lock. So I would advise closing and opening it with care. You have to push a small black arrow right first to release the long plastic lever, pull that lever all the way down, and then the hinge will release to open the compartment for the batteries, SD card slot, and USB connection.
   
   - Buttons on the camera seem a little stiff to press down on, this is probably due to the type of engineering required for this type of cameras purpose.
   
   - The Vivitar 8400 is a little larger and heavier than my Samsung S700.
   
   - There’s no lens cap to protect it when not in use.
   
   - No separate “delete” button function. If you want to delete a picture on the camera during playback mode you have to hit the “OK/Menu” button and navigate to the delete option.
   
   - After taking a picture, there is very little delay and it disappears very shortly off the LCD screen so there’s no time to check it. You have to use the playback mode.
   
   - No sound on Video recordings which I think is a bummer given that the lower grade model-though priced higher (seen here: Vivitar VIVICAM-6200W 6.0 MegaPixel Underwater Camera with 4x Digital Zoom 2.0″ LCD) had the sound in its video recording option.
   
   - No regular viewfinder like on standard cameras so that you don’t use up battery power with the live-view LCD screen. And the screen can be somewhat difficult to see underwater.
   
   - When switching from auto-flash, flash (for all photos), or no-flash mode using the lightning bolt sometimes it “hangs up” and gets caught switching and the screen will go blank and a blue light beside the screen will flash.
   
   - The Rotate option does not allows you to rotate photos taken at the highest 8M resolution, on the camera.
   
   - The 61 page user manual is on the CD that comes with the PhoTags software. I realize this is a greener alternative but I would’ve liked to have had it already pre-printed.
   
   - The Photags Express software is not compatible on Macintosh computers.
   
   - Does not come with batteries.

   ***UPDATED*** 09/07/2009

   I just wanted to update you all on my experience with this camera in the Bahamas… and quite frankly, I think it worked out great during all 6 days of snorkeling and swimming! And would still give it 4 stars! NO LEAKS–Even after opening it every night to access the hub in the camera so I could play the pictures and video back on the TV using the video cable that comes with the camera and re-closing it! I used Energizer Lithium AA batteries in it and did not have to change them at all the whole trip. I’ve added a few pictures from when I went snorkeling to the customer gallery… and one of the great reasons why I still think this was better than a 35mm underwater disposable… I took some great video as well! (I’ll add a compilation of video clips I shot to through a “video review” as soon as I figure out how to). However I did want to make some tips/notes for potential buyers or current users…

   TIPS & NOTES:

   DEFINITELY preset the white balance before entering the water or taking ANY pictures! It makes a big difference as to how your pictures and video will turn out. Do not trust the “AWB” aka “Auto White Balance” feature. I found that on sunny days that should be shot under the “daylight” white balance setting would appear blue-ish if you used the AWB setting.

   YES the screen can be difficult to see underwater, HOWEVER I was able to see the screen enough on a bright sunny day where the water was pretty clear and easily switch between video and picture mode. The cloudier the water is, the harder it was to see in general and of course distinguish what was on the screen–not to mention, when the water is cloudy, you can’t expect pristine pictures–that’s just silly to expect that.

   Do not attempt to take pictures of anything less than 3ft in front of you as you are guaranteed to get a blurry/out-of-focus picture. The fixed focus on this camera is just not designed for pictures that close. Take your picture 3ft away for a clear shot and then crop it later. The camera has digital zoom-not optical zoom so you’re not going to gain any quality advantage to zooming when taking your picture vs. cropping it later. At least if you don’t zoom in, if something moves you have a greater chance of still capturing it.

   How to play back VIDEO in the playback mode: Once you’ve found your video clip on the playback screen press the shutter button like you would if you were taking a picture. This will get the video to start playing back on the screen for you. You can hit the shutter button again to stop it.

   In VIDEO mode: Be sure to hold the camera steady and move it SLOWLY underwater when you’re in video mode. Otherwise the video will probably make you feel sick when you play it back later as it will seem like it jumps all over the place.

   Make sure you rinse the camera well with salt-free tap water after bringing it in the ocean. The salt can crystallize in parts of the camera later making it difficult to close the camera’s memory card/battery hatch without risking breaking the hinge. If you close your camera gently and visually inspect the closing latch on the side to make sure it is completely down and the “#1″ arrow latch is to the left, so that everything is lined up where it’s supposed to be… I don’t see why you’d end up with leaks.

