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EQUIPMENT TEST
By Darren Wilson
Minolta Vectis Weathermatic
Cameras Underwater, £229 (Purchased September 1999, available now for under £200))
When I first got interested in diving and marine life back in 1999, I wanted to be able to bring back some mementoes from my dive trips. After obtaining my dive qualifications, I was on the lookout for a camera that I could take on holiday for use while diving and snorkelling. I didn't know much about photography and was only qualified at the time to a depth of 18m so didn't require anything too expensive or technologically advanced. I just wanted a basic camera to take a few snaps. A few hours on the internet resulted in a couple of cameras that were suitable as most basic point and shoot film cameras were only depth rated to 2 - 5m, not really what I was looking for. I then stumbled across the Minolta Vectis Weathermatic. This is a compact APS zoom camera depth rated to 10m, available from Cameras Underwater for £229 (in 1999). This was the best deal I could find as the digital format was just emerging and didn't have the quality or suitable housings within my budget.
I placed my order and 3 days later I had my Vectis Weathermatic to play with. Although this camera is not a dedicated diving camera; it is more of a snorkelling and harsh environment camera (such as skiing), the depth rating of 10m was adequate for what I wanted. The camera is basic and very simple to operate. There are 4 buttons and a command dial. The command dial switches the camera on and off and provides mode settings which include: Off, Auto, Red-eye flash, force flash, flash off and night scene. The other buttons include: shutter release, zoom, date/select and self-timer/adjust. As this is an APS film camera, there is also a switch to choose between the three picture format options; normal (6x4), HDTV (7x4) and panorama (10x4).
The camera is constructed from ABS plastic and is a distinctive bright yellow colour with grey inserts. This is one camera that cannot be missed! Loading the film and battery is simple, no special tools are required. The film compartment opens via a strong plastic tag which is recessed in to the camera in its normal position so it cannot be opened by mistake. The tag simply flips up to provide a handle which then turns. This releases 2 metal hinges inside the camera body that releases the lid. The film simply slides in to the compartment then the lid seals. The lid has a rubber O-ring to ensure no leaks. This O-ring should be checked every time the lid is closed to ensure it's free of dirt and is not damaged. The battery compartment, which takes a single CR2 battery, is opened with a coin so its useful to keep a 10p in you bag just in case! The coin is simply inserted in to a recess and a 1/4 turn anti-clockwise opens the lid. The battery simple slides in. When the camera is switched on, the film is automatically wound in to the camera ready for use. An LCD display on top shows the number of photos left and IX data (ISO, date, time). The film and battery compartments are coloured red, part of the colour coding of the camera so you know these are sensitive areas.
In the water, the camera is distinctly buoyant. If the camera is ever let go of, it will quickly ascend so it's worth using the supplied wrist strap. Even though the camera is quite buoyant, it is still easy to use underwater with the reassurance that if it is dropped, it can always be retrieve from the surface. The viewfinder is large and easy to use even through a mask. The controls are big enough to be located easily but may be a little fiddly with thick gloves on; 5mm neoprenes are fine but the loss of dexterity with dry gloves may make pressing the shutter release fully difficult. Once the required picture format is selected, the camera is fully automatic in use unless the flash is not wanted or the flash forced. As the flash is built in to the camera, backscatter can be a problem in all but the clearest of water. A disadvantage with this camera is there is no macro function. The camera can focus down to approximately 60cm so is fine for wide shots, but close-ups can be difficult to achieve. The 1.7x zoom function goes a short way to alleviating this problem. As with most point and shoot type camera, parallexing can be an issue when close to subjects. To counteract this, markings are placed within the viewfinder as a guide to off setting the parallex.
Picture quality, when used with good quality film (such as Kodak High Definition APS) can be quite good. Colours are captured accurately and the pictures sharp. Photo's taken above the surface are as good as any standard APS camera. As the camera is only rated to a depth of 10m, it has limited use for scuba diving although I've taken this camera beyond this, to a maximum of 15m without a problem. This is obviously not recommended. This camera is more suited for shallow afternoon dives and snorkelling when a bulkier, more complex camera is not required. It is a good option for travelling due to its compact size and ease of operation and maintenance. It won't suit a more advance user or serious diver, but for those who just want to capture a few memories on holiday, it's ideal and currently cheaper than a digital alternative.
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