Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT30EB-A Tough Waterproof Compact Digital Camera - Blue

I'm not generally in the habit of writing reviews but feel this beast deserves one. Generally it isn't worth me having nice or expensive things, I break them quickly. Few bits of kit are designed to take the hammering I tend to give them. I've had a number of reasonably fancy compact cameras which buzz and wher and extend lenses and quickly bits have got jamed, fallen off or water has got in and that has been that. I brought one of these in 2014 and it has performed flawlessly. In that time it has been regularly dropped, often on concrete, been in sand, puddles, torrential rain, excessive heat and cold but worked through it fine. I've not been intentionally underwater with it so I'm not sure how it performs there. However, I was at a metal gig recently, in the mosh pit which was packed and lively. The camaera was in my pocket, at some point I realised it had slipped out in the energy of the moment and thought "Ah well, it's done OK but no way will it survive the stomping heavy boots of happy metalheads". Strangely it did, yes it looks like it has been stamped on a few times on a concrete floor but it still works. The rear screen is well scratched up but still useable, the lense no damage at all and works as well as ever it did even if it looks wrecked (in itself a bonus and a deterrant to theft.Great little camera!

It's a very good camera for taking in the water. Takes decent pics, and the kids had great fun making underwater movies too. I've tried disposable underwater cameras too. This takes better pics, and movies too. A couple of minor negatives: - When not in the water the image quality isn't the very best. It's ok, but other compacts, or a good phone, will do better. But then it's not expensive. - The lanyard isn't the most secure for putting on kid's hands so that they don't lose it in the sea or wherever! But that's not to detract from a camera that's good value, and great underwater.

I use it almost every day under all weather conditions - a great sturdy pocketsized camera! Well worth the price!

I had the previous model for 7 years and when it finally broke due to being left in the sun on the beach, I bought this replacement which is slimmer and lighter. I keep it in my pocket when go mountain biking, as it is great for taking for taking a wide range of photos including macro pics like the red toadstool photo (with fill in flash), sunsets, selfies (even in the rain) and beach pics, in or under water. The zoom reduces the quality, like on all cameras, but I'm happy with the results, like the autumn trees photo. I used to be a professional photographer so all of these photos except the sunset were edited. I use lots of the different settings on the camera including the exposure compensation button to help get detail in sky pics. I like to take pics as I ride (when I ride off road mountain biking) Actions shots are always a bit hit and miss due to the slight delay from when you click to the photo being taken, but with practice you can capture some fun moments. I rarely use the video, which is OK but not as good as a phone camera video or audio.

Sturdy, but the mic is a little naff due to it being housed behind all that armour. Lasted a couple years but then bit the dust when I foolishly, repeatedly used it underwater in a very salty ocean. Unrelated, but my waterproof watch also died that same week. Just don't put electronic devices in saline liquids.

Annoying detail I know, but the camera will not charge the battery from the USB port. So I must remove the battery and charge it with the separate battery charger. The USB cable is an odd size too. The charger and cable are almost as bulky as the camera itself, and I will have to remember to take yet another bit of kit on holiday. What a shame they didn't use a standard USB port to charge the battery. Update. I've had this camera 18 months now, and hardly use it. The lens is exposed, so it is always wet or dirty, and that gives poor photo quality. I use my old DMC-FS14 instead. It isn't waterproof, but the retracting lens means that it stays clean. And it is robust enough to survive rain and weather.

I had a great deal of difficulty finding a waterproof camera which met my requirements, but finally settled on this one.I was looking for a balance between cost and quality given that the camera was going to be used infrequently and not as an everyday item. It was used on holiday in the pool and in the sea whilst snorkelling. It gave really good results in the pool with its clear water and brilliant sunshine. The photographs and video taken in the sea were less clear but that could be explained by the lower water quality in the Adriatic Sea. I did not take the camera to depths greater than three metres on this occasion and had no problem with water ingress at any time. I was careful to rinse the camera in fresh water and dry it after weather use.

Brought this for my gadget mad 12 year old! Easy to use and good quality photos Easy to download to laptop. Battery life good as well If your looking for a value for money waterproof camera without loads of tech stuff this is perfect

Bon appareil photo numérique.

Item was used and had pictures stored in internal memory. The battery charger is an old design from 2008. Has the large AC adapter like for a TV. Camera I bought last year (same model) is totally different. This thing is over 10 years old. Rip off!!!

E' la mia terza macchinetta point-and-shoot impermeabile, dopo la vecchia OLYMPUS TOUGH di prima generazione (prodotto mediocre, resistente ma pesante e con un sensore pessimo) e la Nikon Coolpix AW100 di prima generazione (buon prodotto, sopravvissuto a due anni di abusi estremi -congelamento, cadute, tropici, immersioni in sorgenti termali- prima che il flash morisse e le lenti cominciassero ad appannarsi un po' all'interno). La Panasonic LUMIX che ho appena ricevuto sembra piazzarsi nel mezzo. E' molto leggera e compatta e il sensore lavora bene anche con poca luce, senza sgranare troppo. Il display ha una risoluzione scarsa. Il problema fondamentale è la chiusura del vano memoria/batteria, la cui chiusura di sicurezza mi pare di plastichetta un po' fragilina. Inoltre il doppio sistema di chiusura si apre scorrendo nella medesima direzione, una scelta poco avveduta che potrebbe provocare aperture accidentali (al confronto, Nikon usa un sistema che va premuto e ruotato, molto più sicuro). Queste sono solo prime impressioni, vedremo come la macchina si comporterà in una prova sul campo. Per la cronaca, Nikon Coolpix AW130 pesa 222 grammi invece che 127, è un po' più grossa e costa 270 euro invece che 220 ma offre ben altra qualità e prestazioni (immersione a 30 metri invece che 8, zoom 5x invece che 4x, chiusura ermetica più solida, display molto migliore, GPS, video fullHD).