Nature resistant cameras

[Joe Barney]

Hello, I want a nature resistant camera basically. I've looked at the Olympus Tough 8000, and I know Canon has a decent one. Are there any DSLRs along this line of camera? Also, what's a great portable set up for nature, as far as point and shoot as well as DSLR? Thanks!

Joey

[Brian Leng]

Hello Joey,
I just purchased a point and shoot camera but it has one drawback. Most of the newer point and shoot camera are,designed for you to view and compose through the LCD screen. There are times when you are in a bright environment where the image tends to get washed out and you can't see what you are shooting. Which kinda defeats the whole purpose. I really liked the older point and shoots where they have a separate viewer. But because all of the manufactures are competing on who has the biggest & largest LCD screen, they use it as one of the main features of the camera. It's a selling point! So to compensate for the large screen, they did away with the view finder. Yes, there are attachable pop-up screens and a oversize viewer loop to shade the LCD screen but I bought the point and shoot to be fast, light weight and to fit in a pocket of a Hawaiian tee shirt!

The camera is a Lumix by Panasonic. I know what you're thinking, but hear me out. Panasonic, who ever heard of them making a digital camera? The Panasonic name has not been advertised but the name Lumix has. It has a Ziess lens which is one of the sharpest lens ever made and are in Leica Cameras. It can make a excellent panoramic, can also shoot video, and can be dropped from 5 feet. As well as go to the depth of 10' feet. I've only tested it in a swimming pool that was only eight feet and I don't scuba dive any more so I have no need for it to go to ten feet. The real reason I bought it was because I now river raft and didn't want to get my DSLR wet or buy a water tight housing for the camera.

There are so many point and shoot cameras, and newer one appear monthly.
I found that Consumer Reports does a really great job of listing and comparing most of the different consumer point and shoot cameras.

If you're in the market of purchasing a point & shoot or a DSLR, stick with Canon or Nikon they're both excellent manufactures and if you ever want to resale them, you'll get a great return.

Hope this info was helpful, Good Luck!

[Neal Gallagher]

Not only do I prefer the old viewfinders, but they allow me to use my head to help still camera shake. My photos have move shake blur with the newer cameras because of this.

[Joe Barney]

I think that's why they were forced to invent image stabilization. I am used to it but my older digital camera had a viewfinder that was optical and I loved that because like you said, there was sometimes way too much sunlight. And now I can still take photos even though the LCD display is cracked because it has that little thing. I just don't really use it anymore.

[Joe Barney]

Thanks, because of your suggestion I went to Panasonic's Website, and found this article: http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/10259.html - It even beat the Olympus Tough 8000 I was lusting after. Thanks! The really great thing is it would take my 4GB SDHC memory card I already have. That's one less thing I would have to buy. That's definitely next on my shopping list.