Underwater-Photo Reviews

Well I bought this camera a few weeks ago to go hawaii. Well it leaked after one roll of film so cleaned it out and let dry over night and loaded it again the next day and leaked again to where the camera didnt work anymore. Well I ended up getting some underwater disposable cameras. When I got the film developed the the disposable pics actually came out better than the 1 roll that came out of my $... camera (imagine that). Well now Im trying to get it repaired or replaced and I have to pay to ship it to them plus another $... I have to send to them for processing, what is up with that if I have a warrenty and its faulty equipment they should cover at the the shipping back to me. Over all There is nothing that I can recomend about this camera from the pics to the service. Would give it a 0 if possible.

I am a novice scuba diver, and completely new to underwater photography, but I do have a lot of land photography experience. I bought a ReefMaster RC camera a few days before going on a recent Caribbean vacation and am very happy that I did. I took it on 3 different dives, a shallow (35') reef dive, a deeper (72') reef dive, and a deep (82') wreck dive (a WWII Soviet Warship!). The camera is very well designed and performed extremely well; even after I dropped it! (It bounced.) It's a breeze to handle underwater, with all the key stuff easily readable and accesible. It's also really easy to use; a couple of times I handed it to my fellow divers (underwater) and they took very good photos without needing to fuss with dials, etc. I shot 3 different rolls of 36 exposures of Kodak ASA 200 Gold film. My first roll (the shallow dive, my first with the camera) yielded 10 photos I put in my album. The second and third rolls (dives 2 & 3) yielded 18 and 15 photos respectively that I judged good enough to show to friends and colleagues (who were blown away by the pics). The 'rejected' photos were due to 'operator error' (as in, I was too close, or too far away, etc.). I highly recommend this camera to people who want to take high quality underwater photos without the expense and hassle of higher-end cameras. If you get the camera, be sure to also get the 3x close-up lens, which really brings out the best in your underwater subjects. And READ THE MANUAL ... I suspect that some of the folks here who complained about the camera didn't take the time to follow the instructions. Have fun!

I just purchased this camera and have already used it on 6 dives and found it to work so much better than other disposable cameras and housing for scuba diving. It's not a Nikonos (sp?) but it's still pretty good for a beginner. The only thing I don't like too much is that if you're pretty close to one object but also too far away from another object in the same frame, the flash is only good for within some many feet. Anything further and you can start to see the bluish cast from taking underwater photos around the perimeter of the photo. I also purchased the 3X macro lens to go with it, but found that I had much difficulty keeping this portable lens on without actually using both hands at the same time trying to keep it on the camera while taking a photo. Otherwise a great camera!

This camera has had a recurring problem wherein the "replace battery" icon flashes and the camera will not allow us to take any more photos - even after replacing the battery. This camera was purchased for vacation photos and three times now it has malfunctioned and needed repairs during the vacation, effectively making it useless. The zoom feature was previously repaired under warranty after minimal use. It took 3 months for Minolta to return the camera on that occasion. Our experience may or may not be rare, but it was bad enough to dissuade another purchase from Minolta.

I have bought it 4 months ago and I never no if the pictures will be good or bad. The flash seems very weak (or it may be a problem with the light reader) and indoor pictures are usually so dark they are not worthy. Outdoor pictures with good light are usually very good !

Underwater pictures also need good light. Indoor pools are not an option for UW pictures as flash is really weak.

I bought this Vectis Weathermatic after being an [other brand] user for 7 years. I work as an agricultural consultant and most pictures I take are outdoors. My [other camera] finally fell into an irrigation canal and I decided to replace it with a waterproof, shock resistant camera. But with my [other camera] I always new what to expect, with my Minolta I never now if the pictures will come out with good light or not.

Another CON: can't take pictures if object is moving (no matter if ASA 400) as it can't focus correctly.

Conclusion: this camera will probably last longer than my [other camera] but I will probably replace it before as I am not satisfied with the quality of the pictures.

