i own a Lumix TS1, and i highly endorse it. in fact, the TS2 is now on the market. leica lens, 4.6x optical zoom, waterproof to 10', cold and shock proof too. 720p HD video with sound (works underwater!). takes great all-around pics and video, with plenty of great shooting options. intelligent ISO, min. shutter speed, auto-bracketing, various white balance settings, and easy-to-use interface.
i definitely highly recommend the TS1. when i got it last summer it was $469 or thereabouts; i'm sure it's come way down in price.
i won't comment on the canon d10 because i'm not a huge fan of canon.
another good option to look into is Pentax. they just release the W90, their 11th generation underwater p&s - so they know what they're doing. 5x optical zoom, good to 20' underwater, rugged and shock/cold proof, built in digital microscope... i think it's retailing for $369; you can probably get the W80 or W60 for much cheaper now.
The better high ISO image quality of the TS1 would probably be a more important feature than the better underwater performance of the D10. I also feel the TS1 is just so much better looking.
You aren't going to find an underwater camera that uses conventional batteries. Best bet is to get at least one extra battery (check the Internet for cheaper options) and an adapter for your charger. Most charges are universal voltage (so you only need an adapter and not a transformer) but I would check first.
I'm just referring to the review, it works deeper, the layout is better for using underwater, and the images tend to be more consistent underwater and the flash works better. All of those mean better underwater performance.
One or two things about buying cameras, better iso range and the brand of the lens don't really matter, it's just the image quality that they produce. Lots of cameras have useless 6400iso setting, it's the quality of the images at 800 or 1600iso that matters, not it's maximum setting. Canon also makes excellent lenses, and the Leica branded lenses on lumix cameras are actually manufactured by Panisonic.
But I do agree with you, the TS1 is the camera she should buy.
i've purchased canon and lumixes. i know that iso can be useless... especially high iso settings (though i DO like the intelligent iso feature that panasonic has).
when i owned a canon, i found the image too "reddish" for my liking. i've owned 3 different lumixes, and liked them all. they've all produced quality images for me (and the HD video is an added plus).
i also like my pentax slr.
i recognize that most people prefer canon or nikon. that's cool.
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i own a Lumix TS1, and i highly endorse it. in fact, the TS2 is now on the market. leica lens, 4.6x optical zoom, waterproof to 10', cold and shock proof too. 720p HD video with sound (works underwater!). takes great all-around pics and video, with plenty of great shooting options. intelligent ISO, min. shutter speed, auto-bracketing, various white balance settings, and easy-to-use interface.
i definitely highly recommend the TS1. when i got it last summer it was $469 or thereabouts; i'm sure it's come way down in price.
i won't comment on the canon d10 because i'm not a huge fan of canon.
another good option to look into is Pentax. they just release the W90, their 11th generation underwater p&s - so they know what they're doing. 5x optical zoom, good to 20' underwater, rugged and shock/cold proof, built in digital microscope... i think it's retailing for $369; you can probably get the W80 or W60 for much cheaper now.
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http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q209waterproofgroup/
The better high ISO image quality of the TS1 would probably be a more important feature than the better underwater performance of the D10.
I also feel the TS1 is just so much better looking.
You aren't going to find an underwater camera that uses conventional batteries. Best bet is to get at least one extra battery (check the Internet for cheaper options) and an adapter for your charger. Most charges are universal voltage (so you only need an adapter and not a transformer) but I would check first.
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my TS1 performs brilliantly underwater. there is even a really fantastic "underwater" setting in the scene modes.
the TS1 has better iso range, better optical zoom (better wide-angle ability), a leica lens, and HD video (the canon has only 640x480).
overall the TS1 is a great compact camera for any situation.
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One or two things about buying cameras, better iso range and the brand of the lens don't really matter, it's just the image quality that they produce. Lots of cameras have useless 6400iso setting, it's the quality of the images at 800 or 1600iso that matters, not it's maximum setting. Canon also makes excellent lenses, and the Leica branded lenses on lumix cameras are actually manufactured by Panisonic.
But I do agree with you, the TS1 is the camera she should buy.
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i've purchased canon and lumixes. i know that iso can be useless... especially high iso settings (though i DO like the intelligent iso feature that panasonic has).
when i owned a canon, i found the image too "reddish" for my liking. i've owned 3 different lumixes, and liked them all. they've all produced quality images for me (and the HD video is an added plus).
i also like my pentax slr.
i recognize that most people prefer canon or nikon. that's cool.
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(Sam knows that almost all of that is over my head tech-speak-wise, but I appreciate the advice.)
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