Nortfish Loc: Port St. Lucie, Fla

Hi everybody. I have been reading posts on UHH for years but never posted anything. I never felt I had anything relevant to say up to now.
I have been using my Olympus Tough TG-1 as my go to camera whenever I went to any water event. I have taken it snorkeling many times and although it was not my Nikonos 5, that I used to dive with, it did just fine. The land pictures were surprisingly sharp and bright. It is compact, waterproof, to 35 ft., shock proof and fits in most pockets. Since they are up to the 6 series, I'm sure there are many improvements.

My second travel camera is a Lumix FZ-80. I bought it for a trip to Alaska where I thought I needed more reach than my other cameras afforded me. I also did not want to have to change lenses since I was mostly with a group and, as most of you know, that is sometimes not the best situation for planned shots and fiddling around changing lenses. Overall I am pretty satisfied. It definitely does not have the IQ of a larger sensor camera, but it does have a long reach and many effect features if you choose to use them. Since it shoots RAW there is room to compensate for some shortcomings. On a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 7.
To sum up. If I was taking the trip that you are, as I did many years ago, I would take my best rig for the times you can set up and stay dry, than also have a pocket camera like the Tough series for snorkeling and other wet weather adventures.

Have a great trip. I consider the one I took as one of the best travel experiences of my life. The BVI is beautiful and sailing the channel is a great experience.

Bullfrog Bill Loc: CT

Buy a “dry bag” for the dinghy rise and take your good camera. Sold at sporting goods stores.

mikee

I have 2 of these, and the IQ sucks.

mikee

Sorry, was replying to the Fuji xp130 recommendation.

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

jdub82 Loc: Northern California

Robert Ley

I have sailed the BVI's many times and have always taken my good cameras (Pentax 6x7 and 645 with many lenses) and never had a problem. Last time I had a Canon G9 that worked great. If you worry about your equipment you won't get the kind of shots that you want. Get the dry bag and use it and if the sailing gets a little hairy keep your camera below deck.

"The Baths" Virgin Gorda shot on Pentax 67

dhk

tg5

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Olympus TG-6. Waterproof to 50', shockproof from 7', but closer, if not a little over, to the $300 side of your limit. A used TG-4 or TG-5 from Keh Camera, Adorama, or B&H may fit the budget a little better. Wrist strap is important. Most waterproof cameras will sink if left "free". Olympus does sell a flotation strap that will prevent the camera from going to the bottom of the sea.

Jeffers

I use a Canon Powershot ELPH 360 HS, about $200, and almost exclusively do point and shoot. I rarely use the Zoom (12x Optical). It's 20 mpx so you can crop the daylights out of the image. Even in bright sunlight I can center the horizon in the LCD and visually aim at the subject. For focus, you depress the shutter button half-way; then all the way to shoot the picture. When you do it that way, the instant you shoot, that's the image you get. It also has an excellent Burst Mode for taking action scenes.
One word of caution. You can't recharge the battery without taking it out and putting it in its charger. At family gatherings, I usually take 70-130 shots. I always have to change the battery at least once. So I always carry a backup battery and have another in the car, in an ELPH 340.
If you are interested in this camera and want more info, private message me.

JimmyDK

I purchased the Fujifilm XP130 last summer for a beach-side vacation. I left my Nikons home because I was going lite. This was my first time with a "point & shoot" and I was impressed. Here's a shot I took in the panorama mode.

Rsardisco

I have a refurb Canon Powershot 300 purchased from Canon that is a perfect complement to my iPhone (just kidding, it’s so I don’t have to carry the DSLR). You can buy the 20.2 mp 360 for less than $200. You can eliminate the shutter lag by pre-focusing.
https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/powershot-elph-360-hs-black-refurbished-digital-camera

khildy Loc: Brownsburg, IN

I have two Nikons but have TG-5 for a kick around especially around water.

maranatha

If u have decent phone camera better than P&S sometimes better than some DSLRS

fiat76 Loc: PA, MD, and SC

Dear Robert, You and Nortfish gave me the push I needed! I have decided I am taking my good equipment, and I am going to pursue a dry bag! I don't know why I even thought about not taking my good camera. We have been up and down the ICW twice, and we moored in Marathon for several months without incident.
Decision has been made! Thanks!

Bonnie