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| "It takes more than a puny Jeep to break the mighty Mini" |
If
you’re klutzy like me, you know the value of a good, solid camera.
Nobody wants to drop a couple hundred bucks on a machine that can’t
handle any outdoor abuse, and if you’re going on an adventure, there
will definitely be some abuse involved. SeaLife's Mini II camera will take your abuse and come running back for more. Read more after the jump.
SeaLife's Mini II 9-megapixel camera ($229.99, sealife-cameras.com) is built mainly for the underwater crowd - its Snorkel and Dive modes adjust to cancel out the blue colors that are prevalent underwater. It also sports a Land Auto mode for above-water photos, a 30fps video mode with sound, and a 2.4" LCD screen to see how your photos turned out. There's no optical zoom, just a 3x digital, and it runs on 2 AAA batteries.
So far, the Mini II has proven extremely resilient. Its hefty frame and rubber outer layer make it seem impervious to impact (it's rated to 6-foot drops), and as a camera originally designed for scuba use should be, its totally waterproof. I’ve dropped it, banged it on countless doorframes and rails, soaked it in a lake, dropped it in a river (note: it doesn’t float), and tried to facilitate real-world situations in which I could destroy the camera. It wouldn’t pop. After particularly hard whacks, the memory card has a tendency to pop out of its slot, so if you do drop the thing it's a good idea to open it up and make sure the card's still in place.
SeaLife's Mini II 9-megapixel camera ($229.99, sealife-cameras.com) is built mainly for the underwater crowd - its Snorkel and Dive modes adjust to cancel out the blue colors that are prevalent underwater. It also sports a Land Auto mode for above-water photos, a 30fps video mode with sound, and a 2.4" LCD screen to see how your photos turned out. There's no optical zoom, just a 3x digital, and it runs on 2 AAA batteries.
So far, the Mini II has proven extremely resilient. Its hefty frame and rubber outer layer make it seem impervious to impact (it's rated to 6-foot drops), and as a camera originally designed for scuba use should be, its totally waterproof. I’ve dropped it, banged it on countless doorframes and rails, soaked it in a lake, dropped it in a river (note: it doesn’t float), and tried to facilitate real-world situations in which I could destroy the camera. It wouldn’t pop. After particularly hard whacks, the memory card has a tendency to pop out of its slot, so if you do drop the thing it's a good idea to open it up and make sure the card's still in place.
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| It just needs a bandana and a Rambo wig. |
The
camera’s use is simple to a fault. There are only a few settings, and
the menu holds your hand through all of them. It’s great for
technophobes, but advanced photographers will almost definitely hanker
for more options. It’s also bigger than most point-and-shoot cameras (its dimensions are 4.5" x 1.8" x 3.0"), so forget about cramming it into your pocket when you're out on a hike.
The bottom line is that this thing is tough to break. Divers who want a solid underwater
camera and casual photogs who want a tough camera or the simplest setup available
should take a closer look.
And if you thought that first image was fake, here's a video of the Mini II getting run over by a Jeep.
