I don't care for first impressions. Do you have reviews from people who used this for a while and took underwater photos?
1406685
I used it snorkeling in St Lucia - worked great - the pictures and video were good quality - are the "land" pictures as good as on a higher-end non-waterproof camera? I don't think so as there isn't the same type of manual controls, but if you want something that you can use in water and still performs well on land then this is hard to beat, particularly for the price. A very nice feature is the 2 large shoot buttons (one for pictures, the other for video) which means no fiddling around when in the water.
1406686
I just came back from vacation, took about 240 photos/videos, half of them under water. It preformed admirably
1406687
Hello! I just purchased this cameria for my husband's birthday in March 2014. We have not used it for water purposes yet. However, reading the reviews, it seems to be a decent camera for this purpose.
1406688
I have used it for over a month. Amazing video quality and great underwater shots - very clear and vivid colors!But I dont recommend this cam if you are intending to use it on a regular basis - landscape shots, portraits and other "upwater" shooting.http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26461/COOLPIX-S32.html
1406689
Being that this camera was only just released between the end of February and early March of this year, you kind of have to rely on first impressions. I don't know what your definition of "a while" is, but the longest usage you'll see is 11 weeks, give or take. It's a decent camera. No underwater use yet since it's not yet warm enough for that.
1406690
I have used it for over a month. Amazing video quality and great underwater shots - very clear and vivid colors! But I dont recommend this cam if you are intending to use it on a regular basis - landscape shots, portraits and other "upwater" shooting. http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26461/COOLPIX-S32.html
88477
I am also comparing these 2 Cameras. I want to use for Snorkeling and Beach pictures on our upcoming cruise. My preference is for Quality Underwater Photos over how stylish the actual camera is. Also, I am looking for the one with the Best Zoom Capabilities....... Anyone out there own one of these cameras ???
333274
I've used a Canon A80 for the last three years (just bought the 710 this weekend) and have had excellent luck with it as an underwater camera. True you have to wait about four seconds while the photo is being stored to the disk, but it gave me time to decide weather or not I wanted to keep it (and believe me, I junked plenty of shots, anenome fish are not cooperative subjects.) I took the 710 into my pool (with the housing, of course) and found the shutter lag to be almost un-noticeable. I almost always use flash u/w, so I find the time waiting for next shot delay was a non-problem (have to wait for the flash to build up again). I was particularly impressed with the macro photos. My little $400 setup took comparable macro photos to my buddies who were using housed SLR's with twin strobe setups. I'm not sure what happened with your memory card (unformatted) but I think you'll be happy with the 710.
941375
it was new and i made a waterproof case for it because i heard that it wasn't waterproof in the ocean and so i didn't want to take any chances. It was an ok camera, low definition but i lost it in the ocean while surfing so it didn't turn out well. I ended up just getting a go pro. there are many other cameras out there, wait a little longer and buy the best product and make sure you don't drop it in the ocean. haha.
949720
I used this camera for both SCUBA and snorkling in seawater without any problems. I did rinse the outside with fresh water when I finished, just as I would with my dive gear. I believe this is one of the best price/feature cameras for its price range.
253468
I bought it for a trip and yes I took it snorkeling and we had no issues. It's a cheap camera so you get what you pay for in quality. If I tried to take an out of water picture I had a lot more issues with dots of water or smudges or blurry spots but for the most part every picture I took under water was good. Hope that helps.
761409
Yes it's a great camera. Pictures have turned out brite and crisp. I took it kayaking last summer and no problems. I have also used it at the water park and got some wonderful pictures of the kids underwater and in the spray. I have been using this camera more than my large 26x high pixel because it's steady and easier to carry for many events. Although I do carry both a lot too.
702712
I haven't had the opportunity to try it out under water, but it does operate differently. I tried it out at home and the photos are blurry unless you have the lense set at maximum exposure (all the way out). It then takes clear photos. This means to me that you better be ready to use it when it is in that mode before it automatically turns off during your power saving mode.
157870
Yes, but I'm going to change my rating on this camera. It stopped working two weeks ago. I didn't use it underwater that much, but the last time my husband used it, it stopped working. From the reviews I'm reading now, it doesn't sound like the company is willing to help out. While fun to use underwater, I will not buy another one.
1396067
yes, I recently took it with me to Jamaica and had no problems with it. It never leaked underwater and took wonderful pictures for a small point and shoot camera.
910747
has anyone taken this camera diving. If so can you share your comments if it's a scuba diving camera?
920406
You can take pictures underwater. I have taken quite a few it has worked well for me on those occasions
616748
if you still about to buy Lumix - i recommend you STOP and DONT BUY it...the very first time my camera dip in sea water it got leaked...warantee not honored - SUCKS - waste of money !!!!
1582706
no its pretty clear. but you can't really take any pictures under water because the touch screen wont work underwater. I just press record then replay the video to the scene i like than screen shot it. also when you go under water it zooms in and out on its own. I think its because its sensing the water pressure.
1643956
I don't know as I've not tried it yet. Do know that the housing fogged up so I'm guessing pictures didn't work. Again, I've not actually viewed the video i took, but from past underwater camera experience, if the housing is fogged there is no way a good pic can come out.
885007
I was thinking about buying this camera before Christmas, and I viewed a test report video online. The reviewer actually went out on a lake in a rowboat, talked about the waterproofing feature, and then actually dunked the camera and lens under water. He then immediately lifted the Pentax out of the water and proceeded to take pictures with it and it worked!! So perhaps the answer is you should not try to swim under water with it, but it does survive a quick dunk underwater if you happen to drop the camera into water.
1928094
For a good review of what this camera can and can't do at diving depths, see: http://www.digicamera.com/reviews/olympus_stylus_770sw/ My 2cts: Except in clear tropical waters you need an external strobe, not to avoid white-out, but to avoid backscatter from particulates in water. (I've got some great images from tropics just using the built in strobe from a housed point-and-shoot digital, but an external strobe is a necessity in northern/central CA.) I could see taking this on a trip, if I'm going to be only shallow (unlikely in tropical waters) and wanted to avoid the hassle of taking my whole housing/strobe set-up. However, if you're planning to get a strobe and genuine scuba-depth housing (as mentioned, Olympus does make one for this model), you have to ask what's the point of paying extra for what this camera comes with already, as well as its limits (compared with higher quality cameras/lens not designed to skinny-dip). If you snorkel, kayak, surf, play in the water a lot, etc., it may still make sense. If you want that versatility, but still will use a housing/strobe for diving, consider the 720, which allows you to go 10ft and would save you some money. Another thought (now wearing my PADI instructor hat): There's a lot of task loading in learning scuba (esp. if you're doing it in cold Alaska water!), and I would advise against adding underwater photography too soon. Although I have a hard time diving without a camera, I think new divers should wait until they're quite comfortable in the water (for their own safety), and have very good buoyancy skills (for the safety of the marine environment).