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Weatherproof Digital Toys?
Scott Anguish asks: "I've been trying to find gear designed for the consumer market that is able to withstand exposure to water, dirt, etc. Kodak's DC5000 Digital Camera is a nice enough unit, but still misses the mark on price ($699) and performance (2 Megapixels, no irDA). Cell phone wise: Ericsson had talked about releasing their R250d model in the U.S., but that seems to have been a no show. Their new R310s looks promising, but seems only to be available overseas. Are there any other options for use in the U.S.? (most cell providers don't seem to know much beyond the cheap phones, or the 'stylish' phones). And what of a PDA? I want something that can be tossed in pack with my eTrex GPS and not worry about the conditions. What are the options out there?"
If you look on PalmGear you can find a variety of rugged Palm PDA cases, including titanium ones from RhinoSkin and neoprene ones from other companies. I've seen hard plastic ones that look like they'd be excellent for canoe trips as well, but they're not listed there.
However, if I might be presumptuous, might I suggest that you leave all that digital junk behind (except the camera) when you're going into the woods? I find losing the distractions of home (computers, telephones, schedules, etc) an essential part of the experience, whether it's a 2 hour mountain bike or a 2 week canoe trip.
The next Cmdr Taco duplicate will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
Sounds to me like you found your answers, but you either don't have the money or you resent having to pay more for ruggedized cases, wider operating temperature ranges, etc.
Sure, you can get plenty of 2.1 megapixel cameras for $400 or so, but you wouldn't want to take them out on a rainy day, much less swim with them. $700 for submersible sounds fair, seeing as it's the price of a lot of plastic-cased 3-megapixel models that I'd be afraid to take outdoors at all, like the Nikon 880.
Check with some of the big specialty shops like B+H Photo and see if they carry aftermarket waterproof enclosures for other models. They might.
Weatherproofing and waterproofing electronic equipment is expensive. It adds thickness and weight, and makes every switch and dial a design challenge.
I've been playing around with a very cool PDA case from AquaPac. (http://www.aquapac.net)
It is a tough flexible plastic "bag" that holds a Palm PDA, has an external pocket for a stylus, and a nifty rope to hang around your neck. They claim it is waterproof to 10m depth.
The case is designed to be flexible enough to use your PDA right through the case. I've had no trouble at all - even grafitti works well.
They also make some cases for cell phones and other devices, but I haven't tried them out.
- RadVen