Need all of ur help again...

[Rebel9921]

Yepper... again... LOL

Im also in the market for a new digital camera/camcorder... What brand/type do you use? and why?

Right now Im deliberating between Olympus waterproof cameras and Sony Digital Camcorder... My budget for this would be $500 and I'll be getting it after the Muskie Expo...

Thanks again!!!

[Nick Kuhn]

Well, the Canon DC40 gets some pretty solid reviews and comes in at about $400. My dad uses a Sony handycam and it works pretty well, thought the touchscreen controls are a little odd. The DC40 gets better reviews but probably will cost you another $75-$100.

As far as the Olympus goes, it's image quality is generally subpar for it's price range. While being waterproof is nice, it really only becomes a factor if you plan on snorkeling. Most other camera's will survive even heavy rain, and waterproof carrying cases are available anyway. My camera (Canon SD1000) was the best value you could find in point and shoot camera's. It since has been updated to the just released SD1100 (same camera effectively, but it comes with an extra megapixel of resolution and also improved image stabilization). Should be available for around the $250 mark. With a good 2GB card (those are dirt cheap right now) you can take some long videos, though in fairly poor quality compared to those of camcorders.

[PDXFisher]

One you may want to consider is the new Sanyo Video Camera. It is waterproof to 5 feet and records to flash media, not tape. You can take 6MP pictures at the same time as you're recording video, which is what sold me on it for being the ultimate fish-porn cam. I looked at the Olympus and Pentax waterproofs as well, but when I found the Sanyo I figured it did more of what I wanted. I hated having to take cameras out of video mode for the obligatory snapshot. With this one you don't have to.

It's called the Xacti VPC-E1. Waiting for mine to come in the mail.

[Nick Kuhn]

Reviews for camcorderes thus mentioned

Sanyo

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorde...l?tag=pdtl-list

Canon

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/canon-dc40/4505-6500_7-31699245.html?tag=pdtl-list

Sony

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorde...l?tag=pdtl-list

Reviews for Digital cameras thusfar mentioned

Olympus

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/...l?tag=pdtl-list

The SD1100 was just announced so expect reviews in the near future. Here is the SD1000

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/...38.html?tag=pop

You can read those and figure out what will meet all of your needs for the right price. Tons of other products not mentioned here are reviewed. CNET does a pretty good job of providing unbiased reviews, though they tend to underweigh the importance of price a little bit.

[RuKiddingMe]

We bought this one last summer... Panasonic DMC - TZ3s Lumix

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/...l?tag=pdtl-list

and love it, I especially like the rapid fire, the images are crystal clear and has a rechargeable battery.

[PDXFisher]

You need to figure out what features are important for you and what you will be using it for, and most importantly, *how* you will use it. If it's primarily for fishing, I have a specific set of requirements. Image quality (relative to the top end of the scale that's available) wasn't very high on my list. I had a Nikon Coolpix in my fly vest while wading and fly fishing for Salmon in BC. It got a little wet, now it's dead...$400 down the drain. I fish in rain often (or boat spray), and spent way too much time worrying about the camera getting wet. Waterproof is the most important feature for me now. I don't care if it can stay underwater for an hour or if it can go to 20 feet, I plan on fishing, not diving. It needs to handle the possible submerged release pic/movie and be usable in the rain to the point where I don't have have worry about how well I stashed it.

I like to take movies of the muskie being played, netted and released, possibly with an ending that's underwater. If I have to stop the video to take a picture, that screws up the continuity of the moment. If you don't have a camera that can take the pics while in movie mode, you have either have another camera and somehow maintain focus on the subject with both cameras, or you stop the video.

Also, how many people would be in the boat? If only two, when your buddy has a fish on he/she probably won't appreciate you holding a camera instead of the net. That means you're either mounting the camera (duct tape, velcro, whatever) to get video of the both of you, or you're waiting until the fish is netted to start shooting. If this is the case, then the first thing you'll do is take the pictures, then start shooting video. If you don't record video of everything before you net the fish, then the ability to take a picture while shooting video probably won't matter to you as much as it does me.

When I'm doing fishing pictures, I'm trying to capture a moment. That's a different requirement than a pic that I will try to get on the WCCO calendar, with perfect color (which can be handled with photoshop or GIMP anyway) and little noise or grain. If I want to produce a TV show, that's a whole 'nother set of requirements (I actually have a video production company with equipment for that). I have brought my expensive video cameras fishing, but that freaks me out quite a bit anymore.

So make a list of your priorities and then make a selection. For me for a fishing camera:

1. Waterproof

2. Affordable ($500 or less)

3. Can take pics at the same time movie is recording

4. Rugged media (no tapes or hard-drive based recording)

5. Decent performance with lower light

6. Fast startup time (power on to rolling record)

7. Good closeup focus

Honestly, I think just about any digicam has good enough quality for my fishing photos. I'm buying my GF a digital SLR that I would use if I get serious about having images I would blow up to poster size.

If image quality is high on anyone's list that wants to use a high quality video or still camera for fishing, either get a good clear-as-possible ziploc bag (guerilla method) or get a waterproof, custom external case for the camera (usually under $200 for small cams, four digits for big video cameras). Of course, with the Ziploc you may have effectively made your $1000 camera a $100 camera with the extraneous non-optically optimal plastic lens.

Ergonomics don't matter to me much because even on the best muskie days, I'd only use it a few times, not dozens (unless this trip with Chad Cain in late Feb works out like it could...). As long as I can press the button to record and snap the picture, I'm good. Shouldn't need to zoom much in a boat (unless you've got a really big boat and even then, move your feet, zooming looks amateurish).

Good luck!