Waterproof Rugged Camera to Replace A Nikon AW130
Discussion
I want a replacement for my lost Nikon AW130 which (apart from picture quality) was superb in spite of abuse beyond description. The market of waterproof compacts seems to have gone down the tubes.
The only options I can find are the Ricoh WG-80 or the OLYMPUS Tough TG-6. The image quality from the Ricoh is dire as is the screen and the Olympus seems insanely over priced.
Basically I want a rugged beach camera for a variety of outdoor water sports.
Optical Zoom essential.
GPS a *very* nice to have.
I'd be happy with an unbranded Chinese knock-off if someone has first hand experience.
The only options I can find are the Ricoh WG-80 or the OLYMPUS Tough TG-6. The image quality from the Ricoh is dire as is the screen and the Olympus seems insanely over priced.
Basically I want a rugged beach camera for a variety of outdoor water sports.
Optical Zoom essential.
GPS a *very* nice to have.
I'd be happy with an unbranded Chinese knock-off if someone has first hand experience.
Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Monday 18th July 21:02
DP Review article on waterproof cameras
They rate the Olympus TG6, but as you say, it's expensive.
May be worth looking for a used example of an earlier model - TG5/4/3?
They rate the Olympus TG6, but as you say, it's expensive.
May be worth looking for a used example of an earlier model - TG5/4/3?
As a postscript I sucked it up and bought the Olympus. It's a thing of beauty but it has a large vulnerable lense, lots of fiddly switches and some kind of spring loaded plastic bevel thing to attach lenses. I can't see how it could possibly survive a day on the beach and just returned it.
Clearly I haven't tested it so maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me a day in sun and salt water would gum the whole thing up. Introduce some sand and...
My AW130 could be trusted in the hands of my 4yo, it had nothing that salt/sand could bung up, I jut don't understand why those typical requirements aren't being met.
Can anyone explain why this market has disappeared? It seems to me that waterproof rugged cameras with optical zoom ought to have as big a niche as they ever had. What are people buying instead? I feel I must be missing something. (Although the insane used prices of these cameras suggests they are still in demand.)
Sorry - that turned into a bit of a rant.
Clearly I haven't tested it so maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me a day in sun and salt water would gum the whole thing up. Introduce some sand and...
My AW130 could be trusted in the hands of my 4yo, it had nothing that salt/sand could bung up, I jut don't understand why those typical requirements aren't being met.
Can anyone explain why this market has disappeared? It seems to me that waterproof rugged cameras with optical zoom ought to have as big a niche as they ever had. What are people buying instead? I feel I must be missing something. (Although the insane used prices of these cameras suggests they are still in demand.)
Sorry - that turned into a bit of a rant.
Glade said:
What's the image quality on a GoPro or other action camera like these days? Maybe people don't buy proper cameras any more?
You don't get the optical zoom which, for something designed to be used in the great outdoors, I would have thought would be a deal breaker.Again, I'm seriously thinking I'm missing something so maybe I'm wrong.
DodgyGeezer said:
we replaced our rain-water damaged camera with a Canon G3 X which seems to tick a lot of boxes. To be fair we did buy second-hand (we're not good enough snappers to justify spending too much on a camera!)
Can I borrow it to try it swimming off the boat?It is ironic though. A compact with 5x zoom and worse image quality than my android phone is about the same price as that DSLR with a credible telephoto.
BikeBikeBIke said:
As a postscript I sucked it up and bought the Olympus. It's a thing of beauty but it has a large vulnerable lense, lots of fiddly switches and some kind of spring loaded plastic bevel thing to attach lenses. I can't see how it could possibly survive a day on the beach and just returned it.
Clearly I haven't tested it so maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me a day in sun and salt water would gum the whole thing up. Introduce some sand and...
My AW130 could be trusted in the hands of my 4yo, it had nothing that salt/sand could bung up, I jut don't understand why those typical requirements aren't being met.
Can anyone explain why this market has disappeared? It seems to me that waterproof rugged cameras with optical zoom ought to have as big a niche as they ever had. What are people buying instead? I feel I must be missing something. (Although the insane used prices of these cameras suggests they are still in demand.)
