[citrin_ru]

There is one more use case not covered by smartphones but actually covered by fixed-lens cameras - taking photos in rainy weather (which in some parts of the world is hard to avoid) or underwater. While there are waterproof smartphones, capacitive touchscreen becomes unusable as soon as it catches even a few drops of rain or water from wet fingers. A camera like Fujifilm XP140 works well in rain as long as there are no drops on the lens and under water if you want to make a shot of marine life.

And while there are gloves which allows to use touchscreen using it in the snow is not the best experience either - pressing a physical button is easier.

I expect many smartphones to have quality better then this camera but in some conditions it's hard/impossible to use a smartphone. And quality is enough to capture some moments from a family vocation.

[heipei]

The iPhone is waterproof and you can take a photo with the physical volume up/down key. I've used it underwater a couple of times, none of my other proper cameras would be able to do that. My two cents.

[xarope]

I've used my olympus TG4 underwater at a depth of 15m (best I could do without scuba), and had it trailing on a lanyard on my wrist whilst swimming in the ocean. I'd like to think nobody would subject any current smartphone to these sorts of conditions, and expect them to survive, nor believe the marketing rhetoric.

One other thing I do like about the TG4, nice big buttons, and I've had plenty of opportunities to use it in rather adverse conditions.

[nibbleshifter]

Which model? And does it survive saltwater? How deep?

Asking for a me who doesn't want to fuck up a thousand euro phone trying something stupid next time I'm at the seaside :)

[giobox]

Pretty much all iPhones have been for some time (since iPhone 7) to various degrees, but Apple themselves make no promises it will always work:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207043

"Splash, water, and dust resistance are not permanent conditions and resistance might decrease as a result of normal wear. Liquid damage is not covered under warranty, but you might have rights under consumer law."

I think of it more as good to have for an accidental drop, rather than a specification to rely upon for regular underwater photography, although the more recent phones do reach ever higher Ingress Protection (IP67, IP68 etc) water/splash/dust ratings.

[brk]

Anecdata but I’ve jumped in saltwater to get ahold of my stupid dog that fell off our dock with my iPhone 12 in my pocket. I am typing this response on said phone :)

[justincormack]

I got mine wet in the sea and it barely worked after (probably an 11 I think)

[Panzer04]

Took my 12 mini on a day of kayaking, water got into the lenses and broke the faceID camera. The water in the lens eventually evaporated, but the faceID cam seems permenantly broken.

They are water resistant, but I wouldn't use it in water as a matter of course. Maybe if its in pristine/as new condition, at best - I've dropped mine a few times, which probably didn't help.

[nradov]

Smartphones don't really work for underwater photography. Even the water resistant models have very limited depth ratings so to take them scuba diving you need a strong housing, just as with any other camera. There are underwater housings available for a few smartphone models but controlling anything through the touch screen is problematic, the small lenses and sensors don't work well in dim light, and there isn't a good way to trigger external strobes.

[tlavoie]

Any thoughts on the various action cameras for underwater? I've got an inexpensive (not GoPro) one that I've taken diving. It's just in looping video mode, cutting a new clip every few minutes, and could certainly use additional lighting. If I want stills, I just grab them from a freeze frame.

While I'm starting to get more into diving, I don't want to just throw money at other goodies before I know what they'll do for me.