Recommendations, please: Digital camera for fishing

[The Fisherman]

Here are my criteria:

Small, fits in my vest pocket
Simple to use
Cheap (so when I drop it in the river, which we all know IS going to happen, I won't be too depressed)

Any suggestions? TIA!

[Redwings1]

Pentax Optio WP. It is a 5+ megapixel point and shoot style camera that is waterproof...so you can drop it in the water and not be depressed at all. Or even better you can take awesome release shots of fish from under water 8)

[Todd K]

I have a Canon S230 Powershot. This is an older model so they have newer higher pixel ones. It is a pretty small. I also picked up an underwater housing which is a lot of fun. I can take video underwater and photos. I don't worry about dropping it anymore. This does make it a little bigger, but I have a case that fits nicely on my wading belt.

[ctoutdoorsman]

I have a Sony Cybershot 7.2 MPX. It is an awesome camera. I'm too paranoid to bring it actually in the river. Dropping it is one thing, taking a dive with it on me is another. I'm good for about two or three dips in the river each year, so I just don't risk it. The plus's and minus's of digital, ya know?

[Redwings1]

The Pextax was my suggestion as it is waterproof, but h Sony Cybershot 7.2 is what I have and use. I keep it in a waterproof clamshell case in my waders just in case I dunk. Now the only reason I have to worry is a splashing fish or rain.

[Flyone73]

Iwould definitly buy something waterproof or cheap. I was at the Oak Orchard a couple of years back. I was heading back to the car when I spooked a big hen(brown). My buddies were still up the river so I was solo. I stalked her down ,Drifted a #12 black stone and she inhaled it .After a good fight (she was probably 12#'s)I finally had her landed. Took my camera (sony 350$)out of the waterproof case snapped a picture and put it in my chest pocket in my jacket.I wanted to get her back in the water as quick as posible so I didnt put it back i n the waterproof bag as it was a pain in the a$$. So I bent over to release her when splash my camera falls out of my pocket off her back into the bottom of the oak. Never worked again. So buy cheap or waterproof.

[flytire]

Pentax Optio 43WR, Optio WP10, Optio WPi or the newer Olympus 720SW are all good choices for water resistant/waterproof cameras.

[sbalsen]

I have a Canon S230 Powershot. This is an older model so they have newer higher pixel ones. It is a pretty small. I also picked up an underwater housing which is a lot of fun. I can take video underwater and photos. I don't worry about dropping it anymore. This does make it a little bigger, but I have a case that fits nicely on my wading belt.

I second the vote for the Canon S230. It take terrific photos and is an older model so the price is afforable. The 3.2 megapixel count is high enough to take great 8 x 10 photos. It also uses compact flash media, which I think is the best. The underwater housing that is available make's the camera spill proof! I bought this camera for all my kids a few years ago to document their travels. It's worked great! My older son used it for the past two summers while he was working for the fire service out west, fighting forest fires. The camera survived just fine, through rain, smoke, drops and other abuse! It takes great movies too! The camera is very tiny and fits anywhere so you will be more likely to carry it with you. It is an older camera so it may be hard to find. Other than that, I think it's the perfect fishing camera.

[SloNDeep]

I know this is an old post but I thought I might try adding some "best of..." posts and went back to see what had already been done

I copied this from another thread I posted earlier, I still have the camera and really like the pictures I get from it.

... The camera is an Olympus Stylus 300 (frequently on EBay for just over a hundred bucks). I got it because it claims to be weather resistant (they say it can survive a dunking) and so far it has held up to their claims. I've had the camera since the Summer of 04

I actually spent an entire day in the pouring rain with it in my raincoat pocket back in early June (perhaps you saw the nice 20 incher from the Other Rivers gallery 2006 ). I didnt realize that my pocket had a sigficant amount of water in it til late in the day and the camera survived fine.

It went totally under water on two of my three dunkings Sunday and obviously was still working when I took those two pictures. ...

-- I got the camera because it satisfied the criteria you described and because it is weather resistant