Sorry - that turned into a bit of a rant.
Well, as I have also been looking for a waterproof camera to use while whitewater kayaking, all the reviews pointed to the Olympus TG6. A new one was a bit on the expensive side, but I picked up this well used one on eBay for £150. It came with a battery and a 64Gb Sandisk Extreme Plus SD card.Clearly I haven't tested it so maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me a day in sun and salt water would gum the whole thing up. Introduce some sand and...
My AW130 could be trusted in the hands of my 4yo, it had nothing that salt/sand could bung up, I jut don't understand why those typical requirements aren't being met.
Can anyone explain why this market has disappeared? It seems to me that waterproof rugged cameras with optical zoom ought to have as big a niche as they ever had. What are people buying instead? I feel I must be missing something. (Although the insane used prices of these cameras suggests they are still in demand.)
Sorry - that turned into a bit of a rant.
It arrived yesterday, and personally my initial impression is positive. It has clearly had a lot of use, as the rear screen is pretty scratched (although it actually looks worse in the photos on eBay), not that I care about scratches on the rear screen anyway.
The large vulnerable lens is recessed a bit, and the spring loaded plastic bevel bit appears to enable you to fit a filter (mine came with a clear filter), so this enables a good level of protection for the lens, and if the filter gets damaged, should be easy to replace.
Regarding the fiddly switches, both the battery compartment, and the compartment holding the USB and mini HDMI ports each have 2 locking switches. This looks very effective at preventing accidental opening, as you have to open them both in order to open the door.
There are several buttons and dials on the camera, but as it's waterproof, if I was taking it out and exposing it to sand and salt water, I'd give it a good rinse under a running tap then dry it before opening any of the doors, or putting it away.
Obviously time will tell, and I'll have to see how well it performs, starting with a trip down the river Treweryn in a couple of weeks time.
I do agree with you that there is precious little choice of robust waterproof cameras with optical zoom that are reasonably priced, and I would have expected there to be considerable demand for these.
As an example. the driver for me getting one was that despite recently upgrading my old phone to a refurbed iPhone 12 Pro (which is meant to be waterproof), I wasn't confident using it on moving water, even with an additional "waterproof" case, especially since Apple's warranty still specifically excludes water damage (which is odd given that they market it as waterproof).
You make a really good point about the clear filter. If I'd thought of that it would have totally offset my concerns about the vulnerable lens and I doubt I'd have sent it back. Would have taken my chances on the switches etc and it would turned the bezel from a liability to an asset.
Too late now, it's gone back and been replaced with the Ricoh.
Just to be clear the buttons are fiddly to operate but that's of zero concern to me because I never wear gloves in situations where I'm using the camera - my concern was things getting sand/salt in the tiny sliders and rotating switches etc or which there are many.
Too late now, it's gone back and been replaced with the Ricoh.
Just to be clear the buttons are fiddly to operate but that's of zero concern to me because I never wear gloves in situations where I'm using the camera - my concern was things getting sand/salt in the tiny sliders and rotating switches etc or which there are many.
BikeBikeBIke said:
DodgyGeezer said:
we replaced our rain-water damaged camera with a Canon G3 X which seems to tick a lot of boxes. To be fair we did buy second-hand (we're not good enough snappers to justify spending too much on a camera!)
Can I borrow it to try it swimming off the boat?It is ironic though. A compact with 5x zoom and worse image quality than my android phone is about the same price as that DSLR with a credible telephoto.
The saga is over, so here's my thoughts for anyone finding this thread in future.
The Ricoh has just been delivered. The bad news is it doesn't have GPS - I didn't check, I just assumed any camera of this type would have GPS. That would have ruled it out but I'm too sick of this to send it back and start again.
It turns out reviews lie. The screen is perfectly fine and although I've only viewed photographs on that screen it's obvious the image quality is as good as the other beach cameras people might be used to.
It seems much more robust that the Olympus with no vulnerable switches and buttons to catch/break and only two that can get jammed with salt and sand. I threw it across the room for my wife to catch and take a look - I wouldn't dare do that with the Olympus. Ditto, I'd lend the Ricoh to young kids - I wouldn't the Olympus.