   The pinch clip on the wrist strap to tighten it around your wrist has shown some signs of rusting internally. However, it still works well at tightening.

   With all that said, if you’re looking for a more thorough technical review, I’m sorry–just not an area of my expertise. However the “Technical Specifications” information below is straight out of the user manual and may be of use to you.

   Image Sensor:
   
   5 Mega Pixel CMOS Sensor

   Image Resolution:
   
   8M, 5M, 3M, 2M, 0.3M

   Video Resolution:
   
   VGA 640×480 ,QVGA 320X240 at 30fps or 15fps

   Monitor Display:
   
   2.4” TFT LCD

   Capture:
   
   Single, Continuous shot

   Internal Memory:
   
   64MB Flash

   External Memory:
   
   SD card up to 8 GB

   Sensitivity:
   
   Auto

   Lens:
   
   f=7.4mm, F=2.8

   Shutter Speed:
   
   Electronic shutter1/20 ~ 1/6000 sec

   White Balance:
   
   Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Cloudy

   Exposure control:
   
   -2EV to +2EV in 0.5 step

   Photo effect:
   
   Color/Sepia/Monochrome

   Flash:
   
   Auto, On, Off

   Digital Zoom:
   
   8x

   Self-timer:
   
   10s/20s

   File Format:
   
   JPEG, AVI

   TV out:
   
   NTSC / PAL

   Interface:
   
   USB 1.1

   PC Camera resolution:
   
   640 x 480

   System Requirements:
   
   Windows XP, VISTA or MAC OS9 in Mass Storage mode

   Battery:
   
   2*AA Alkaline batteries

   OSD Language:
   
   English/French/German/Spanish/Italian/Portuguese/Chinese

   Auto power off:
   
   Disable, 1 min, 3 min, 5 min

   Working Temperature:
   
   0 to 40° C

   Storage Temperature:
   
   -20 to 60° C
7. Satisfied Buyer says:

   September 21, 2010 at 3:30 AM

   Review by Satisfied Buyer for Vivitar ViviCam 8400 8.1 MP 2.4-Inch TFT LCD Screen Underwater Digital Camera
   Rating:
   Was a little hesitant to purchase after reading some poor reviews but thought I’d give it a shot; I just wanted an inexpensive digital camera I could take to the pool. I took about 30 photos first time out and was able to achieve results good enough to post on my blog. The reason so many reviewers get blurry shots, and the trick to taking good photos with this camera is simple (though a little annoying). There is a very long shutter lag time from when you push the button to when it takes the actual shot. However, and this is the annoying part, there is NO lag time from when you push the shutter button and when the screen freezes the image. So when you push the button the screen freezes immediately although it has yet to take the picture and you must wait for the screen to go back to live motion to know that the picture has been taken. The first couple of pictures I took I would begin to lower the camera just after the screen froze and that would be when it would actually take the picture thus making it blurry shot from my quick hand movement. So when you use this camera and want good results, push the shutter button, the screen will freeze and THEN the shot will be taken and the screen will go back to live motion. Enjoy, it’s a good one, just have to get used to the long shutter lag.
8. Ray Man says:

   September 21, 2010 at 3:55 AM

   Review by Ray Man for Vivitar ViviCam 8400 8.1 MP 2.4-Inch TFT LCD Screen Underwater Digital Camera
   Rating:
   Given that the camera leaked water and died on my second day of snorkeling, I consider my 3-star rating to be extra generous. I’ve returned the camera for repair/replacement under the terms of the warranty.

   The photos that I recovered from the 1st day were pretty good…certainly better/more convenient than using a disposable camera. The video quality is also decent, though there is no sound recording, which is fine for most underwater videography. Considering the camera’s low (tempting) price, the photo & video quality were just about what I expected, if not a little better. A negative is that it is somewhat difficult to use underwater: the view screen is hard to see, and the image of the photo you just took remains on the view screen for barely a second. On land, I found some of the functions non-intuitive (such as reviewing and deleting images), and the camera sometimes “froze,” requiring me to turn it off and on again to reset.

