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< SeptOct 2001
	Gear
Say Cheese! Waterproof (and resistant) cameras for paddling Eugene Buchanan

Sunsets, wildlife, waterfalls, your buddy doing a kegstand at a riverside party. These and more are all reasons to pack a camera when you take to the water. Unfortunately, doing so has largely been a game of compromise. If you're canoeing or kayaking, you have to dig deep in a Pelican box or drybag, re-attach lenses and hold the contraption up to your eye before the animal leaves or your buddy gets washed off the wave. Then you have to worry about water ruining both camera and film, all while taking photos in a wet environment. Thanks to a new wave of waterproof and water-resistant cameras, now you can lock your worries inside a film can.

Though some of the following are more waterproof and resistant than others, we took them all into the terrain for which they were designed: a five-day raft and kayak trip down Colorado's Yampa Canyon. We shot from our kayaks, from the rafts, from the kitchen and from groover, all in the name of putting the memory-catchers through the test. We dropped them in the water, in the sand and other places (thankfully not the groover) that would make their designers cringe. Afterward, we even took them road-tripping to a few river festivals throughout the West, where groupies were quick to seize them for hours on end. After ending up far more water-logged than the cameras, we came away with the following photos and feelings.

Canon Elph Sport
The Cannon Elph ($240) was the most James Bond-looking image-capturer of the bunch. Small enough to easily fit in one hand, it comes with a zippered, neoprene case that's a perfect fit for drybag or ammo can. Like idiots, we assumed it was waterproof before actually knowing so; after storing it inside my drytop pocket for an hour-long play session, I was pleasantly surprised to see the battery-powered display panel on the back still showing the number of shots left on the roll.

Billed as the world’s smallest, lightest underwater camera (maybe that's where it gets its name), the Elph runs on that new breed of Advantix film, offering three different print options: classic, group or panoramic. We kept it in classic for the most part, save for a few rim-to-rim landscape shots when we switched it to panoramic. A large view-finder with idiot-proof, over-sized controls made operation a snap (especially with underwater, and night icons a 3-year-old could understand), and the built-in flash and 23-mm lens captured everything intended. Controls let you auto focus on land, and switch to adjustable focus when shooting mystery moves underwater. Other features include self-timer; and automatic film loading, winding and rewinding. Stylish design and shockproof construction--tested by accidentally dropping it on a sidewalk at a river festival--made it one of our favorites, as did its light, easy-to-use design. The only thing that gave us pause was that even in "Off" mode, the back panel still looked to be on.

--Info: (800) OKCANON, www.usa.canon.com.

Pentax IQZoom 95WR (Weather-Resistant, NOT for underwater use)
As a long time user and fan of the venerable IQZoom 90, I was curious to see what new bells and whistles would be added to this model--a full decade newer than mine. I was happily surprised to find all the best features remain, with a few new ones added. The first thing you notice is that, with the 95WR ($292), you have the option of shooting in normal or panoramic mode--always a nice touch, particularly when shooting landscapes. Also, the extra 5mm of zoom lens allows for just that little bit of extra closeness--without adding bulk to a sleek camera. Also nice for air-headed amateurs, the lens will automatically retract if unused for over three minutes. The zoom macro is retained for flowers, bugs or other diminutive close-ups, and a new feature--the infinity landscape button--allows you to capture distant subjects with clarity, without worrying about the camera focussing on a nearby object. And, like the IQZoom 90, the easy-to-use remote is perfect for self-portraits. Though the 95WR is not for underwater use, it will float and is very water resistant--not to mention the automatic film loading, winding and rewinding. With a long history of success in the family, this camera remains one of the finest point-and-shoots on the market.

--Info: www.pentaxusa.com, (800) 877-0155.

--tom bie

Kodak MAX and MAX Sport Waterproof Cameras
Though you might not be calling National Geographic after your trip, if you want a waterproof camera that's ready on a moment's notice, hit the check-out aisles of your favorite supermarket with a disposable Kodak in the cart. Equally at home on the floor of a raft or strapped to the decking of a sea kayak, what you lose in quality is easily made up for in accessibility. The prints come out good enough for any photo album or post-river trip party where you want to share memories of who flipped where.

To test the Max ($11) and Max Sport ($14) waterproof cameras from Kodak we relied on one of the dorkiest accessory gadgets we've ever received: the Wrist Cam. As its name implies, the Wrist Cam lets you tote the small rectangles around on your wrist, ready for use on a moment's notice. It might not be the most fashionable addition to your paddling set-up, but it keeps your camera as accessible as your forearm. Both cameras come with over-sized controls to eliminate fumbling, are one-time-use only and come pre-loaded with 27 exposures of Kodak MAX film. Simply buy, shoot and develop, and Kodak recycles or reuses 90 percent of it to make a new one-time-use camera. The Max, which comes with a flash, is waterproof up to 12 feet. The MAX Sport comes with a rubberized grip/shell for easy handling and can survive depths up to 14 feet--more than enough if it accidentally gets dropped in a paint bucket full of cold river water and beer.