The lense is as vulnerable as the Olympus - perhaps more - BUT it comes with a Pentax 0-MS1 'macro stand' which is 46mm threaded so I can fit a clear filter. Same trick as someone up the thread suggested for the Olympus. (I just bought the filter for £4). Clearly this is not a robust solution - the stand is held on by 2 plastic lugs - but who cares, if it pops off I'm no worse than if it wasn't on in the first place.
As I say above, I think it's insane that these cameras are £330-£400. A compact with worse quality than a Phone for the price of a DSLR + credible lense.
The Ricoh has just been delivered. The bad news is it doesn't have GPS - I didn't check, I just assumed any camera of this type would have GPS. That would have ruled it out but I'm too sick of this to send it back and start again.
It turns out reviews lie. The screen is perfectly fine and although I've only viewed photographs on that screen it's obvious the image quality is as good as the other beach cameras people might be used to.
It seems much more robust that the Olympus with no vulnerable switches and buttons to catch/break and only two that can get jammed with salt and sand. I threw it across the room for my wife to catch and take a look - I wouldn't dare do that with the Olympus. Ditto, I'd lend the Ricoh to young kids - I wouldn't the Olympus.
The lense is as vulnerable as the Olympus - perhaps more - BUT it comes with a Pentax 0-MS1 'macro stand' which is 46mm threaded so I can fit a clear filter. Same trick as someone up the thread suggested for the Olympus. (I just bought the filter for £4). Clearly this is not a robust solution - the stand is held on by 2 plastic lugs - but who cares, if it pops off I'm no worse than if it wasn't on in the first place.
As I say above, I think it's insane that these cameras are £330-£400. A compact with worse quality than a Phone for the price of a DSLR + credible lense.
Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Sunday 31st July 18:03
My last post on this for anyone who finds this thread on google.
I've now used the Ricoh in anger and seen the output and it's very good for it's class. A leap above my previous Nikon AW130.
Also the screen is no different to any of my other screens in bright sunlight, where do the reviewers get their ideas from???
I gave it to my 6yo son to take photos of me and he hung onto it for 30 minutes of so generally playing with it. I would never have dared do that with the Olympus.
So in summary: Everything about the Ricoh is as good or better than people who have used other cameras of this type would expect. If you're looking for a beach/boat/kayak/snorkelling camera you will be content with this.
Drawbacks of the Ricoh are 1) Lack of GPS. 2) Flimsy and fiddly battery cover. (I'm going to buy a WIFI SD card so I never have to open it.) 3) Lack of WiFi.
(Edited to add the WiFi bit.)
I've now used the Ricoh in anger and seen the output and it's very good for it's class. A leap above my previous Nikon AW130.
Also the screen is no different to any of my other screens in bright sunlight, where do the reviewers get their ideas from???
I gave it to my 6yo son to take photos of me and he hung onto it for 30 minutes of so generally playing with it. I would never have dared do that with the Olympus.
So in summary: Everything about the Ricoh is as good or better than people who have used other cameras of this type would expect. If you're looking for a beach/boat/kayak/snorkelling camera you will be content with this.
Drawbacks of the Ricoh are 1) Lack of GPS. 2) Flimsy and fiddly battery cover. (I'm going to buy a WIFI SD card so I never have to open it.) 3) Lack of WiFi.
(Edited to add the WiFi bit.)
Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Tuesday 2nd August 09:04
BikeBikeBIke said:
My last post on this for anyone who finds this thread on google.
I've now used the Ricoh in anger and seen the output and it's very good for it's class. A leap above my previous Nikon AW130.
Also the screen is no different to any of my other screens in bright sunlight, where do the reviewers get their ideas from???
I gave it to my 6yo son to take photos of me and he hung onto it for 30 minutes of so generally playing with it. I would never have dared do that with the Olympus.
So in summary: Everything about the Ricoh is as good or better than people who have used other cameras of this type would expect. If you're looking for a beach/boat/kayak/snorkelling camera you will be content with this.
