Finally, there are two options out there for outdoor/action digicam users. Face it, digicams are fragile or at least they have been.
I’m talking about little ones, to take everywhere with you.
In my world they need to be good enough quality for printing and they need to offer wide angle and they need good video.
And they need to be small and light. And not too pricey.
Well, the new line of Olympus SW’s, mainly the new 1030 and 1050 seem like just the ticket, at about $250, I think.
They’re accompanied by the Pentax Optio series, mainly the new W60: more here at: www.pentaximaging.com/products/product_details/digital_camera–Optio_W60/reqID–10524531/subsection–optio.
There are several easy to find digicam reviewing websites. Find em and check em out.
But there’s a sweet other site, run by a guy who I’ve emailed with. Marek Uliasz, the “Wayfarer,” loves paddling and water-cams. His site is super if you like outdoor water enduro action in the fast lane. Here’s his camera stuff: photokayaker.fit2paddle.com/C560391461/E20070409174528/
I know that pro’s would do everything better, but I’ve had lots of color pics used in slick mags as shot by my 5-year-old ultra-tiny 1mb cam—and they looked great. So I think the quality of new tiny cams is nothing to worry about.
…Water and dropping ARE big worries, though!
Get one of these new “proof” cams—then get yourself a Gorilla Pod wrappable, twistable tripod—along with maybe a Sticky Pod suction cup tripod—and head on out and take some BOLD REAL WORLD pixels!
You know, people are making prize-winning FEATURE FILMS with these things! Just edit the results with the free Windows Movie Maker software or some such. Use Garage Band to make a soundtrack, if you want (but that’s Mac, I guess.) Go for it!
Actually, maybe get TWO of these cams and make sure you’re always out there with a PAL and both of you carry em and use and, heck, why not put em on your heads, hats or helmets? Get big GB chips and run the video then see what you get. Basically, your best footage will come from the REAR of a helmet cam as worn by a guy in FRONT of you: gets you comin’ at ‘im! Some duct-tape and zipties and a piece of wood will work for rigging a helmet cam—but there are probably real mounts out there—hopefully even something from the Gorilla or Sticky people.
Have at it!
https://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/product.asp?product=1363
