Panasonic Lumix TS20 16.1 MP TOUGH Waterproof Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom (Orange) (OLD MODEL)

I'm participating in our area Tough Mudder event next month and wanted to take along a waterproof camera. I took a waterproof disposable last year to Warrior Dash, and it worked out fine, but the problem with the old school wind-up cameras, if you accidentally hit the picture button, there goes a waste of one photo gone of your hand or blurry shirt or whatever!So I decided to invest in a digital waterproof camera. I already have an AWESOME Canon for my regular everyday and special events, so I didn't want to spend so much on a camera that I would only use for my obstacle marathons and beach/pool-side outings.After reading up on a few on the lower costs models (I really wanted the waterproof Canon, but just couldn't pay that price!), it came down to the Waterproof Kodak Easyshare and the Waterproof Panasonic Lumix. Both had decent Pros and Cons Feedback. I opted for the Lumix because come down to it...I just didn't want to deal with carrying AA batteries. REALLY?!...batteries! I'm all about the lithium rechargeable batteries.I took the camera to a pool party this past weekend, and was a little hesitant to dip the camera and take under water shots, but hey...that's why I bought it...to test it out! So I did it....and the camera worked out GREAT! The under water shots of the kids were awesome! I thought there would be water spots when taking photos in the pool (splashing kids), but none! The battery and card section is sealed tight! I made sure to keep it locked and let the camera dry off before opening it to retrieve the memory card.I tried out the video, and the videos came out clear and fine.Now there are some feedbacks on this camera about the quality of the photos. Honestly....the photos were nice and clear. Not great like my non-waterproof Canon, but I bought it for the ruggedness and waterproof ability; to be able to not worry about dropping it in the pool or kids splashing nearby.There are also feedbacks here that state their camera isn't waterproof. I think that those individuals may have received a defect that may have came off the production line. But those are few here and there that comes out defective straight out of the warehouse.This being my first time use of it, I definitely LOVE the camera! We'll see what I have to say in an update, when I take it with me on my Tough Mudder event.**OCTOBER 2 UPDATE**WATERPROOF! MUDPROOF! SHOCKPROOF! EVERYTHING PROOF!!!So I just came back and survived Tough Mudder! This little camera is ALL AROUND TOUGH!!!! I honestly thought that at one point mud would seep through. But I waded through mud, jumped into muddy waters, swam through even more gross water, and the camera kept turning on every time I took it out of my Spi-belt to take photos. I do have to say that some photos came out smudgy only because it was hard to clear out the lens from all the mud and I was so dirty and muddy that wiping it off on me wasn't helping. Plus it was sometimes hard to see on the picture viewer only because of the mud. But the point of this all, is that the camera took pictures way better than a disposable could ever, and I was able to take video also! AND it survived TOUGH MUDDER!! Now if you don't know what event I'm talking about, look it up! When you do check it out, you'll probably think, "yeah right!" But believe me...this camera is TOUGHER and more rugged than it looks! I bumped it up from 4 stars to 5!!!

I bought this camera 10 months ago and I use it when I'm fishing so I don't have to worry about dropping it in the sand or water. I've had no complaints so far, and the picture quality is very good, but up until a couple days ago it hasn't really seen any harsh use. But I just had an incredible experience so I just had to write a review.I was fishing from the rocky shore of a bay (it's like a bank of boulders going into the water) and set the camera down on some of the rocks. When I reached to pick it back up I clumsily knocked it off and watched and heard it tumble down between some of the rocks and into the water. At first I thought no big deal, after all that's why I use a waterproof camera (I hadn't even thought about the shockproofness), but I quickly found out it had fallen so far between the rocks that it was out of sight, and even worse out of reach. I spent probably 20 minutes with my shoes and pants soaked standing in the water reaching between the rocks and scratching up my hands but I couldn't find the camera. I was super bummed because I had just caught 2 types of fish that I'd never caught before and had those pictures on the camera, and also the SD card contained pictures of my pregnant wife's belly that we've been taking each week. So it was more about wanting the pictures back than the camera.I decided my best hope was to come back at low tide with a magnet on a string and see if I could see it and fish it out. Unfortunately that was on a Thursday evening and because of work the next low tide I had free was Saturday evening. After 2 days of dread I went back to the same spot where the camera fell (luckily I scratched the rocks with my pliers so I could find the same spot) and I was happy to see that the water level was significantly lower. In fact I was able to stand lower down on the rock bank and peek through a gap from the side and my heart lifted when I saw the camera sitting there. I was able to just reach in and grab it (I couldn't do that before because my head would have been under water). And the best part, I was amazed when i pushed the power button and the camera turned right on! I took some test pictures and everything was still working perfectly. What a relief.So in summary, after tumbling down rocks and spending 48 hours outdoors, half of that time under sea water, the camera survived. Later upon further inspection at home the only thing I noticed was a tiny bit of condensation in the lens and flash areas, but not in the screen. After a day of sitting out now the condensation is gone. So needless to say I love this camera.

I never write reviews. I probably should because I purchase a lot of products and for the most part, they perform as advertised. However, I purchased this camera in late August of 2012 to take on a cruise. We used it and enjoyed it for the 2 days that we were doing underwater pictures. We used it a time or two above water during the next 12 months. We took less than 100 pictures and less than 5 minutes of video all total in a year. This year we packed it again to take on another cruise. mind you, an additional month has passed and we are in our 13th month of ownership. On the second day, the camera fails, the screen goes white, and we have access to nothing. So when we get back, we send it in for repair. Panasonic is telling us that it is out of warranty. OK..well if it is out of warranty, then I guess Fuji gets my business from now on. At least they stand behind their products. Do not buy this or you will be wasting your money....yes I am upset enough to write a review...that's how bad it is.Update 10-10-13. I called 3 different numbers and emailed the main office after I sent my camera to the repair facility in McAllen Texas. All said the same thing;"if it is out of warranty there is nothing we can do". So I waited....I finally received an email that asked me to send it to the repair facility and NOT include all of my accessories as they have them there...so I at least got the answer to that mystery. Well today when I came home, I had received a box from the repair facility. In it was a replacement (the next newer model) camera. I am excited that they replaced it and I do not have to buy another so to be fair to them, kudos to the repair facility in McAllen, Texas. Panasonic needs a better repair, info, warranty center.