Hey,
In my opinion having the WiFi capability in an inexpensive point & shoot camera - especially one that's waterproof - is a gimmick that takes away from the picture taking quality of the camera. Why not simply put your smartphone in a waterproof case and use that instead?
Good luck with your shopping though, I hope you find something that works.
Cheers,
Terry
Terry is right. If you have a smart phone you will probably get the best quality you can with wifi cameras. They even have lens adapters that can make you photos better....so you might want to look into that before you do anything else.
As a quick guide, you should be choosing between a smartphone (as camera), compact camera, mirrorless or micro four-thirds camera, or a digital SLR (either crop sensor or full frame). Obviously the digital SLR part is mostly outside of your budget.
Benefits to each broad category.
You don't necessarily need a smartphone to have a WiFi capability. Perhaps you should be looking at WiFi SD cards to use in whichever camera you decide to get.
For a lightweight travel camera, I would probably go for a micro-four thirds, which allows for RAW images and with inter-changeable you can tap your 'artistic' skills.
Good luck with your choice!
[ 13-Sep-2013, at 05:38 by astonishedX ]
Crop sensor or full frame?!
astonishedX, I doubt that anyone looking to spend £200 at most cares about anything except a cheap point & shoot to post photos to Facebook...
Cheers,
Terry
Hi Terry,
Of course I understand that the poster wishes to spend a limited amount, which is why I said the SLR is outside of that budget. I merely mentioned the categories for completeness of information and to indicate the variety of options available, each with its own benefits and disadvantages (of which price is only one).
I often find that people who purchase a camera tend to 'under-buy' and quickly outgrow their purchase, wishing they had bought somethinfpg that would satisfy their growing interest, confidence and artistic expression - even if it is only for Facebook.
Cheers,
astonishedX
Agree, the Micro Four Thirds and any interchangeable lens systems are out for this traveller. These are not the features the OP is looking for and they do not need to be upsold to a camera they have no intention of learning how to use.
To mollieb:
In my previous camera retail experience, Panasonic Tough models were always good waterproof cameras that created really good quality images. They often looked better than standard camera results from other brands. I just saw one of their latest models DMC-FT5 is 13m waterproof and has WiFi capability.
The second brand I would look at for waterproof is Olympus. Again, they do tough cameras well and there's always loads of smart auto features. They might be able to provide both of the main features you want at a lower price point than Panasonic. Try the Tough TG-630.
The other recommendation is to go and have a play in store once you've narrowed down your choices. The camera needs to feel comfortable in your hand. You want to be able to confidently flick between menus in a hurry so that you don't miss a shot.
Good luck in your search!
DPReview did a last month. The two overall winners were the Nikon Coolpix AW110 and Olympus Tough TG-2, only slightly above your budget (£263 and £275 respectively, of which the Nikon comes with WiFi, though it needs a smartphone as a hub for then sharing the photos).
Overall though, a good waterproof camera is a lousy camera otherwise, so I'd really strongly think about how much the waterproof feature is worth to you. There's going to be a lot of cheaper non-waterproof cameras which deliver higher image quality.
Waterproof cameras do occasionally have their moments. My wife used an Olympus Tough in the Philippines to film the whale sharks while we were snorkelling - managed to get a great two-three minutes of excellent footage.
Thanks for all your help guys, still trying to decide at the moment! Think I'm just going to go with a wifi camera and get a waterproof case. I'll use my smartphone when I can but battery was the main issue, which was why I wanted a camera :D
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