Which Rugged Camera To Buy?

Back in February I posted an announcement on the new Pentax Optio WG-1 and Optio WG-1 GPS.  Mainly I love my Pentax W90 for the auto macro setting.  This feature turns on the LED lights and engages the macro - no fumbling with settings.  The down side, as with  most compact digital cameras, is the noise at a high ISO and in low light.  Let's face it.  These cameras can't replace a DSLR.  Regardless, it's the camera I keep with my fishing gear.  I can do things to it that I can't do with a DSLR.

Digital Photography Review posted it's new "Waterproof compact camera group test" and the new Pentax Optio WG-1 didn't fare well.  For daylight conditions it's a middle of the road choice, and in low light it's in the bottom of the class.  The camera which took best of the bunch in every category is the Panasonic DMC-TS3.  Sony TX10 came in a close second.  Missing from the test group was a Canon and Nikon camera.

Canon has not updated its Powershot D10.  Nikon's Coolpix AW100 just entered the market.  The new Nikon has my eye, mainly for brand reasons.  I've shot with a Nikon SLR and now a DSLR for the last 30 years. I did the math and could not believe it has been that long since my first Nikon. (These product reviews make to feel old.)  

The Nikon looks good on paper and is similar to the Panasonic.  Both cameras offer GPS tagging with a compass, shooting full 1080i HD video and image stabilization.  The Nikon edges out the Panasonic in the mega pixel area and optics, 16M vs. 12M / 28-140mm vs. 28-128mm equivalent. 

While the Nikon edges out the Panasonic on paper, the true test comes in the field.  Which one to buy...?  To add to the dilemma, both cameras cost less than $400.

The right answer for me is to wait for a full review with sample images.  By that time, I'm sure a new camera (maybe from Canon) will enter the mix.

If any of you have either camera please comment and give me your recommendation.


Thanks,

Fly and Fin

Spring Photographs

Here are some photography from this spring, that don't fit into grip and grin category.

Spring Bloom

Sulphur Dun

Sulphur Molt

Midge Meeting

Light Cahill Spinner (Male)

Hatchery Brown

Wild Brown

Flubbed Photo's

One of the hardest aspects of fishing sometimes seems to be to take a good photography of your catch when your fishing alone.  For this reason I don't take my DSLR out when I on my own though many time I wish I had it with me.  Before the current line of underwater cameras I invested in a underwater housing for my Canon G9 but it was as bulky as my DSLR.  So when I purchased my Pentex W90 I thought finally a solution that will help my to take photographs while on on the water without the bulk of fear of damaging gear.

While I've received complements on many of the photographs many of them never make it to the blog.

So here are two of my recent flubbed photos:

Slippery when wet.

No grip.

Pentax announces the Optio WG-1 and WG-1 GPS

Pentax announced it's new rugged Optio WG-1 and Optio WG-1 GPS.  It is tougher than the  Optio W90, both are designed are crushproof up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds), dustproof, waterproof, cold-proof and shock-resistant.  This 14MP cameras incorporate the same lens and video specs as the W90.  The design looks to be more ergonomic and the obvious increase to 5 LED from 3 for close-up photography.

I like my my W90 and I'm looking forward to seeing some samples from this new version.  I have mixed feeling with the GPS version, I like the GEO tagging but don't want to give away my secret spots.

Optical deference in and out of water.

The two photographs are of the same Brown, notice the 5 dots under the eye. 

In the  "Aquarium" shot as I'm calling it notice how much
thinner this Brown looks from the one below.

In this out water shot, notice how much wider this Brown looks. 
Yes, the net gives a sense of  scale, but the water refraction
bends the light and reduces the size.

These photographs were shot with a Pentax W90.

Sawyer's Pheasant Tail Nymph - Strikes again

Frank Sawyer's Pheasant Tail Nymph is simply brilliant!

