Pretty amazing camera

This camera was pretty amazing. I bought it in preparation for a vacation which included snorkeling a coral reef and subject to general abuse expected during other sporting activities.

The camera was simple to set up. We bought a 1 Gig xD card for storage and after a few home shots took it to sea.

Photos were sharp and clear on dry land and the shots at sea were just as good. For some reason (not yet figured out) the camera zoom did not work underwater. There is no explanation of that other than we used the special underwater filter setting which may have disabled the zoom. Didn't test that theory, but it is the only explanation as when back out of the water the zoom worked fine.

Even with the underwater filter we chose to do a little photoshopping to cut the blues, resulting in some really spectacular photos for amateurs. We just continued to be amazed at how consistently well the photos turned out in all kinds of lighting conditions and we just didn't worry about getting a little rough with it (it's jeans certified for I think a 250 pound guy's back pocket).

The camera is small and easily handled. Maybe the best thing about this design outside of the durability is you don't have to wait for the lens to deploy before you shoot every time you turn it on like so many models. That takes not only time but also zooming the lens in and out of the body takes power and that means battery drain.