   Overall, I find the ViviCam 8400 serves as a relatively inexpensive, moderate upgrade to disposable cameras. If it hadn’t leaked water and died on me, I might have even give it 4 stars given the low price. I’ll be interested to see if other reviewers experience issues with water leakage.
9. Gary Droubay says:

   September 21, 2010 at 4:21 AM

   Review by Gary Droubay for Vivitar ViviCam 8400 8.1 MP 2.4-Inch TFT LCD Screen Underwater Digital Camera
   Rating:
   Very unhappy with this camera. Went snorkling with this camera on Oahu North Shore. It leaked within 10 minutes of entering the water. Bottom line we were snorkling, it leaked at a depth of about 2 feet. Batteries reacted with water and destroyed the sd card. I returned to the beach and a couple from Texas asked if the camera leaked–I said yes and they said they had the same problem–Their camera leaked within 10 minutes of entering the water.

   Do not waste your money. Only useful as a traditional digital camera–DO NOT GO SWIMMING WITH IT.
10. McBud says:

    September 21, 2010 at 4:24 AM

    Review by McBud for Vivitar ViviCam 8400 8.1 MP 2.4-Inch TFT LCD Screen Underwater Digital Camera
    Rating:
    We were looking for a digital answer to the expensive underwater disposables and this looked to be the answer. It is not. We purchased this camera after seeing good reviews and understood that your $100 only gets you so much. The camera was ordered 2 weeks before a two week vacation in the Bahamas. First dive … approx 100 nice quality pictures and even good video quality. Noticed some dampness on USB hook-up to the laptop but nothing severe. Second dive … 15 pictures and the camera is dead. Pulled the card to save the picures and the LCD screen and camera/memory card compartment is soaking wet. … Dead camera. Returned from vacation just as the 30 day product return policy kicked. Final evaluation: About 100 nice pictures for $100. Don’t buy it. Spend the money and get something better.
11. Mike T. says:

    September 21, 2010 at 4:58 AM

    Review by Mike T. for Bell & Howell Splash WP5 Waterproof 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 5X Zoom, 2.7″ LCD, Smile Shutter, 2GB SD – Blue
    Rating:
    This camera is really great! I highly recommend it. It comes with so many bonus features like face detection, smart picture mode, a large screen, large buttons, etc. Best of all- it’s waterproof up to 10 feet. I took it kayaking and it worked great. Oh and it also includes a SD card and a card reader to upload your photos to your computer.
12. Kels says:

    September 21, 2010 at 5:51 AM

    Review by Kels for Bell & Howell Splash WP5 Waterproof 12.2 MP Digital Camera with 5X Zoom, 2.7″ LCD, Smile Shutter, 2GB SD – Blue
    Rating:
    When I first got this camera I was so excited and I tested it out in the swimming pool and it did great! I had so much fun and the pictures were good! I bought it for vacation and took it to Schlitterbahn and the River and well lets just say I have NO memories from that now! I took pictures both days and in the middle of the river it decided that I could no longer review the pictures nor could I take anymore!! I am so frustrated with the camera because I can’t get the pictures off and it is passed the return day! So I do NOT suggest this camera for anymore than a one time use! $85.00 dollars is just too expensive for a one time use!!!!!! If I would have purchased this camera from a rebutable source even though it might have cost a little bit more atleast I could have still had the option to take it back!!!!!!! I would like to be able to contact the company and recieve some money back or something because I could not return it in time since I did not know how the camera was until after vacation!!!!
13. J. Lin says:

    September 21, 2010 at 6:11 AM

    Review by J. Lin for AGFA Photo DC-600uw/06906 6 Megapixel Digital Underwater Camera (Blue)
    Rating:
    I have had this camera for about a month, and have used it for one vacation and many family outings in that time. The photos I get from the camera are pretty good, you can print them or view at a good size on screen and they stand to those challenges. My best underwater shots are from bright times during the day of close subjects in macro mode. That is true both of my still shots and videos.

    While on vacation, I took the camera snorkeling a few times. Because of my excitement over snorkeling, I used the camera pretty heavily, taking snapshots or videos frequently while in the water. I found that a half hour of such heavy use would use up two regular AA batteries. I like that the camera uses AA and not a proprietary battery. But I would say poor battery life is my main reluctance to recommending this camera. If you bring it on a trip, by an 8 pack of batteries and be ready to use it.

