Vivitar 6200W underwater camera: Crave sails the seven seas
To test out the Vivitar 6200W, we decided to investigate sightings of a mysterious ship with more to it than meets the eye. We took photos of our nautical adventure -- mind the icebergs!
James Cameron may claim to have discovered the mysteries of the deep, but reports that a new Titanic has been sighted have us wondering if something fishy's going on. Leo and Kate had the world's biggest film budget behind them when they set sail, but that's pocket change compared to the Crave expense account. And so we armed ourselves with the 6-megapixel Vivitar ViviCam 6200W underwater camera and set sail into uncharted waters to uncover the real secret of this new Titanic.
Click through the pictures to follow our voyage to the bottom of the sea...
Ship ahoy! The Vivitar has spotted something that looks like the Titanic off our starboard bow -- or is it port? Anyway, the 6200W is waterproof down to 10m, which is perfect for snorkelling. This camera likes getting its feet wet more than it does landlubbing -- it's a little basic for onshore snapping, but it'll manage your holiday shots.
Could this really be the Titanic, afloat again? Let's hope it's as watertight as the 6200W. The rubber-armoured exterior of our yellow submarine has only one opening: a tightly sealed hatch that stows the USB connection and battery compartment. AA batteries keep the 6200W's propeller turning (metaphorically, anyway).
This is now an air-and-sea operation as we move in for the perfect shot. A timer on the 6200W allows you to paddle into your own picture. The focus is fixed, but you can choose between landscape and close-up. Unfortunately, the 6200W's 4x digital zoom means the best way to zoom in is to swim faster.
What's this? Something seems to be happening to the ship. Could it be there's more to this mysterious new Titanic than meets the eye, just as the 6200W conceals 16MB of internal memory? It also supports SD cards up to 1GB.
Titanicbot has risen from the depths! Our quest has paid off. The 6200W is nabbing some great footage with its video mode and all the usual raft of photo scene settings -- plus underwater, of course.
As Titanicbot gets his sea legs, we watch on the Vivitar's 50mm (2-inch) colour screen. These chunky buttons and the top-mounted shutter release captain the good ship 6200W.
Titanicbot is so impressed with the 6200W's ISO settings of 50, 100 and 200 that he fails to notice danger looming. Watch out for the ice, Titanicbot!
Disaster strikes. History repeats itself as Titanicbot gets that sinking feeling. King of the world? All at sea, more like. That robot needs wringing out.
If you're about to set sail on your own nautical adventure, the Vivitar ViviCam 6200W could make a great shipmate. Although usually retailing at just over £100, it's currently available from Amazon for a paltry £69.99. Presumably for a limited maritime only. -Rich Trenholm