Water and gadgets aren’t exactly the best of friends. All of us must have lost some gadgets to water, be it a cell phone or headphones or an iPod. With most of the gadgets, the good news is that you can easily save them from any contact with water. However, what do you do about gadgets you want to use around water? That’s when things start getting a little tricky. Waterproof digital cameras or rugged cameras, as they are sometimes called, have been designed to serve a very specific niche. Let’ see how well they have fared up till now.

Everything You Need to Know About Waterproof Digital Cameras

Waterproof digital cameras are fairly recent and therefore, producers are still trying to iron out flaws and errors. To begin with, let’s clearly state what these rugged cameras can and cannot do. For starters, they are not meant for professional underwater marine photography. For that purpose, you will have to invest in some underwater camera housing which is available for several cameras, including DSLR’s. However, if you are looking for a camera to click photos in the pool or around a beach, waterproof cameras will be perfect for you.

A waterproof camera usually has a seal which protects the inner components of the camera from water damage. This seal has to be extremely tight and resilient to work efficiently. In some cameras, the seal can leak or break easily, thus defying the whole purpose of an underwater camera. Therefore, the quality of the seal is a crucial factor in a rugged camera. Besides that, a good waterproof camera should be physically tough and it should have the right color balance for underwater photography.

Given below is a list of some of the most efficient waterproof cameras available in the market:

1. Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4- The DMC range of Panasonic has produced some of the best waterproof cameras till now and this one is no exception. It has a rock solid, aluminum body which is drop proof to a depth of 6.6 feet. The 12.1 megapixel camera boasts of a Leica lens and produces exceptionally lively and vibrant photographs, even during the night. The camera is slightly bulky, but that is a common problem with all waterproof cameras.

2. Sony Cyber Shot TX20- Quite surprisingly, the camera from Sony is rather sleek for an underwater digital camera. The waterproof quality can last up to a depth of 16 feet and it is drop proof up to 5 feet. The camera comes with a Carl Zeiss lens and it shoots at 16.1 megapixels. More importantly, image quality is exceptionally good. On the flip side though, the battery life is quite poor.

3. Olympus Tough TG-1- This camera from Olympus is among the heaviest and largest waterproof cameras and it can operate till a depth of 40 feet underwater. Significantly, it has a mode dial which makes it easier to switch between modes while shooting underwater. The lens is produced by Olympus and the camera shoots at 12 megapixels. When it comes to picture quality, the camera delivers with great color balance. Additionally, the battery life is as good as it can get in an underwater camera.

4. Nikon CoolPix AW100- The Nikon CoolPix AW100 boasts of exceptionally high performance in the image quality department as it has a number of underwater settings. This 16 megapixel camera can stay waterproof till a depth of 30 feet. Finally, it has a very rugged and resilient body which is shockproof up to 5 feet.

So, the next time you plan a vacation to the beachside, these waterproof cameras can be of great assistance. You can take high quality photographs without worrying about damaging the camera. While none of the above mentioned models are without their share of flaws, nevertheless, they will not give you a lot of reasons to complain. And the good news is that better ones are on their way to the market.