    I also looked at other, more expensive digital underwater cameras, and for me this was the right value. I wanted a camera I would take everywhere without thinking twice, and the AGFA fits that bill nicely. It is fun to bring around town and takes good snapshots on vacation.
14. Cherety Tunnicliff says:

    September 21, 2010 at 7:11 AM

    Review by Cherety Tunnicliff for AGFA Photo DC-600uw/06906 6 Megapixel Digital Underwater Camera (Blue)
    Rating:
    Going back to AA batteries when you’re used to lithium digital camera batteries is definately a pain and they don’t last anywhere near as long. The photo quality is what is to be expected being a 100$ camera, however it does take wonderful beach pictures. I don’t rate either of these things highly but the camera did exactly what I expected so I give it 4 stars. I was leary about putting it underwater but I did for short spurts and has no fear of it getting splashes of water on it. it’s definately better than always buying a throw away waterproof camera, more convenient with the SD card and can take videos. This camera is ugly and large but I am happy with my purchase and have no regrets.
15. Larry E. Flowers says:

    September 21, 2010 at 7:20 AM

    Review by Larry E. Flowers for AGFA Photo DC-600uw/06906 6 Megapixel Digital Underwater Camera (Blue)
    Rating:
    As stated in another review, the camera fogs up after underwater use. It did clear itself up after a while. The pics I did take underwater were very good. Better to spend the extra $$$ and buy a better camera.
16. Dennis J. Kitsman says:

    September 21, 2010 at 8:06 AM

    Review by Dennis J. Kitsman for AGFA Photo DC-600uw/06906 6 Megapixel Digital Underwater Camera (Blue)
    Rating:
    The camera takes excellent pictures but it fogs up and takes awhile to defog. Condensation builds up in the card slot and ruins cards.
17. G. Gibson says:

    September 21, 2010 at 8:44 AM

    Review by G. Gibson for Sealife DC 800 8.0 Megapixel Underwater/Land Camera in Removable Housing with 4X Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD screen (Black)
    Rating:
    I recently bought this camera at a local dive shop and was able to use it on a dive and a couple snorkel trips in Hawaii.

    Previously, I was using an underwater camera bag (~$30) with a Sony DSC-V1 (5MP pro-sumer) to take snorkeling photos. I was able to get some great photos in the process. Unfortunately, that solution made it difficult to operate the camera, sometimes the bag plastic would warp/defocus the shot, and was a bit risky. I would also not be willing to take it on Scuba dives. The Sealife was an upgrade to improve on some of these shortcomings.

    Using the camera underwater is very easy. The camera case feels good in your hands and very sturdily built. It is simple to operate and you can cycle quickly between photo mode/movie mode/review last shot with a single button, which is nice. The focus and shutter is reasonably quick for a small digicam, but of course it will require more time take shots than a DSLR. I am relatively new to diving (
18. H. J. Groves says:

    September 21, 2010 at 9:01 AM

    Review by H. J. Groves for Sealife DC 800 8.0 Megapixel Underwater/Land Camera in Removable Housing with 4X Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD screen (Black)
    Rating:
    Got the camera for a wedding shower and love it! Didn’t figure out how to toggle between video and still until about my 6th dive and never did find that in the instruction manual (skimmed it briefly). To switch, just keep hitting the DISP button repeatedly. It cycles through different modes.

    I only used 2 moist muchies over 14 dives in Cozumel. Definately lose color after about 40 feet, but still had good quality. A little photoshop helped with that. I found setting it on Landscape helped the speed (recommended in the instruction manual). Still got great pics and video. Not too many blurry.

    Also, very helpful to checkout the Sealife website. They have sample video/pics for each camera there. They also have documentation I found helpful. Found a number of other divers on our honeymoon who had sealife cameras. Great reviews from those who had the DC800 and DC1000. One diver had the mini and did not have good luck. Her batteries and SD card kept slipping out of place. When she would go back to the hotel to review the pics, it would be blank. Her batteries went dead quickly too. I ended up taking pics for her and emailing them.