It imitates so many mayfly of nymphs it a great searching pattern, but when a hatch is on and the fish aren't rising tie one on that matches the size of the natural.  You'll be glad you did.

This Big Boy took a size 14 Sawyer's Pheasant Tail Nymph

Note the Pheasant Tail Nymph

 Close-up

The Release.

A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work.

So the saying goes "A bad day fishing is better than a good day at work."

Well this was just bliss.

Nice.

Still Nice.

Still just nice.

Okay Nicer.

Nicest.

Banner Day!

Work and my son's Little League season has limited my time at the vice and on the stream.  However I got out the other day and had a banner 3 hours on the stream.  The stream level was perfect and there was a hatch of Blue Wing Olives and Sulfurs (on the early side this year).  No fish were working the surface but they did hammer the Sawyer's Pheasant Tail (size 14) and my Tan UV Caddis Jig nymph.

I wished I could have stayed for the evening spinner fall.

 

 This Brown took Tan UV Caddis Jig

 

 This Bow took Sawyer's Pheasant Tail

 

 This hen was phat...

Time to go home

 This Brown took Sawyer's Pheasant Tail

 

 Cheese!

 

 

 This little Rainbow took Ice Pheasant Tail

 

Another Brown on Sawyer's Pheasant Tail

 

 Last fish, time to go home...

More shots Pentax W90

I got out the other day before my sons baseball game for about 2 hours.  The last of the Henderson's were out though nothing on top.  I set up my standard Czech Nymph rig with a Cooper Bug as my point fly and the trout hammered the Cooper Bug.  The Ice Pheasant Tail was also productive,  the browns hit the Cooper Bug and the Bow's were taken on the Ice Pheasant Tail.

I'm still testing my Pentax W90, over all I like it, however I've notice more noise in low lighting.

This Bow's stomach is bulge out, looks like it was feeding heavily on nymphs.

This Brown hammed the Cooper Bug.

Pentax W90 shot.

Brown Trout View.

Opening Day and Pentax W90

This year I decided to purchase a Pentax W90 to take with me while fishing.  I love my Nikon D200 and Canon G9, but it's a lot to lug around.  I used the G9 with a underwater housing, which works great, but it's bulky.  So far the W90 is turning out to be a good light rugged fishing camera, the noise level is acceptable but no where near my other cameras.  On the plus side it shoots 720p video which looks good.

It was a good opening day and the camera performed well.

Rainbow taken on Jersey Anglers "Pink Czech Nymph".

 Underwater shot with the Pentax W90

Rainbow taken on a "Tan UV Caddis."

 Brown taken on a "Ice Pheasant Tail."

 Smile for the camera.

  Smile for the camera take 2.

 Smile for the camera take 3.

FIN

Dreams of the Hatch

I've not gotten out to fish and have no time to tie. With Forsythia blooming in my area I've been dreaming of Henderson's on the wing. Water levels are high and temperature has cooled down, so I'm hoping the hatch is delayed. I would be nice to take fish on top.

Good afternoon with fly and fin.

The northeast was hit with another snowstorm on 2/26/10, which dumped about 12" on top of the 24" from the last storm in my area of New Jersey. After digging out on Friday, I'd promised myself to do something nice on Saturday.  So I went out on Saturday to wet a line.  It was a great day, air temp was around 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the water temp was 38 degrees Fahrenheit with cloud cover.  The water was high but crystal clear, and the trout were hungry.  I only took two Browns who took the Green Rock Worm, the rest of the trout were Rainbows and they took all three the Rock Worm, Tan UV Caddis and CDC Purple and Orange dropper.



This was the first time I fished the CDC Purple and Orange and the bows slammed it.

 

Water was high but wade-able.

 

The Point.

 

The Anchor.

 

The Dropper.

Took the Green Rock Worm.

  

The Release.

 

Another on the Rock Worm.

 

On the dropper.

 

The Release.

 

The Fight

 

And Release

  

The last fish of the day.