Gizmodo: waterproof camera

DXG-U579VS $150 Waterproof HD Camcorder Review

Brian Lam — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 22:40:08 EDT

This is one of the worst waterproof cameras I have ever used, even if its the cheapest and does 720p video. Maybe you can recommend it to a merman you hate?

Price

$150

Waterproofness

Because it lives in its own magic bubble housing, its good for 15-feet. That's good, but not great. The Canon D10 is good for 30 feet, and most other waterproof cameras are good for this depth without a housing.

The Photos

I won't go too in depth here as the photos speak for themselves:

Barfy color, contrast and grain. It's really a video camera that can record at 1280x720 (or, 720p) at 30 frames per second in h.264. There's 4x zoom, and it starts fairly zoomed in, making me wish it had image stabilization. It has an LED for lighting videos, though. The stills were 5MP, for whatever that's worth.

The Designs

Inside of its case, you can't do much. You can't power it down and up, either, so I ended up getting a bit of moisture in the case. No biggie, since its no loss if this thing drowns. Oh, you know what else is terrible? The thing is, like many camcorder housings, permanently stuck in a flipped out screen position, so packing this thing is a chore.

720p video

Cheap, but only a few bucks less than the much nicer Fuji Waterproof. So...

External housing

Worst images of any underwater camera

Not very waterproof considering the bulky housing

[DXG]

Summermodo is a chance for Giz to get outside and test our gear where it belongs.

Thanko Goggle-Mounted Waterproof Camera Is Going To Be a Problem At The Pool

Sean Fallon — Tue, 19 May 2009 11:40:00 EDT

Despite unimpressive 25fps QVGA resolution, I have to agree with Akihabara's assessment on this Thanko waterproof camera—it will be a hit with the perverts.

For the rest of us, this 22g camera would be great for snorkeling trips or mounting on top of an R/C car or plane for capturing some unique video. No word yet on pricing however. [Thanko via AkihabaraNews]

Rugged Camera from Minox is Waterproof to 33 Feet and Just Rubbery

AddyDugdale — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:59:10 EST

Manly and rugged outdoorsmen with small rucksacks might find Minox's DC6033 WP so far up their mountain path it's parked in their crevasse. Encased in rubber armor, the six-megapixel point-and-shoot camera is dust, dirt, sand and salt-proof, and you can take it underwater to a depth of 33 feet.

As well as a 4x zoom, the MINOCTAR lens is multi-coated with a 42mm fixed focal length, allowing for macro shots as close as 24 inches. There's a two-inch TFT color screen, built-in flash and, as well as an internal memory of 16MB, there's a slot for an SD memory card up to 2GB. Running on two AA batteries, the DC6033 WP will be available for $299. [Aving USA]