Best action water-sports cameras

our ratings

Kodak EasyShare Sport C123 - our choice...

Resolution: 12 megapixels
Exposure: Modes Program,Automatic
Waterproof: to 10 in.
Dustproof
Face Detection
Bright LCD Monitor: 2.4 in.
Easy 3-Step Internet Sharing
Continuous VGA Video
Max Video: Resolution 640 x 480
Underwater White Balance
Multiple Scene and Color Modes
HD Photograph Capture
Max Shutter: Speed 1/1400 sec
Min Shutter: Speed 8 sec

Width: 3.6 in
Depth: 1.1 in
Height: 2.6 in
Weight: 6.2 oz

AA Battery Operation

Camera weaknesses:

Small LCD screen
Short battery life

The key words that define the functionality and purpose of this camera are "Sport" and "Easy Share" - the latter seems to be understood as the ease of distribution of the photographs. I'll try to formulate what is in my understanding of sport shooting, and what relationship it has to this camera. Shooting sports can be divided into "professional" and "amateur". The border here is not the qualification of the photographer, but what is his main occupation. The spectator at a sporting event may be professional photographer, the athlete at the same event can only deals as an amateur, because his main activity is to participate in sports. Hence, their requirements to the camera will be fundamentally different. In the first case, the camera must have sufficient functionality to be able to make a spectacular shot from the place on the podium. In the second case the main requirement for the camera would be so that it did not oppose to achieve a good sport results.

There are settings for underwater and out of water shots.

The quality of the photos exceeded our expectations.

Compactness in this camera is happily combined with a user-friendly interface (manual control, a special zoom drive mode while recording video..), high shooting speed and other"serious" functions.

We tested this camera in canoeing expedition. The peculiarity of that campaign was that often (or almost always) one and the same person performed as a professional and as an amateur. That is, sometimes he takes shots of the actions he does not participate directly at. So he can concentrate on the shooting.

In the second case, that camera would be most useful, which minimally distracted from the core sporting activities, and from which you can get rid of instantly, if the situation became more complicated, and you must fight not for the good shots, but for the vitality of the boat.


EasyShare Sport C123 on the riverbed

In the water activities, waterproofness of the camera is usually a thing of which it is enough. If the camera is not afraid of water, it can be tied to the boat or just be drop to the bottom if you are in need to grab the paddle. Actually, this is what I did for years, using the camera, placed in a spacial box for underwater photography. However, such a box turns even a compact camera into a very bulky unit. Redundant functionality in this case is excessive and even harmful, as it distracts from the main task. Camera Kodak EasyShare Sport devoid of these shortcomings.

It is a leak-proof, a small and lightweight, can be tied not to the boat but to the arm, and in a critical situation precious moment won't be lost in an attempt to save it. It is relatively cheap. The choice of possible settings is almost reduced to zero, regardless of the photographer qualifications. Absolutely no distractions, which is good in this kind of shooting.

What will be the shots you will you get - it depends on the photographer workmanship weakly. To a man, who loves to work in photography, this camera will never be the only one. And though, puting out much many time and desire, it is possible to squeeze from it some artistic effects, it may be done only for love of the game.

Thus, the basic thing we want to get from this camera, is a good hydraulic protection. Three meters are promised. We haven't tried to plunge it so deep, but I believe that there will not be problems, because the seal used in the the camera's cover works the better, the greater the pressure.