Drawbacks of the Ricoh are 1) Lack of GPS. 2) Flimsy and fiddly battery cover. (I'm going to buy a WIFI SD card so I never have to open it.) 3) Lack of WiFi.
(Edited to add the WiFi bit.)
Glad that you're happy with the Ricoh, and the wifi SD card sounds like a good solution to the lack of wifi built in.I've now used the Ricoh in anger and seen the output and it's very good for it's class. A leap above my previous Nikon AW130.
Also the screen is no different to any of my other screens in bright sunlight, where do the reviewers get their ideas from???
I gave it to my 6yo son to take photos of me and he hung onto it for 30 minutes of so generally playing with it. I would never have dared do that with the Olympus.
So in summary: Everything about the Ricoh is as good or better than people who have used other cameras of this type would expect. If you're looking for a beach/boat/kayak/snorkelling camera you will be content with this.
Drawbacks of the Ricoh are 1) Lack of GPS. 2) Flimsy and fiddly battery cover. (I'm going to buy a WIFI SD card so I never have to open it.) 3) Lack of WiFi.
(Edited to add the WiFi bit.)
Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Tuesday 2nd August 09:04
As a quick update to the thread re. the Olympus TG6, I have also now had a play with it and can offer the following thoughts:
Image quality is good for this type of camera - certainly good enough for what I want to use it for. It's not quite up to the iPhone 12 pro, and nowhere near my full frame DSLRs, but I won't be taking either of those down a whitewater river. I'll probably be shooting RAW most of the time, which should give some flexibility for improving the final images in Photoshop.
The clear filter to protect the lens isn't a great solution. The reason for this is that the mount with the filter thread fits to the camera body with a bayonet type mount. Despite the camera being fully waterproof, the bayonet/ring mount isn't. This means that when the camera is underwater, or even getting heavily splashed, water gets between the filter and the lens massively compromising images.
Instead of the filter, I've bought a 3rd party lens cap device which only exposes the lens when you want to take a photo, then it can be closed again by twisting it. It gets variable reviews, but the main complaint is that it is stiff to operate/gets jammed. Other reviews suggest a tiny bit of vaseline on the mechanism and it works for years. It arrived today, and initial testing seems to work fine. It cost £13. What I find quite appalling for Olympus is that they sell you a £400+ camera with no lens protection. What is even worse, is that they also sell separately a similar lens cap device to the one above, but then have the cheek to charge £34 for it.
On a more positive note, the GPS appears to work well, and the built-in wifi also works well with the Olympus app on a smartphone. This allows transfer of photos to the phone, although it seems to be jpegs, so I'll probably end up downloading RAW files using an SD card reader. Fortunately the SD card/battery compartment door seems very solid with a double lock on it. Another positive with the smartphone app is it enables pretty comprehensive remote control including live view, focus point select, exposure mode etc.. It doesn't appear to offer zoom control though.
Finally, a bonus is a macro mode allowing close focussing down to 1cm, although you obviously run into issues with the camera casting a shadow on your subject depending on light direction. Olympus do a "light guide" accessory (£30) to channel the built in LED into a ring-light arrangement, which I may consider in the future if I find myself taking a lot of extreme close-ups, but that wasn't the reason for buying the camera. They also do a flash diffuser for £50 which re-directs the built in flash in a similar manner.
In summary, I'm happy with the camera and it seems fit for purpose taking photos around and in whitewater rivers. I'm happy to have got a used one at a decent price. Not sure I'd shell out £400+ for a new one, but as has been said in the thread above, there seems precious little choice in this sector of the photography market.
Edited by C n C on Saturday 6th August 14:52
Another postscript for anyone finding this thread via Google in the future. The Kodak PIXPRO WPZ2 has been around since 2019 but didn't come up on any of my googling back in the summer. It's waterproof and rugged at a much more realistic price point for a camera of this kind. £160-£180, at Maplins, Amazon, Argos.
It has the critical (to me) optical Zoom but does not have GPS.
It has the critical (to me) optical Zoom but does not have GPS.
Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Tuesday 29th November 08:26
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