    Overall, love it. Really want to get the external flash now!!!!
19. Paula J. Miranda says:

    September 21, 2010 at 9:39 AM

    Review by Paula J. Miranda for Sealife DC 800 8.0 Megapixel Underwater/Land Camera in Removable Housing with 4X Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD screen (Black)
    Rating:
    Both the camera and video worked great under water, but if you are looking for a regular camera for other uses this camera leaves a little bit to desire. Since I bought it with the idea of being an exclusive underwarter camera it worked really well for me.
20. Evelyn Mercado says:

    September 21, 2010 at 10:18 AM

    Review by Evelyn Mercado for Sealife DC 800 8.0 Megapixel Underwater/Land Camera in Removable Housing with 4X Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD screen (Black)
    Rating:
    I took this camera on my dive vacation in Mexico and it was working fine, until it started to turn off randomly and the screen locked up where I could not see what pictures I was taking. I had to turn the camera off and on several times and before I could get it to work. This camera is defective. I now have to return it to SeaLife because I have gone over my 30 day return requirements for Amazon. The picture quality is good underwater (as long as you have sufficient light) but on land the quality is kind of poor.
21. George T. Borton says:

    September 21, 2010 at 10:52 AM

    Review by George T. Borton for Sealife DC 800 8.0 Megapixel Underwater/Land Camera in Removable Housing with 4X Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD screen (Black)
    Rating:
    I bought the camera and flash kit together. The first time I used the camera, the housing got a tiny bit of water in it (a few drops) but it was salt water and the camera was fried. SeaLife replaced both the housing and the camera (their service department is great!). The first time I went to use it on a recent trip, the housing leaked in the rinse tank. The dive shop owner was there and I asked him to open it with me. Neither of us saw anything wrong with the O-ring. Camera recovered since it wasn’t on and it was fresh water. I used both the camera and housing the rest of the week. I’ve had housed cameras for over 20 years and this is the only one that has leaked on me so I do know how to prep a housing for diving. A fellow diver who is also very careful with the O-ring had a similar problem with his DC-800 – random leakage with no apparent O-ring issue. It appears that the housing is very sensitive and I keep hoping that it won’t leak again.
    
    It takes good pictures underwater and I’ve had it down to just over 100 fsw. so I can recommend it. You just have to be very careful in sealing up the housing. One suggestion the service tech had was to squeeze the housing shut and not depend just on the latch to seat the O-ring.
22. LLPD says:

    September 21, 2010 at 10:52 AM

    Review by LLPD for Vivitar ViviCam V8400 8.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera (Black)
    Rating:
    Please note that this is the same as the yellow Vivitar 8400, and see that the one-star reviews dominate. 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.
23. Memories Remembered says:

    September 21, 2010 at 11:30 AM

    Review by Memories Remembered for Vivitar ViviCam V8400 8.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera (Black)
    Rating:
    I have only owned this camera a few months now but overall I am pleased with its function. I have brought it on two canoe trips (one to Moosehead lake in Maine and the Androscoggin river in Maine, an ocean trip up in Winter Harbor, and have used it when it was pouring outside. Normally I try to baby my gear but with this camera (as it was not that pricey) I have been a little more rough on it. While canoeing down the river we dumped and everything went into the water. The camera did freeze initially that is why I am giving this a 3 star rating rather than any higher…but as soon as I got it home to see if I had lost any of my picture or whether they would come out at all, I was surprised to see that not only had they come out but they were pretty nice pictures (not as nice as my regular camera) but overall good.

    The only issues I have with this camera is that it does not float and sometimes the lens can fog/ water-fy the picture meaning that it creates a reflect/refraction in the picture…like if you were to drop a water droplet on a print out of a photo and it distorted-kind of.

    Overall I would say that is worth the 100 bucks if you are just doing small water trips and want a camera that you don’t have to develop pics with or worry if it gets banged up.
24. Jason says:

    September 21, 2010 at 12:11 PM

    Review by Jason for Vivitar ViviCam V8400 8.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera (Black)
    Rating:
    I wish i had read the comment below before i bought it, obviously it’s not worth buying this camera. It even says it’s waterproof up to 10 meters, when i got the camera new in the box, it says water resistant for 30 feet, 10 meters would actually be 40 feet so i don’t see where they come off false advertising like that. I bought this camera for my girlfriend to go scuba diving with so i wanted that extra 10 feet, now i’m even too embarrassed to give it to her. Sure i got it at a good price, but it’s worth the extra money just to buy a better one, so like the person below me said, don’t waste your time and money, be smarter than me and find a better buy.
25. Tomato Guy says:

    September 21, 2010 at 1:11 PM

    Review by Tomato Guy for DicaPac WP410 160x105mm Small Zoom Alfa Waterproof Digital Camera Case with Optical Lens (Clear)
    Rating:
    I bought the product for my families first-time snorkeling/kayaking/beach outing last month. It was used with a Canon SD1000. The product was durable and kept the camera dry. Clarity of the photos was good, no visible haze on the pictures from the cover (either above of below the water). There was only one concern. While the lens opening was quite large – it was still important to position the camera carefully so that the black color is not vignetting the images on one side (maybe the 1000 is smaller than some of the other cameras it can accept). After a few shots I got the hang of it. My 14 year old daughter also didn’t seem to have a problem after a few shots.

    Using it on the beach eliminated the worry of sand in the mechanism.

    We got a lot of shots we couldn’t otherwise have taken without purchasing a $279 waterproof Olympus. Lets face it – you’re taking a computer under the water. Some photos were VERY nice.

    I was very happy with the decision and would recommend this to anyone who has occasional needs or just doesn’t want to buy a new camera.
    
26. ~Z~ says:

    September 21, 2010 at 1:26 PM

    Review by ~Z~ for DicaPac WP410 160x105mm Small Zoom Alfa Waterproof Digital Camera Case with Optical Lens (Clear)
    Rating:
    What a wonderful alternative to taking underwater pictures. No need to spend a couple hundred dollars on a underwater housing case or a few hundred for an camera specifically made for underwater. Also don’t settle the the cheap one time use under water cameras. These cases allow you to take beautiful clear pictures using your own digital camera. I needed a waterproof case for my Canon PowerShot SD1100IS 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue) and since I already owned a Dicapac for a another brand of camera I knew there would be no other choice for me than the DicaPac brand. This is a terrific way to protect your camera from water, sand and even snow. The optical lens sometimes interfere with the camera’s zooms lens, just make sure to hold the lens from the camera’s view. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Check out the photos I attached to the product page so you can see yourself how clear and beautiful the pictures turned out.

    Here is something I found that was helpful since the description does not list the camera’s that are compatible:

    DicaPac WP410 Case will fit the following brands:

    Canon Powershot:
    
    SD10/20/30/40/100/110/200/300/400/430/450/600/630/750/700IS/790IS/800IS/870IS/1000/1100/S200/230/300/400

    Sony Cybershot DSC:
    
    S40/500/600/650/700/750/780/W30/35/40/50/55/70/80/90/150/170/200/300

    Kodak EasyShare:
    
    C533/643/653/743/763/LS743
    
    M753/763/853/873/883/893IS/1033

    I have listed only a few of the camera brands this is compatible with. If you want to see if your camera is compatible, visit the company’s website which I found very helpful. Amazon’s price can not be beat.
27. T. Melendez says:

    September 21, 2010 at 1:35 PM

    Review by T. Melendez for DicaPac WP410 160x105mm Small Zoom Alfa Waterproof Digital Camera Case with Optical Lens (Clear)
    Rating:
    I bought this last month for a trip to Belize and Guatamala. My first use was on a river cave tubing trip, so it only got wet off and on, but took great pictures. I was hesitant when I went snorkling at the reef off of Belize, but WOW, I was able not only to take pictures, but able to switch over to video on my camera. It’s not easy with the plastic, but it can be done. You can also see the screen on your camera when you are taking pictures. We went snorkling twice and I was in the water for a few hours, great product. My camera was safe and DRY all the time, no leakage.
28. A. Lorusso says:

    September 21, 2010 at 2:09 PM

    Review by A. Lorusso for DicaPac WP410 160x105mm Small Zoom Alfa Waterproof Digital Camera Case with Optical Lens (Clear)
    Rating:
    I was a little skeptical at first, based on some of the negative reviews, but figured this case was worth a try for the price. I tested it out with some clothing first, and everything came out dry. Then I tested my camera in the sink, and it worked great. I took this case with me to Panama and used it while snorkeling, kayaking, and white water rafting, and the pictures came out great. If you keep your display on, then you can see if your pictures will have the black ring around them and you can reposition the camera accordingly. I am very happy with this case, because without it, I couldn’t capture the experiences of my trip. I advise you to hold the case upside down, as if the camera is going to drop out (when you open it), or else your camera will get wet. However, if you read the directions first, you won’t make this mistake.
29. cyblade says:

