Canon ready to announce rugged camera at PMA?
updated 01:10 pm EST, Wed February 11, 2009
Rugged Canon cam at PMA?
Circulating tips suggest that Canon will announce a ruggedized compact camera at next month's PMA expo in Las Vegas. Canon is not typically associated with rugged gear, as even its professional-level DSLRs (such as the EOS-1D Mk. III) are at most weather-resistant. The unnamed compact is expected to be waterproof to a depth of 26 feet however, and shock-resistant to drops as far as six feet. It would face competition chiefly from rivals such as the Olympus 1030 SW.
The Canon model is additionally expected to use a 10.1-megapixel sensor, paired to a 3.5x zoom lens capable of an effective 35-122mm range. A rear LCD is said to measure 2.5 inches. If reports prove accurate, the camera should be announced on or around March 3rd to the 5th.
Not news.
02/11, 01:54pm reply
Olympus has been here for years, and canon just wants to try to imitate their success.
Fast iBook
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2003
It's about time!
02/11, 01:59pm reply
I've been waiting for Canon to offer something like this!
I recently bought an Olympus 1030SW for a snorkeling trip to Aruba. It was the only half-way decent compact waterproof camera available. Reviews on the Digital Photography Review web site were mixed. http://www.dpreview.com The equivalent 28mm wide angle is nice.
I could have bought a waterproof shell for an older Canon ELPH camera, but it was more than half the price of the 1030SW and is a bulky thing to try and snorkel with, especially since I swim to the bottom as much as I can!
The Oly takes pretty good photos and like Canon ELPHs, very well in full sunlight. At 10MP, they're strangely hazy. Shooting at 5MP, they're quite good. Low light is noisy. Using higher ISOs makes it worse. The flash is quite hot, so I shut it off even when shooting under rocks 15 feet below the surface, etc.
Shooting underwater is great fun! If you think you might like
I'd assume that Canon will offer a much better camera, although for a camera of this size class, 10MP is way too much. It would be better to have a larger sensor at 6 or 7MP.
Competition is good!
JeffHarris
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
canon not rugged?
02/11, 02:08pm reply
point and shoots aside, canon, as well as nikon, have been producing pro-level SLRs that are as rugged as they come for years. top end canons have seen war zones, extreme climate and other "rugged" environments for decades now.
ph0ust
Mac Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2003
How rugged is it?
02/11, 02:35pm reply
It's so rugged it has stubble. It's so rugged that when you take a picture it'll go "grrr", not "click".
Monstermind
Junior Member
Joined: May 2000
Olympus...not so good
02/11, 02:43pm reply
I welcome this news since Olympus has one of the poorest repair for their "rugged" cameras. After three months of use and two times using it in a pool the camera got water in it. It was identified that the seal broke, yet Olympus stated they do not warrant their rugged cameras due to water, snow, etc.
That's what their selling!!! A rugged camera!!! Never again. I probably would stick with Canon and if this camera isn't it use a waterproof case.
Okay, I'm stepping off the soap box now...carefully...carefully...
cartoonspin
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Joined: Sep 2003
Enter Lumix DMC-TS1
02/11, 03:03pm reply
Panasonic has impressed me repeatedly with their lens & feature sets: Enjoy stunning photos and HD videos with tremendous ease on land and under sea http://www.dpreview.com/news/0901/09012705panasonicft1.asp
bobolicious
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Joined: Aug 2002