A Cheap Polaroid Waterproof Digital Camera

I recently took a caribbean cruise that included snorkeling and wanted a cheap waterproof digital camera to take with me. I had seen the waterproof disposable cameras, but did not like them and suspected that I would take a large number of photos which would drive my total price up considerably. I also looked into the waterproof enclosures for my current compact digital camera but didn't like them either; most were little more than a plastic bag and didn't look to be very usable.

A waterproof digital camera seemed to be what I needed, but it also needed to be cheap as that might be the only time I used it and I didn't want to spend a lot of money for a camera that I might only use for a few days.

I eventually decided on the polaroid CTA 00833A waterproof digital camera to purchase. This is an 8 MP camera that is also shockproof and waterproof to 30 feet with a number of nice features:

• 2.5 inch color LCD screen. The larger screen can help underwater

• A 3X optical. More would be better, but some trade-offs had to be made.

• Macro capability down to .1 meters

• Adjustable wrist strap. A little thing, but when swimming around it won't slide off your wrist.

• A 4X digital zoom.

• Both AV out and USB connections.

• My camera came with a charger and two batteries. Removable batteries can be very nice on a long day of shooting.

• 24 different scene settings, including 3 underwater settings.

• Face and smile recognition.

• Small size - at 95mm X 59mm X 20mm it is compact and easy to carry. It also does not have the protruding lens that most small cameras have and that helps when active.

• Anti-shake. Necessary option under low light without flash.

My underwater experience was difficult, though I did come up with some good pictures. Ocean waves made holding the camera steady impossible and the viewfinder was dim and difficult to use. I was reduced to simply taking a lot of pictures in the hope that a few would be good, which of course is one of the strong points of a digital camera. I was never able to make the voice recording work; although the camera indicates it was taking audio the playback was blank of any sound and that carried over to the video capability. This was not a problem to me as I take very little video with my still cameras and the voice memo feature did not particularly attract me.

Having said that, the rest of my experience with the camera has been positive enough that it has replaced my other camera as the one I usually carry. Being waterproof I no longer worry about rain or other water getting on the camera and it is perfect to carry fishing, playing in the water with children, camping or other activities where a different digital camera might get wet or damaged. It has proven to by quite rugged and still works fine after being dropped several times. Sand and dust has had no effect on the operation although I am careful not to scratch the lens with such contaminants. The LCD screen is a little dim in very bright sunlight, but that is a very common failure of the cheaper digital cameras. Battery life has proven to be very good and I seldom need to change the battery in the course of a few hours of picture taking. It really was the ideal camera to take on our caribbean cruise.

All in all the pros of the camera far outweigh the cons and I would recommend it for anyone wanting a cheap waterproof digital camera. It will never take professional quality pictures but for snapshots in wet or dry conditions by an active photographer it is great.