René's old blog

Tag: Cameras

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT1 camera
I got a very nice email yesterday, from a PR represetative of Panasonic Nordic, with an offer of lending me a Lumix DMC-FT1 (TS1 in the USA) camera as soon as they get the first test cameras to the country in late March.

The deal is that I will test the camera in real life paddling situations in Spain and Italy, and naturally supply Panasonic with feedback on the camera, and pictures and videos taken during this spring and summer.

I find it very exciting that Panasonic now enters the niche market of rugged, waterproof cameras suitable for use while kayaking. Until now our only choices as kayakers have been various models from Pentax and Olympus, none on which have been that spectacular. It be very interesting to see how Lumix DMC-FT1 measures up.

The basic camera specifications of the Lumix DMC-FT1 is in line with the latest offerings from Olympus and well ahead of what I have seen from Pentax. It has a 12.1 Mpixels sensor (images of 4000×3000 pixels), with a Leica 28-128mm (35mm equivalent) lens, which is approx. 4.6x optical zoom. The display is 2.7″ at 230.000 pixels.

As for ruggedness, the Lumix DMC-FT1 is not top of the class but it is close, and it should be enough for what most of us need when kayaking. It is dustproof, waterproof to a depth of 3m and shockproof up to 1.3m, just like the Pentax Optio W60 and the Olympus Tough 6000.

Where the Lumix DMC-FT1 really distinguishes itself from the other waterproof cameras is its video capabilities. It can record video in 720p HD-TV video quality: 1280×720 pixels, 60fps in AVC HD Lite format in three qualities (17Mbps, 13Mbps, and 9Mbps). The AVC HD video specification is a highly compressed MPEG4/AAC3 format, so it should be possible to get good length registrations on common 2Gb or 4Gb SD cards (of which I have loads).

It uses standard SD memory cards (it has always annoyed me that Olympus has to use a different memory card than everybody else), it has a USB 2 connection for data transfer to a computer, and a HDMI output for playback on HD-TVs or other recorders.

Naturally, the software in the camera has a gazillion different functions,but some sounds useful in a kayaking context, like auto focus tracking of moving objects and a special “Quick AF” setting for impromptu snapshots. It also boasts automatic facial recognitions, that is, automatic tagging of persons in photos when enough photos a single person has been taken.

I can’t wait until I get my hands on this new toy 🙂
Links:
- DPReview – Panasonic unveils DMC-TS1 rugged compact camera
February 18, 2009
Pentax Optio W30

I have bought a new camera, a Pentax Optio W30. I’ve been very happy with my W10, and frankly, I’m amazed it has survived the abuse I’ve put it through for as long as it did, so I have no problem getting another Pentax Optio.

Compared to the Optio W10, the Optio W30 has a slightly better resolution, its more waterproof (down to 3 m for 2 hours) and more dustproof. I’m a bit annoyed that it uses different batteries and different chargers, so my old spare batteries and chargers won’t work with it.

November 7, 2007
My Pentax Optio W10 is no more

My camera is dead. It’s been a bit flaky for a while, the flash stopped working a while ago, and after my paddle with Francesco Ravasio on Friday it wouldn’t turn on anymore. I’ve tried everything, but no go. It’s been a good friend from some 1500km paddling in the last year or so, taking thousands of photos. I guess I’ll be looking for a replacement soon.

November 6, 2007
Suction Cup Camera Mounts

It can be a bit difficult shooting pictures when you’re sitting in your kayak, especially if there’s a bit of action around you, and it can be impractical having the camera dangling around your wrist when paddling or manoeuvring. Fortunately, there are other ways to attach a camera on a kayak. I have found some cheap suction cup camera mounts at actioncameras.co.uk and it works quite well. It can handle a weight of up to 3 kg, so the 155 g of my camera is no problem. At times it can be difficult to get the suction cup to stick to the kayak. Most of the surface of the kayak is curved, and plastic kayaks often have a slightly rough surface which gives the suction cup a weaker grip, but once it is correct attached it can take quite a deal. I have used mine in both wind and waves and it almost always stays put. Actually, it seems to stick better if it gets a bit of water every once in a while, but unfortunately the waves have a tendency to leave droplets on the lens. Needless to say, always attach both camera and mount with strings or wires to the kayak. They can break lose and they can also come apart. I have seen both. Finally, an example of the kind of pictures you can get by using an automatic shooting mode and a suction cup camera mount on the kayak:

October 31, 2006
Waterproff cameras

If you want to take photos from your kayak, you’ll want a waterproof camera that’s easy to operate. I certainly wouldn’t recommend taking you expensive SLR 🙂 I have search a bit on the net, and apparently there are only two producers of simple waterproof digital cameras: Pentax and Olympus. Pentax Optio W10 A 6 Mpixel camera, image size is 2816×2112 pixels. It has 3x optical zoom. Waterproof until a depth of 1,5m for up to 30 minutes. It can also record video in 640×480 pixels at 30 fps, e.g., almost TV quality.This is the camera I have.
Pentax Optio W20 A newer version of the Option W10, now 7 Mpixel, image size is up to 3072×2304 pixels. It has 3x optical zoom. It is waterproof up to a depth of 1,5m for up to 30 minutes. It can also record video in 640×480 pixels at 30 fps, e.g., almost TV quality. Olympus Âµ 720SW This is a 7 Mpixel camera, image size up to 3072 x 2304 pixels. It has 3x optical zoom. It is waterproof up to a depth of 3m and can withstand a fall from a height of up to 1.5m. It records video in 640×480 pixels at 15 fps. Olympus Âµ 725 SW A newver version of the Olympus Âµ 720SW. It is a 7 Mpixel camera with 3x optical zoom. It is waterproof up to a depth of 5m, can withstand a fall from a height of up to 1.5m. It records video in 640×480 pixels at 15 fps.

October 31, 2006