    September 21, 2010 at 2:51 PM

    Review by cyblade for DicaPac WP410 160x105mm Small Zoom Alfa Waterproof Digital Camera Case with Optical Lens (Clear)
    Rating:
    I used this on a recent trip where I was snorkeling. It worked well but it’s good to recognize reality and have the correct expectations. The lens standout is not long enough and zooming is impossible because of this. The lens has to be perfectly aligned with the standout to allow the lens to come out when you turn it on. Vignetting was visible in many shots because the lens was not perfectly lined up. Outdoors in the light it is hard to see the lcd screen so difficult to see subject matter of the picture. Another difficulty was manipulating controls through the plastic. With all that why 4 stars? Cheap liberating fun. not national geographic pics, but was well worth it.
30. Hankk says:

    September 21, 2010 at 3:07 PM

    Review by Hankk for Canon WP-DC35 Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot S90 Digital Camera
    Rating:
    The case is great. It fits the S90 perfectly, and lets you operate all the controls with relative ease. You can turn the front control wheel, and you can *press* the rear control wheel in 5 different areas but not turn it. However, this is not a big disadvantage because you can still access all the features of the camera using various button presses, even if you can’t turn that rear wheel. It’s just a little slower.

    Canon builds these cases for almost all their compact cameras, and they’ve got it down. You don’t want to go around dropping the case on random rocks, but it’s built pretty solidly, with thick plastic. It’s not leaked on me, nor did I ever have any problems with the very similar case for my Canon S30 that I’ve used over the past 7 or 8 years.

    The flash is pretty lousy — it’s blocked by the case, though the included diffuser helps this a bit. But if you do much underwater photography you’re not going to want to use the onboard flash anyhow, and this problem is shared with every single other point-and-shoot case out there.

    I wish it was wider angle — the S90 goes pretty wide, but you lose a lot of this once you put it underwater. Some SLR housings have ‘dome’ windows rather than the flat piece of glass that this one has, and that allows you to get the full wide angle of the lens. Too bad Canon doesn’t offer that option here. But considering the price and the rest of the functionality, it’s still a bargain.

    Note that Ikelite makes a 3rd-party case for the S90 which is pretty similar, but a little more flexible than Canon’s: for instance, you can screw on a wide-angle adapter lens in front of their case. That setup would clearly be better… but by that point it’s become triple the price of the Canon casing. If you’re going to spend that kind of money, you may as well keep spending and buy a full underwater SLR setup.

    Update: I have recently had a problem with the window fogging up *between the two front pieces of glass* — that is, moisture which is internal in the case and can’t be wiped away even from the inside. I assume this is an isolated problem with my unit, but I will edit this review if the problem returns.
31. Ray Stoecklin says:

    September 21, 2010 at 3:16 PM

    Review by Ray Stoecklin for Canon WP-DC35 Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot S90 Digital Camera
    Rating:
    PROS:
    
    This is a terrific underwater case, extending the S90′s reach for a relatively modest price. The camera goes in easy and securely, it has a hefty quality to it (twice the weight of the S90 itself), and I’d even say it looks nice (orange & blue Scuba bling). Best of all, all the controls remain accessible, except that in order to “turn” the rear wheel, you have to press “S” plus left/right. The zoom is actually easier to use with the case on than off, thanks to the big lever.

    CONS:
    
    - I found that the case scratches rather easily. After a week of tossing it into my dive bag it has developed some visible scuffs all around, even on the metal around the front glass (aluminum I suppose), and particularly on the back where you’ll be looking at the screen. Luckily, the front glass itself seems to be hardened, no marks there at all.
    
    - The included wrist strap is inadequate – you can zip-close it tight to your wrist, but it WILL come undone. I’ve dropped my camera TWICE on my recent trip and will be looking for a better solution for when the bottom is out of reach.
    
    - The front glass is rectangular and therefore it’s impossible to fit a lens cap (for outdoor purposes) or wide-angle converter (think reef shots).

    THINGS TO KNOW:
    
    - For actual SCUBA use (as opposed to rafting or snorkeling), you will also need two of the four steel plates from the Canon Weights package, something they really should have included with the case! Especially since they’re cheap enough to develop rust.
    
