A new camera, a new underwater feature

I bought a new, cheapo digital camera recently because the camera I have loved for the past three years has been acting wiggy for months. It's been unreliable and I've had to use my iPhone camera as a regular back-up lately. The iPhone camera has surprised me with it's quality but it's a hassle to take a photo when doing something active (which is usually when I'm prompted to take one in the first place).

It's a multi-step process...
*Swipe screen to activate phone.
*Click on camera icon.
*Use two hands to steady camera (otherwise the focus is unreliable).
*Hit the exact right spot on the touchscreen to actually take the photo.

I know, it doesn't sound like much but when you're walking, biking, skiing, etc. trust me, it's a hassle.

Since we're saving up to purchase a new vehicle I didn't have much money to invest in another higher-end point and shoot like my old Cannon Powershot S5. (It went on every single outdoor adventure we've had for the past several years in every kind of weather from below freezing to 100+degrees, sun, rain, snow and everything in between. This is testament that it was a great camera because we really pushed it beyond it's advertised limits!)

After talking with a co-worker I decided what I really needed in a camera in this low-end price range (under $150) were two particular features - durability and some sort of water resistance. I doubted a cheap camera would last us a year without those particular features.

I ended up buying a FujiFilm Finepix XP20 per my co-worker's recommendation. My very first digital camera was a Fuji Finepix and although it didn't have much in the way of bells and whistles, it really did take a nice picture for it's generation of cameras. It's still alive and kicking even after all these years (I bought it in 2003).

I have had this new Finepix for a week now and I am not feeling the love like I did with my original Fuji. The picture quality on this one is just OK. Actually, I think my iPhone takes a better depth of field picture with better color quality and exposure accuracy with more consistency (and I admit I still bemoan the loss of my Cannon so it's hard to find something to measure up to that). But this XP20 series is both "shock proof" and "water proof" so when I'm skiing down a mountain I can take video and not worry about a nor'easter ruining the camera (that would have been handy for our Sunday River ski trip last January. Actually, I believe that may have contributed to my Cannon's demise). Or, when we were camping in the torrential rain for three days (like a few weeks ago). Or out kayaking or canoeing in the summer (which we hope to do more of this month).

If ever there was a family that needed a water- and shock-proof camera, it would be us.

Today I decided to christen the camera with a trip to Dundee Park in Windham with my 13-year-old. I figured I'd rather find out now (while still under the 30 day warranty) if the camera really could handle the underwater option as advertised.

It does and it was a whole lot of silly fun.

I can totally see us enjoying the entertainment value this camera offers at the beach during the next couple of months. And as I learn the various photo settings, hopefully I will find ways to get it to take a better quality picture.