Whether your strategy to beat this summer’s heat involves the beach, the municipal pool or the backyard sprinkler, you can capture the fun with a waterproof, all-weather camera. Bonus— they’re not just for summer. They also stand up to spring showers, wintry blizzards and the grubby hands of children.
Cameras and lenses have two natural enemies: moisture and impact. If your photo gear never gets wet or banged against an unforgiving surface, odds are it will function properly for as long as you own it. However, a little water—sometimes very little water—can do more damage than a squad of starving squirrels in a peanut butter factory.
So how does one take pictures under water, let alone mere in inclement weather?
Here are five popular cameras that, to one degree or another, have all sorts of “proofs,” i.e., waterproof, dustproof, crushproof, klutzproof. The terms “all-weather,” “waterproof,” et al, are defined differently by various manufacturers. Consult the documentation that’s supplied with the camera and the manufacturer’s website before pursuing extreme conditions. Please note that all focal lengths indicated below are expressed in their 35mm equivalent.
Olympus Tough TG-6
A leading manufacturer in the waterproof camera arena, Olympus has been at the forefront of the category for many years. Their current offering, the Olympus Tough TG-6, combines great styling with innovative features over and above most other candidates, including an electronic compass, GPS, thermometer and manometer. It also features a 12-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 25-100mm f/2.0-4.9 zoom, 3-inch LCD and 4K video at 120p, plus all of the proofs: Waterproof to 49.2 feet (15 m), Crush, Shock, Freeze and Dustproof. It weighs less than 9 ounces (253 g) for comfortable carry and is available from Amazon for $499.
Ricoh WG-80
Featuring an ingenious built-in 6-LED ring light, the Ricoh WG-80 is a great choice for imaging in normal weather, too. It offers a 5X optical zoom (28-140mm f/3.5-5.5) plus a 7.2X digital zoom. It sports a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, 2.7-inch LCD and weighs a scant 6.8 ounces (194 g). Presented in orange or black, the slightly farfalle-shaped Ricoh WG-80 is available from Amazon for $277.
Ricoh WG-6
A sizeable step up from the WG-80, the Ricoh WG-6 has a 20-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, 28-140mm f/3.5-5.5 optical zoom (and 8.1X digital zoom), 3-inch LCD plus onboard compass and GPS modules. Capable of UHD 4K recording and Water, Crush, Shock, Freeze and Dustproof, it has a built-in ring light like its cousin the WG-80. It’s also chemical resistant for industrial use. Weighing in at 8.6 ounces (246 g), this all-environment travel camera is available from Amazon for $377.
SeaLife Micro 3.0
The SeaLife Micro 3.0 features a 16-megapixel (1/2.3 inch) CMOS sensor and can capture JPEG or DNG files (to the delight of enthusiastic images editors). Captures UHD 4K video, and the SeaLife Micro 3.0 can also shoot bursts of up to 10 images of 16-megapixel resolution in about one second. The 19mm f/2.8 prime lens covers about 100° but does not zoom. It has the deepest dive rating—200 feet (60 m) as well as the highest price point. Tipping the scales at 11.6 ounces (329g), it’s available from Amazon for $599.
Kodak Pixpro WPZ2
At the budget end of the price spectrum, Kodak Pixpro WPZ2 is waterproof to 49 feet (15 m) and features a 16-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. The lens is a 27-108mm f/3.0-6.6 zoom and it also offers a 6X digital zoom. It has a 2.7 inch LCD and captures 1080p Full HD video. Accepts Micro SD and Micro SDHC only. The Kodak-branded Pixpro WPZ2 is offered by JK Imaging through a global licensing agreement with Kodak and is available from Amazon for $149 in yellow, blue or red.
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It happens to the best of us: Sooner or later we all run out of fresh ideas and inspiration and fall into a rut. So how do you escape the doldrums and get the get the creative juices flowing once again?