    - For maintenance, soak or at least rinse the case CLOSED in freshwater, preferably after every dive. Never get the interior wet – it will rust. Also, be diligent and relubricate the o-ring with silicon grease multiple times per dive trip, and always inspect the seal after you close the case (the translucent plastic makes this possible). I’ve seen a case flood on my recent trip, and it’s not only an opportunity to learn or practice curse words, but also probably not covered by your insurance.
    
    - Don’t forget the moisture eater. When you close the case in a hot, humid climate, the cold water will cool the air inside and it will condense during your dive. If you really just forgot and no one can spare a moisture muncher, try this: cool the case and camera in front of your room’s AC and close it in cool air – it will probably still fog up, but you’ll get about 30-45 mins of “clear” time (tried this in 81F water).

    CONCLUSION:
    
    The CONS list may seem long, but there’s no showstopper. The quality is stellar, and I don’t think you could go wrong with this housing unless you were a tech or military diver. Still, if you’re looking to step up, Ikelite makes a deeper- rated housing, and Fisheye produces a very snug and sleek aluminum case – at the cost of two S90s.
    
32. R. Thompson says:

    September 21, 2010 at 4:06 PM

    Review by R. Thompson for Canon WP-DC35 Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot S90 Digital Camera
    Rating:
    Simply fantastic — this case is superbly designed, built like a tank, easy to operate, and gives great results.

    At first I was wary that my S90 was going to get scuffed by the case, but a solid week of pretty hard use in Baja (I shot 2,600 frames) demonstrated that this was unfounded. During this trip I must have inserted and removed the camera from the housing more than twenty times. The case has little “nibs” — plastic guides whose ends are covered with rubber tips — and these ease the camera into place and hold it firmly without damaging the finish.

    When using the S90 in the housing, you still have access to every control and function the camera offers. The design is quite clever in that you don’t fumble with the controls; the various knobs, buttons and levers all work smoothly and crisply. Only the flash is somewhat compromised; you add a frosted plastic diffuser that pops into place on the outside of the case to improve the results you get using flash underwater. I gave up using the flash at all, as the range underwater is quite limited.

    I think the results speak for themselves; I have posted four pictures from my recent Baja trip. During one snorkeling trip we were diving with sea lions. These guys are incredibly quick; they come barreling towards you and veer away at the last instant, which makes them very difficult to photograph. When I returned to our boat I was quite anxious to see what I’d captured — and the S90/WP-DC35 combo acquitted itself quite well, I think.

    Now that I’m home, I plan to use this combo as my primary camera for use during kayaking trips. I am very pleased with this purchase, and highly recommend it to anyone who needs a good, simple camera for underwater use.

    One last thing I recommend you purchase along with the case is a product called Moisture Munchers. These are small tubes that contain a dessicant. I found that there is room in the case for one of these, and that made me feel a lot better about keeping the camera in pristine condition while it spent a week in very humid conditions. During the week in Baja I went through two of these capsules.
33. Robert Murray says:

    September 21, 2010 at 4:09 PM

    Review by Robert Murray for Canon WP-DC35 Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot S90 Digital Camera
    Rating:
    After buying a Canon PowerShot S90 (a great camera), I was looking through the list of accessories when I came across the underwater housing. I couldn’t justify the purchase based on how often I snorkle, so I justified it as a way to help me swim faster in Masters’ competitions. I use the housing during training sessions to record underwater videos of my stroke that I can study between workouts. That’s been a great training tool, especially because the S90 has slow-motion capability. The housing is extremely well made, intuitive to use – all the camera controls are accessible via the housing controls – and the pictures and videos are as crisp and clear as the water conditions allow. The price initially made me flinch because the material costs appear minimal – mostly plastics and rubber. However, the housing is so well designed and constructed that I knew I made a good purchase decision the moment it came out of the box. That conclusion was confirmed the first time I took underwater video. The underwater housing is simply a great product.
34. Brittle Star says:

    September 21, 2010 at 4:51 PM

    Review by Brittle Star for Canon WP-DC35 Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot S90 Digital Camera
    Rating:
    Well built, easy to use and I had no problem getting around the lack of a rear wheel. Major complaint, however, is that the housing does not readily adapt to a fiber optic connection…you have to sort of invent and jury-rig. The camera will also not TTL in manual. What were they thinking???