--Info (800) 242-2424, www.kodak.com.

Kodak Advantix T700 Zoom Camera
The Kodak Advantix ($169-$189) isn’t a camera that should flop around in the bottom of your boat; it's weatherproof, but not waterproof. Still, this means it can take the occasional splash and/or raindrop, and you don’t have to be overly protective when using it. Its biggest draw is that it was the most compact camera of the lot, measuring a paltry 3.5" by 2.5". This means it fits anywhere, from an ammo can to a paddle jacket pocket. To use it entails lifting up the flip-up flash, which both protects and activates the 25- to 50mm zoom lens. Then it's just a game of point and shoot. The Menu, Select, Modes and Enter buttons on the back seem daunting at first, allowing you to choose everything from 41 pre-programmed titles in 12 languages to put on the back of each print; auto, fill flash, auto flash with and without red-eye reduction modes; infinity-focus, night-view and continuous drive modes; and more. It also has a focus lock that lets you keep the subject in focus while moving the viewfinder to frame the photo how you like. Three print options let you select from classic, group and panoramic categories, and its mid-roll change capability allows you to switch film cassettes mid-roll so you can devote one roll to surf shots and another to sunsets. And if you're shooting around a campfire, a glow button illuminates the LCD panel.

The simplest method, of course, is to leave it on auto and let it do all the work. Simply grab it from its diminutive hide-away, pop open the flash and click away--and then proudly show the results at your post-trip party.

--Info (800) 242-2424, www.kodak.com.

Sealife ReefMaster CL Underwater Camera
At first glance, the SeaLife Reefmaster CL ($169) seems like a lot of camera. Save for the Nikonis, it's bulkier than the rest, especially with its manual, plastic viewfinder that sticks out on top like an over-sized sight on a rifle. But most of the bulk is in the casing (made of clear Lexan plastic), which makes it waterproof to 164 feet--far deeper than we hope you'd ever go while paddling. The gunsight-looking viewfinder is simply for use underwater when looking through a dive mask. And you can shrink its size considerably by simply taking it out of its waterproof housing and using it as a durable and water-resistant conventional camera. (You can also use the waterproof housing as a sort of mini-Pelican box for other items that need to stay dry.)

It's waterproofness is its biggest attribute, however, as we simply kept it tied on to the cargo netting of our rafts for easy accessibility. And we got a shot of a flip because of it. The fully automatic, 35mm camera has a built-in flash and is remarkably easy to use; simply depress the shutter and let it shoot away at its automatic F-stop of 5.6 and 1/125 shutter speed. The flash will kick on when it needs to. Though all you need to get started is standard 35 mm film and a set of AA batteries, options include an external flash, macro lens and other accessories. Its simplicity made it a favorite among testers, especially those who had a few too many beers in the riverside horseshoe arena on our layover day.

--Info: (800)257-7742, www.waterproofcameras.com.

Nikon Nikonos-V
The eyes of the most camera-astute paddler on our trip lit up when he found out we were testing one of Nikon's aptly named Nikonis-V ($960) waterproof cameras. Apart from a name that hints of whitewater, it's the market's flagship waterproof camera and has been so since first introduced in 1993. Its rugged, compact design withstands pressure up to 160 feet; accommodates five interchangable Nikon lenses; and offers both manual and aperture priority settings, the latter of which lets you select the desired aperture with the camera selecting the appropriate shutter speed.

He was quick to turn it over to us, however, on the drive to the put-in to pass off the first chore of operation: lubricating the four sets of O-ring gaskets which give it its waterproofness. But this afforded us the perfect chance to get acquainted with all its parts and features, from installing the Lithium battery to putting on the lens and loading the film. Ours came with a 35mm lens, which offered a good range for the Yampa's wide canyons. Its most redeeming feature, however, was its sheer ruggedness and waterproofness, which allowed us to tote it around our necks while kayaking so we never missed the perfect splat, surf or sunset. What takes getting used to is the fact that what you see through the viewfinder isn’t what you get on film. You have to guestimate where your subject will wind up in the frame. But with practice, we got the hang of it.

Available in orange or green, the Nikonis doesn’t have any bells and whistles. You load and unload the film manually (which we messed up one time, requiring us to unload the film in the darkness of a drybag); you have no one but yourself to blame if the shots come out over-exposed and out of focus; and you even have to remember to set the ASA to the correct setting. But it's a photographer's camera to the hilt, and if you're serious about getting on-the-water shots of your trip, it belongs right alongside (not in, because it's waterproof) your drybag.

--Info.: (800) NIKONUS, www.nikonusa.com,