Digicams You Can Use This Holi

Holi is such an amazing festival for photography. Everyone and everything around you is so full of color and cheerful (intoxicated) people who just let go of their inhibitions to have fun in its rawest form. Its a pity that there’s always a fear of you damaging your precious camera by exposing it to large amounts of water and chemical colors that can damage your camera parts on contact.

Still there is light at the end of the tunnel. These days, come rain or floods, there’s always a workaround in the world of digital photography to get the shots you want, and when you want. We’ll take a look at some of these options that you can use this Holi.

Option 1: Camera Housing
So what if your camera is not waterproof? Many cameras these days (especially in the compact variety) have additional housing units available as extra accessories. These housing units are basically external shells made out of transparent plastic that fit your camera perfectly and practically seal it airtight.

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These units have their own buttons placed at the exact same positions as the camera’s buttons so you can use the camera for all its basic functionality while it’s well protected from water inside the case.

The thing with these cases is that though they work pretty well most of the times, people can get clumsy with water and there’s always a danger that things will go drastically wrong. Considering that a lot of cameras that these cases are built for don’t have much water-resisting features built into them, its not a good idea letting them anywhere close to water.

Another problem is that though many of these cases are made by the official camera manufacturers themselves, they are not easily available in India. The best place to look out for these things is deep in the gray market, or order them online.
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Option 2: Water/Dust Resistant Cameras
Well these cameras seem nice. They are water and dust resistant which means that even if you get a stray spray of pichkari water hitting your camera, you can easily wipe it dry on time before the water or color can seep in.

Of course keeping in mind that these cameras are only water resistant and not water proof, I wouldn’t go as far as dunking them in water or just leave them wet for hours at a stretch. But still, if you expect to encounter only civilized players this Holi (yeah! right!), then a water resistant camera can easily serve your purpose.

There are quite a few models available in this category, but the most prominent and easily available ones are the Olympus Mju series. Olympus Mju 750 and Mju 1000 are easily available at your local camera stores and electronics dealers.

The current street price of the Mju 750 is Rs. 14,900 and Mju 1000 is available at Rs. 19,400.

Option 3: Water/Dust Proof Cameras
Now this is the real deal! Spray it, dunk it, soak it, slide it… these cameras can take it all. The waterproof cameras come completely sealed in their own casing and don’t have any movable parts on the outside, which keeps all the mechanism safe inside. Even the battery slot comes rubber sealed to ensure that no water can seep in.

These cameras are hands-down the best options for this Holi as no amount of sprayed water or color can cause any damage to them. You can capture Holi in its true spirit, right in the middle of all the action, instead of posing with the aftermath of color on your face once all the fun parts are over.

The best options available in the waterproof camera category are the Pentax W20 and the Olympus Mju 725.

You can check out our complete review of the Pentax W20 right here. It’s currently available at a street price of Rs. 18,500 while the Olympus Mju 725 is available for Rs. 20,200.

This Holi capture the moments that matter. From the Tech2 team, wish you a very Happy Holi!