Wide angle capable small camera..

[Monique]

... water resistant...
... perhaps capable of panorama shots...
... if it could do HD vids too = GREAT

What do you have??

TA as always.

 

[st599]

Go pro HD hero2.

As used by broadcasters. Not the cheapest, but check out the quality on YouTube and Vimeo.

 

[Monique]

Thank you. Will look into the cost...

Anyone else?

 

[Lakesailor]

I've just researched this and bought the Panasonic Lumix FT3

Everything you ask for and more (28mm equivalent wide angle) The only camera better at 25mm equivalent wide angle was the Sony Cybershot.
I was looking for a specific feature set which included optical zoom which could be used during filming. Wind Cut filter and the best stills image.
The Sony didn't match the Lumix.
Don't bother with the FT4 which is the current Lumix. More money and lower quality image according to reviews.

Vid taken with my Lumix FT3

​

Still taken with my Lumix FT3

 

[Monique]

Go pro HD hero2.

As used by broadcasters. Not the cheapest, but check out the quality on YouTube and Vimeo.

Does it do still photography as well?

 

[Twister_Ken]

Listen to Lakey. He knows about these things.

 

[dylanwinter]

believe lakey

although I use one of these

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/camcorders/panasonic-hx-wa10-review-50004603/

you can download an hd film here

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/blogs/sailing-up-the-run-in-wells-next-the-sea/

go pro is a great little toy for those who care nothing for the sound and who do not care if straight stuff such as masts and horizons came from a banana factory

the go pro imposes its own bizarre aesthetic on everything it shoots

I think

 

[Monique]

Thank you for the comment Dylan.

I will take Lakey's advice... after my own look at the alternatives, it does come out on top in comparative assessments.

Is this a great place or what???

 

[mlines]

I also use the Panasonic WA-10

Yes, broadcasters use the GoPro but they tend to use a whole bunch of them so that they can edit in the different angles. With a single GoPro you tend to end up with a single, wide angle view.

However for comparison here is a Panasonic WA-10 verses Go-Pro filming at the same event at the same time.

The first is the Panasonic, but I made the mistake of leaving my camera clamp on the shore so it is handheld.



Here is the Go-Pro




Here is the Panasonic with camera clamp to make it more stable.



I think the pictures of the GoPro are better and have a better colour range but the convenience of a handled camera with built in screen swayed me to the Panasonic (everything including a screen is extra on a GoPro as far as I remember).

 

[st599]

I've just researched this and bought the Panasonic Lumix FT3

Everything you ask for and more (28mm equivalent wide angle) The only camera better at 25mm equivalent wide angle was the Sony Cybershot.
I was looking for a specific feature set which included optical zoom which could be used during filming. Wind Cut filter and the best stills image.
The Sony didn't match the Lumix.
Don't bother with the FT4 which is the current Lumix. More money and lower quality image according to reviews.

Vid taken with my Lumix FT3

​

Still taken with my Lumix FT3

What's causing the chromatic abberration?

 

[Seven Spades]

What is that. Not only do I not know what you mean but I can't see anything wrong with those images.

 

[Lakesailor]

What's causing the chromatic abberration?

It comes with the territory.
It's a compact camera so having zillions of pixels isn't a great help as the chip is quite small and requires a lot of in-camera image processing. Edge contrast will always show any image defects and the purpose of this model is to be waterproof and shock-proof (my last 3 compacts died from lens failure) so this has an internal zooming lens and has a plain glass element over the lens as well.
Both these things will introduce extra image defects. All the good reviews do point this out. However it is only a problem if you are doing big prints or pixel-peeking. That is why I looked for the "tough" camera with the best image on tests.
The Olympus TG620 and TG820 were also possibles, but the image quality was lower.
As in everything photographic, there are compromises to make, but this is a slight one I am happy to live with as the camera will carry on taking pics and vids after others have packed up and gone home.

This is a 100% section from the original. That would be a bigger than A4 print at 300 dpi.

Below is another shot from the Lumix.

