This camera was a gift for my 14 year old grandson who needed a camera for his 8th grade field trip next spring. I could have bought him cheap, but I needed a good, reliable camera that could grow with him until he was an adult and update itself to know more about what he wanted. I researched the cameras in consumer reports etc. I couldn't find a top rated camera for sale anywhere. Then I looked up the waterproof rating and found this one. I definitely wanted something strong as Viktor is still a kid and will likely jump with him on his travels and other places he takes him to. I'm concerned about the "waterproof" label as I've found from reading reviews that most people think it's not actually waterproof. I told Victor never to take it underwater because of the rating, but I was glad he'd probably be fine in rain or spray. I also liked the lens setup because the retractable lens can get caught on something or pop open accidentally. This in turn makes the camera more usable for whatever purpose he is going to give it to. When he opened it up at Christmas, I charged the battery (easy to do) and also put in an SD card (none came with the camera). So it was ready to go. He seemed excited - he liked the color orange, although I was a little worried about that. Knowing enough about digital cameras, he saw and used his parents' camera from time to time to start filming immediately. He's a craftsman and was able to figure out how things work pretty quickly. I was a bit disappointed that the various buttons didn't stick out higher and were therefore difficult to "feel" and operate without looking - it slows things down when you're taking a lot of shots, but it also means they don't do work. sticking out to catch on objects that could damage the camera. I even included a little book on digital cameras for dummies and we found out his school has a photography club so he should be a pro by the time of the trip. His sister was jealous (maybe next year?) and my only disappointment was when I saw an ad at a local store two weeks before Christmas for the same camera but $20 cheaper!
Nikon D3100 DSLR Camera with Auto Focus-S Nikkor Zoom Lens (Discontinued by Manufacturer)
109 Review
Canon PowerShot A480 camera, black
108 Review
Canon EOS 60D: 18MP CMOS Digital SLR Camera Body - Your Next Photography Companion
125 Review
Nikon D5100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm VR Lens - High Resolution 16.2MP
172 Review