So sad to announce that my trusty waterproof digital camera, my Olympus Stylus 720 SW, has left the world of functioning electronics. There i was, taking pictures and shooting video one moment and the next… nothing. I thought it might be the battery, but when I got back to the room and opened the battery compartment… water. That’s really not a good thing. Now I can see condensation on the lens and in the flash… that probably isn’t something that will right itself with a couple days of air drying.
Dearly departed, you were a trusty friend.
A good waterproof camera is a great friend of the angler, allowing us to preserve just a little bit of the experience of the river, lake or flat. A photo of a fish or river canyon, in a way, is like a print of that great painting you saw at the Musee D’Orsay. It isn’t the same as being there and seeing it yourself, but it reminds you of the experience.
Now… as long as no one tips off my wife, I need to start plotting a path to a replacement.
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Actually, that model Stylus is supposed to be pretty good in the shockproof, waterproof world. What happened?
I’ve lost a few camera’s in the last few years due to dunkings. I’d like to invest in one that I don’t have to worry about too much. Let me know what you find.
I honestly don’t know… it was working and then it wasn’t and when I opened it there was water. It’s weird. I don’t know if the seal failed or if water got in some other way, through a crack or break in the frame. I know that usually the cost to have one of these cameras repaired is more than the cost of a new camera though… and, being the fiscally irresponsible guy that I am, I ordered that new camera last night… before I read some of the bad reviews. C’est la vie. I’m sure it will do just fine for what I’m looking for it to do.
Yeah man! I’m right there with ya! Saltwater in the battery compartment = toast and probably wouldn’t be worth repairing.
I hope you’ll get a worthy replacement soon. The good news is it’s easier to find an affordable waterproof camera in 2010.
Here are 10 such cameras that you might want to consider.
http://www.waterproof-camera.org/revealed-10-digital-waterproof-cameras-for-under-200-bucks/
It was an Olympus territory. Not anymore.