Protection Weather Resistant Compact?

Biro

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Steve
Riddle me this, Batman: Is there a weather resistant compact - as in pocketable or only slightly larger - camera with good image quality on the market? A serious compact. I don't mean one of the weatherproof, tough cameras. They're great for what they are but image quality and external controls are a bit on the limited side. Maybe I'm having a brain freeze but I can't readily think of such a camera.
 
The Sony RX10 has some weather sealing, but probably not the same level as for instance an OM-D. The Fuji X-S1 has some seals on the lens. Other than that, you'll have to look for the Nikon AW-1. All the WR lenses for the OM-D series and the GH3 are too large for what you describe. The 35/2.8 for the Sony a7(r) might be small enough.

In terms of waterproof compacts, the Olympus TG1 / 2 is probably the best it gets right now, in terms of image quality.
 
Riddle me this, Batman: Is there a weather resistant compact - as in pocketable or only slightly larger - camera with good image quality on the market? A serious compact. I don't mean one of the weatherproof, tough cameras. They're great for what they are but image quality and external controls are a bit on the limited side. Maybe I'm having a brain freeze but I can't readily think of such a camera.

The new Nikon 1 waterproof? Its larger than pocketable but still fairly small.
Nikon 1 AW1 is world's first rugged, waterproof digital mirrorless

As far as I know, theres nothing between this and your basic waterproof small sensor compacts
 
The new Nikon 1 waterproof? Its larger than pocketable but still fairly small.
Nikon 1 AW1 is world's first rugged, waterproof digital mirrorless

As far as I know, theres nothing between this and your basic waterproof small sensor compacts

Yes, that's exactly what I think. Strange. One would think there'd be a natural market opening for something like an Pentax MX-1, Olympus XZ-2, Fuji X20, etc with WR. Or even something smaller, like a Fuji XQ1 or Nikon P330, with WR. Sony might have really aced it by adding WR to the RX100 II. Maybe it's just me.
 
Yes, that's exactly what I think. Strange. One would think there'd be a natural market opening for something like an Pentax MX-1, Olympus XZ-2, Fuji X20, etc with WR. Or even something smaller, like a Fuji XQ1 or Nikon P330, with WR. Sony might have really aced it by adding WR to the RX100 II. Maybe it's just me.

No, not just you. A weather resistant enthusiast compact would be awesome.
 
I bought the Sony Cyber-Shot DSCTX200V on Ebay last week when Adorama was closing them out for $145. Original list was $499. Ultra-compact and waterproof to 5 meters. Auto HDR and other goodies, but the IQ is pretty disappointing. No raw and lots of artifacts in the jpegs. I'm keeping it for snapshots.

Doug
 
I bought the Sony Cyber-Shot DSCTX200V on Ebay last week when Adorama was closing them out for $145. Original list was $499. Ultra-compact and waterproof to 5 meters. Auto HDR and other goodies, but the IQ is pretty disappointing. No raw and lots of artifacts in the jpegs. I'm keeping it for snapshots.

Doug

Yeah, that's the general problem with true waterproof cameras - IQ tends to be limited. The new Nikon maybe different. But I'd still love to see WR in a pocketable enthusiast compact.
 
Yes, that's exactly what I think. Strange. One would think there'd be a natural market opening for something like an Pentax MX-1, Olympus XZ-2, Fuji X20, etc with WR. Or even something smaller, like a Fuji XQ1 or Nikon P330, with WR. Sony might have really aced it by adding WR to the RX100 II. Maybe it's just me.

No, not just you. Especially any serious compact with a fast lens would be great, since light levels aren't usually great in rain.

Meanwhile I'll experiment with my MX-1 and a DIY raincover (disposable showercaps) :)
 
Yes, that's exactly what I think. Strange. One would think there'd be a natural market opening for something like an Pentax MX-1, Olympus XZ-2, Fuji X20, etc with WR. Or even something smaller, like a Fuji XQ1 or Nikon P330, with WR. Sony might have really aced it by adding WR to the RX100 II. Maybe it's just me.

Its not just you. I'd like one as well. I'm thinking they haven't yet found a way to waterproof the bodies and lenses of cameras with lenses that extend. They may well be able to weather seal but you wouldn't take them in the water. If you note that with the exception of the AW1, the others are all sealed units. That is, no lens extension. There's no doubt some physical limitation. what we want would be a lot bigger because if it was going to have any zoom *and* a decent sensor, the lens will still need to be contained within the sealed unit. Of course, Nikon's adventure with the AW puts paid to that notion. I think there would be some reason like that, though, that nobody else has... and I would expect they will all be looking at the AW1, and their own offerings, and seeing the gap we are talking about.

Next year, perhaps.
 
They may well be able to weather seal but you wouldn't take them in the water. If you note that with the exception of the AW1, the others are all sealed units.

Sue, all I'm looking for is an ethusiast compact that has WR the way many DSLRs and even zooms lenses have it. I'm not looking for full waterproof status. However, if they came up with one it would still be great. But as long as true waterproof cameras generally require folded optics in order to keep all of the moving parts inside, image quality will remain limited. That's why the Nikon seems to be different.
 
Sue, all I'm looking for is an ethusiast compact that has WR the way many DSLRs and even zooms lenses have it. I'm not looking for full waterproof status. However, if they came up with one it would still be great. But as long as true waterproof cameras generally require folded optics in order to keep all of the moving parts inside, image quality will remain limited. That's why the Nikon seems to be different.

OK, I get you now. Well, I am certain that its possible to WR (like Pentax did, even with its entry level) and I don't know why they don't do that, perhaps its their incorrect perception that people who buy cameras that the manufacturers don't really consider to be serious (unlike people like us)... those people won't go out in crappy weather. They are wrong, of course.
 
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