The answer can be as simple as breaking the so-called “rules” of photography and trying something different or unconventional. Unique images are typically the result, and in the process you’ll expand your vision, skills and interests.
The quick tutorial below from the Photography Course YouTube channel is installment 45 of the 52-Week Project that’s designed to simplify common techniques and provide interesting ideas for shooting images that stand out from the crowd. Today’s episode will provide a heavy dose of inspiration to get back out in the field and on track.
Instructor Tara Iv encourages you to pick any (or all) of the three familiar rules she describes and break them to bits. It’s a fun and liberating exercise that we encourage you to try over the weekend. As we’ve said numerous times before, rules are meant to be broken, right?
The overarching goal is to rediscover your creativity by taking a more intuitive approach to photography with alternative techniques for capturing familiar scenes. Iv begins with the well-known Rules of Thirds that involves dividing the frame with two evenly spaced vertical lines and two evenly spaced horizontal lines. Then, as it goes, you place subjects at points where these lines intersect.
Breaking this rule is simple: Just forget about any guidelines, loosen up, and take whatever approach to composition that strikes your fancy. Even try placing a subject smack dab in the center of the frame, heaven forbid, and you might capture a compelling image.
Tip number two involves the common goal of maximizing sharpness. Here Iv suggests you try the opposite approach with a technique known as Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) during a slow exposure like 1/15. And by all means, leave your tripod at home. This often results in photos with a beautiful painterly look.
The lesson wraps up with a rule we were all taught early on; namely, keeping the horizon straight and level so your photo doesn’t appear careless. Here the trick is to tilt the camera left or right to skew the horizon on purpose. This method adds unexpected impact to street scenes, landscapes, and environmental portraits.
There’s much more to see on Iv’s instructional YouTube, channel, including past and future episodes of the popular 52-Week project. So pay a visit when you have time.
And if you want to protect all your hard-earned images, be sure to watch the recent tutorial we posted explaining a safe and simple method for backing up your files so tragedy never strikes.
Capturing sharp photos is a goal of all photographers, and it’s best to get the job done in the camera. That’s because things can go wrong when attempting to fix soft images in post-processing.
In the tutorial below a top pro reveals nine “unconventional” tips for shooting sharp photos that you likely haven’t heard before. His advice may be different from what you’ve heard in the past, but it works wonders for all genres of photography and you can start using it today.
Instructor Tin Man Lee is an award-winning wildlife photographer whose students themselves have won more than 300 national and international honors. Lee learned tip one from a legendary National Geographic photographer while they were shooting wildlife in Yellowstone National Park.
This technique is all about shooting wide-open, preferably with a prime lens, even when situations may indicate otherwise. That’s because as long as the eyes of your subject are sharp, human perception is such that the image conveys a feeling of sharpness. The bonus is a soft background that further accentuates the eyes.
Lee also discusses the difference between zoom lenses and primes from the perspective of a wildlife photographer. He notes that his subjects are elusive, rarely remain still, often blend into the background, and can be particularly active in low light. His preference for prime lenses is due to the fact that lab tests don’t take these variables into consideration when evaluating lenses for sharpness.
Another key consideration is Lee’s trick for “helping the camera speed up autofocus.” He does this by previsualizing an image, and he offers this advice: Before you click on the shutter, scrutinize the scene looking for a clean background without elements between you and your subject that can momentarily confuse the camera and cause you to miss the moment.
Lee also discusses the importance of minimizing negative effects of various atmospheric conditions, and whether or not using the camera’s highest frame rate really matters. You’ll also see how he employs shutter speed, aperture and ISO to maximize sharpness in different situations.
There’s much more to learn, including how to avoid a common mistake when shooting in low light, the degree to which megapixels really matter, and a little-known “super sharpening method” that delivers fast and precise results.
After watching this lesson head over to Lee’s instructional YouTube channel for more great outdoor photography tips.
And be sure to check out the tutorial we posted from another accomplished pro, explaining how to shoot landscape photos with eye-catching sunbursts.