I bought this Minolta Weathermatic Vectis to replace the 20 yr old Weathermatic 110 style I had used for so long after realizing this APS would withstand the beach visits with a toddler and develop wonderful beach /play photos as well as the dipping into the ocean capturing photos of the child.I have no complaints, having used the camera for 2 yrs now and highly recommend it. I am considering buying the Vectis deluxe for 249. as it goes into a pocket easier in winter/fall. I have used the Weathermatic to take great snow shots too and as it is a point and shoot with a timer you can get anyone to take a group photo or set the timer. Get serious we are real families taking real photos. Buy this you will not regret it, loading the film is easy too.

This camera went with me on several vacations and has survived the elements, including a good thrashing against rocks in Class 4 Rapids. The pictures came out great, though the lense did fog up a bit on a few occasions. The underwater shots with flash came out much nicer than those I'd previously taken with another camera costing double. The sharp focus on a foreground object can be amazing, I took the most amazing photo on an eagle in flight. It looked as though the eagle was still but the background was moving. Drawbacks are in design: sometimes when you give the camera to someone else to take a photo they turn it the wrong way a shoot a pic of their face. Sounds stupid, but the front doesn't protrude much and it has happened too many times. People tend to grab the camera in such a way that their fingers get prints on the lense as well. Also, it is easy to get your fingers in the way of the lense. Improvements would include a lense cap and ZOOM, if possible.

My camera has really stood up to the elements and multiple beatings. It has worked well for me taking pictures underwater and in the surf, and has also been to the top of multiple 20,000+ feet mountains. Dropped countless times on rock, snow, sand, and also dunked as much into water. I have learned to force the flash on anything but super sunny days - the pics come out a bit dark in conditions other cameras would have no problem with, and i've found it could really use a filter in intense light situations. Nothing you wouldn't expect from a specialty use camera. Just bought a second spare one for when the first one finally does give up - which i don't think will be for a long time.
Good camera and good value!

If you are considering buying an APS camera, then you should look no further. Note, however, that APS film is a bit more expensive than regular 35mm film, but it is much more versatile (standard Normal, Group, and Panoramic modes, etc). The reason why this camera so great is most obviously its design. The case is waterproof as well as shockproof. After taking it with me hiking, I tripped three times, each time with the camera in my hand (in its little case), and showed no signs of damage, and still worked great underwater. For me, this is great, as I usually end up losing things in my messy room, and hence they usually get banged around. This camera is durable, and therefore there is no worry. Its waterproofing is great feature, as I am constantly taking pictures on my boat, at the beach, or outside where there is always the chance of rain. You don't have to worry about keeping your camera dry, nor does it become a problem if you leave you bag with the camera in it someplace where it might accidentally get wet. The design is extremely easy to use, and the pictures are great (use 400 speed film, its the most versatile). The only bad thing is that you have to fairly responsible about cleaning the camera after salt-water use. Now, I have never done this, and the camera still works fine. Furthermore, this thing is tiny, suprisingly smaller than the most compact 35mm's. You'll be suprised at how small it is (it's not too small though). It also has bumps on the back to help you grip the camera with one hand. To anyone who is concerned about zoom, on most compact camera, APS or 35mm, they barely make that much of a difference. And to anyone considering going digital, I say just get a scanner. Your picture quality will be much better. Recommended without reservation. Its the kind of camera you can just throw in your bag and never have to worry about. One last thing, when you first put it underwater, you will see bubbles coming out. I was concerned, but found out it was just air on the outside of the waterproofing.

I liked this product very much because I used it for surf photography on a HUGE day, and no water penetrated the case as it did on my old single-use "waterproof" cameras that i had used before. The Bell & Howell BH714 Water Resistant 35mm camera takes clear pictures every time. The camera not only help up to the waves beating on it, but it also took some of the clearest pictures i have ever seen from a camera that parallels this one in price, or anywhere near this price.