 

[tim_ber]

although I use one of these

http://reviews.cnet.co.uk/camcorders/panasonic-hx-wa10-review-50004603/

you can download an hd film here

http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/blogs/sailing-up-the-run-in-wells-next-the-sea/

go pro is a great little toy for those who care nothing for the sound and who do not care if straight stuff such as masts and horizons came from a banana factory

the go pro imposes its own bizarre aesthetic on everything it shoots

I think

What happened to your Xacti? Is it still working? Is it still waterproof? The panasonic looks similar to the Xacti, but is it?

 

[dylanwinter]

badge engineering

What happened to your Xacti? Is it still working? Is it still waterproof? The panasonic looks similar to the Xacti, but is it?

panasonic bought xacti up

kept the designs and re-branded

same cameras, same batteries, same lenses

I am on my second

the first worked beautifully, the screen gave up

beleive it to be a connection between the screen and the camera



- vibration is the enemy I believe - mine gets to go out on the horse, the boat, the bike and my pocket while walking

never had a moisture problem with them

can do decent sound if you work with the camera

like anything - wind is the killer - but a glove or a carefully cupped hand over the mikes really helps

pretty sharp for what they are

but like any small camera - the small lens is the killer when the light is less than perfect

this was a really **** day

but I captured the journey

and I think that it did a better job than a go pro ever could


http://www.keepturningleft.co.uk/blogs/18-miles-in-a-duck-punt-through-the-norfolk-saltmarshes/

 

[tim_ber]

panasonic bought xacti up

kept the designs and re-branded

same cameras, same batteries, same lenses

I am on my second

the first worked beautifully, the screen gave up

beleive it to be a connection between the screen and the camera

Thanks. I have the Xacti after your recommendation. I did get condensation in the screen once (very hot day) - fixed by sticking it in a sealed bag with silica stuff.

I have read about the failings with the hinge connection and mine is loosening, but I am trying to make it last and I have a bodge job / design modification to ensure that the screen cannot suffer further vibration - if only Panasonic would buy my modification...

I wonder if now that Pannasonic own it, they will make it compatible with their Panasonic Blu-Ray disc recorders? I have to convert all my video to AVCHD before I can load it to the disc recorder to burn it to Blu-Ray. No way will it accept the SD card which is a real pain.

Good luck with your launch at Wells.

 

[Giblets]

Another vote for the GoPro Hero 2.

Does it do still photography as well?

Yes but no viewfinder (unless you get the LCD screen backpack).

 

[Tomahawk]

I've just researched this and bought the Panasonic Lumix FT3

Lakey

I am also looking for a camera for when we set off...
How good or versatile do you find the zoom?

 

[Seven Spades]

I have numerous cameras and 28mm is not wide enough on a boat you really need a 24mm lens. The Leica V-Lux 40 does what you want and has a lens that goes from 24-480mm, but does not have a viewfinder:-


http://uk.leica-camera.com/photography/compact_cameras/v-lux_40/

If on the other hand you want a viewfinder then the camera I lust after is the Fuji X10 which is a very traditional camera but it lens is restricted from 28-112mm.

http://www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/digital-cameras/pro-enthusiast/model/x10/

Either choice is a compromise.

 

[vas]

I have numerous cameras and 28mm is not wide enough on a boat you really need a 24mm lens.

hi,

I'd go even further and say that 24mm is not enough either, ideally I'd like something around the 18-20mm mark. Don't care about splash/water proof either.
Used to have a Kodak V570 compact still have but son killed the focus on the one lens (was a dual lens compact, fixed wide 22mm iirc, 28-whatever zoom on the other) Is there anything similar in the market?

Want to cheaply combine reasonable quality architectural and boating photography and no, I don't want to carry about a DSLR, nor my F2 Nikon...

cheers

V.

 

[Seven Spades]

You could be right. I have a 24mm lens but nothing wider so have not been able to make an assessment. I have ,poked at buying a 21mm lens for my camera, but as it is a film camera I am not sure that the investment is a good idea. Buying a full-frame digital camera is a nightmare as they are huge and very expensive. If you don't buy a full frame camera that wide angle lenses are almost impossible to buy. Digitisation has brought a lot of problems along with its benefits.