rdtompki

I've been using a Panasonic Lumix previously, but it's a real pain to have to remove it from it's pouch, or in extreme cases from a baggy and pouch. If I were to simply kept it in a jersey pocket it's life expectancy would be very short. I replaced the Lumix with a ruggedized version, the TS4 and I'm very pleased so far. It's good to 12m depth which should work in rain, doesn't have an external zoom lens (internal to the body) and takes HD (1080) video as well. SD cards are now beyond 64GB so you can take a lot of video and 10's of thousands of stills. The reviews on the camera have been very positive, all but those who used it for scuba diving and had some problems with the seals. I thought about a GoPro, but just wasn't that interested in taking rolling videos: maybe next year.

I should mention the camera has a GPS and basic altimeter. The manual is 200+ pages (gag), but camera works just fine in point-and-shoot.

Looigi

It's really getting ludicrous. There's nothing I don't know how to work on a good ol' film camera but these new digital cameras have so many functions, features, whistles and bells it's out of control.

1nterceptor

That looks like a good camera. I got a Fujifilm XP50 about 6 months ago
and I'm also very happy with it. It's about the same as your camera, a bit
cheaper since it doesn't have GPS tagging and altimeter function.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20LB84l6NMw&list=UL

ItsJustMe

You're welcome to buy a cheap and simple camera. I have multiple cameras each with a ton of features and I use them.

Cyclist0084 

Sounds like a nice camera, but 200+ pages for the manual? I think my car's owners manual is less than 200 pages. LOL

rscamp

I would say the Marketing Department is to blame. Features help sell products whether they have any real use to the buyer or not. Why are there so many buttons on dishwashers? Does anyone ever use them all? Of course not!

Size is a marketing tool too - also whether it matters to the user or not. Like megapixels in a camera imager. Most are totally unaware of the down side of having too many.

arevinotion

Sounds like a nice camera, but 200+ pages for the manual? I think my car's owners manual is less than 200 pages.

Looigi

How many different focus modes and exposure modes do you use? Do you use face recognition? How about artistic effects? Automatic mode changes based on what it thinks you're photographing? There are many more I can't think of off the bat and probably aren't even aware of...

I'd rather simply choose shutter speeds and f number based on what I'm shooting than choose between Party mode, Sports mode, Portrait mode, Scenery mode, Still Life mode, or some other cooked up "automatic" mode.

Certainly with electronic image sensors there is additional control of the characteristics of the "film" such as binning, effective film speed, etc.. but that is still all understandable and can be intelligently applied instead of being hidden behind modes.

E.W.G.M.B

now is it just to take still pics/videos or are u mounting it to the bike for moving pic/videos? If u did mount it how did it come out (pics & video)?

unterhausen

I was going through the menus on my Olympus, and I'm more confused than ever. Somehow I've managed to get it into a mode that always takes horrible pictures, so I guess I'm going to have to break down and read the manual.

ItsJustMe

There are a few things on there that I probably will never use, but I do use a lot of them. I do not require that someone custom design a camera for me with ONLY the features that I will use. Simpler cameras do not have some of the stuff that I require.

At minimum I need (and frequently use) full auto (including "I'm an idiot, I push one button, you figure it out" mode which I leave it in when it's just in my pocket and I may want to whip it out and snap a picture that will be gone in a couple of seconds), program AE, aperture and shutter priority and full manual mode. That right there eliminates 90+% of the point and shoots on the market, most don't have full manual.

I also need/use multiple zone focus, spot focus, zone focus, face recognition/focus, all the above for exposure as well, exposure shift, flash exposure compensation, exposure bracketing, manual ISO selection, a range of functions on video, manual and automatic white balance.

Those "party/sports/portrait" modes are gimmicky crap, but you can't find a camera that has all the good stuff without those too. I don't think I've ever used any of them apart from sport mode on cameras that don't have aperture priority. I really like the expanded dynamic range settings that my new camera has, which combines exposure bracketing with the work I used to have to do in Photoshop. The auto panorama is really super sweet, the GPS geotagging is very nice and even the 3D function is kind of fun to play with. What the heck, it doesn't actually cost money, it's just firmware and the crazy stuff is buried in menus so you don't even have to look at it if you don't want to use it.


Then buy the camera that has only the modes you want, but I doubt you can find it. It seems odd to complain that they are actually providing a manual that explains the modes. Are you complaining that you got too much camera for your money, or are you complaining that you wish they didn't explain how the camera works?

Ah, OK. You want a Pentax K1000. Shutter speed, aperture, manual focus, shutter button. I have one of those and it's a wonderful camera, but I think I'll keep my features. I spent years in the darkroom and I do not miss it.

telebianchi

I've been using waterproof/rugidized digital cameras for almost five years now. Just drop it in a jersey pocket and don't worry about it. Pull it out, shoot a picture or video, stuff it back away. Rinse with clean water after the ride to keep sweat from building up. The waterproof cameras don't take quite as good shots as normal point and shoots, but for me the trade-off to have few worries about the camera is well worth it. I take mine biking, hiking, swimming in pools, freshwater or oceans.

Regarding the 200 page manual, most electronics I get these days (like my Garmin or new cell phone) also come with a Quick Start Guide of some sort which will get you going just fine. As someone said above, just ignore the features you don't care about and then spend a few minutes figuring out those features you want to use. The table of contents will point you to the right pages.

1nterceptor

If you can't "undo" the change that you did, sometimes there's
a reset button that puts back all setting to factory specs.

Falchoon

Probably only 10 pages in English. There would be another 10 pages in Japanese, 10 pages in French, 10 pages in German, 10 pages in Italian....

ItsJustMe

Regarding a large manual, I'm not complaining. The alternative is products like the iPhone or Android phones. They don't even bother with manuals anymore. They just put features in and hope people find them. If you actually want to find features, you need to go search out the information either online or by buying a book.