HONOLULU, OAHU (Hawaii)
September.2009
We used to pay $150 or more for an underwater case in order to take a compact camera in the water. But now, we are excited to see a new breed of compact cameras that are waterproof, sandproof and shockproof. They are equally happy on the beach and in the sea as they are at a dinner party or a museum.
However, it's more fun to be wet! We took our Panasonic Lumix TS1 to Oahu to try it out in the warm tropical water - snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, to be specific. Shooting outside of water is easy, but trying to take decent underwater pictures while snorkeling is much more challenging. When snorkeling, we look downward more often than laterally. Therefore, looking at the LCD at an angle makes viewing difficult, especially if the water is choppy - a swivel and flip-out LCD would be better in this situation. There's also the issue of sands being kicked up by waves, reducing water clarity.
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