Waterproof cameras are the emerging trend as far as digital cameras go, as more and more people have had their regular cameras ruined by falling into a pool or even taking photos in the rain.

And if you have an active lifestyle you still want to point and shoot your photos whether you're at the pool, or simply riding your bicycle, without the need to protect your camera.

What's the point of having a camera that's small enough to take anywhere but it's so delicate you can't use it everywhere in every circumstance?

That's why the big manufacturers have started rolling out waterproof, freezeproof, shockproof little digital cameras.

Most can easily fit in your pocket, just like regular point and shoot cameras nowadays.

And they can go with you everywhere, since waterproof is not the only standard feature. Most of the cameras are also shockproof so they can fall from 3-4 feet (at least) and still operate.

Even if you just want a regular camera but have kids, these little cameras can withstand little hands as well (that can easily take apart any electronic device you keep unattended. But not these cameras).

As these digitals are becoming more mainstream, their prices have gone down considerably and they are now at the same price point as regular digital cameras.

Given all these, I see no reason why not to choose a waterproof cameras over a regular one.

Waterproof digitals are great but there are some essential "need to know" facts before you dive in there.

First, go read some actual customer reviews that talk about warranties. These might cause a problem for you down the road as some models come with no warranties in case of “water damage” if you can believe it.

If you're diving underwater or just taking pictures of the kids in the pool, make sure the seal is tight BEFORE going in. 1 grain of sand and your camera is anything but waterproof. You can look in the website at the end of this article to understand how to check.

As always, there are alternatives to this:

 - These cameras are relatively new so you might encounter some minor problems with some models

 - Make special note of the optics. The best way to do this is to actually take the camera and shoot some pictures. Or better yet, consult actual customer reviews.

 - You also need to learn a bit about taking pictures underwater so you'll get great photos and not a load of bluish fuzzy ones. There's a mini guide on the subject you can get at this site Waterproof Digital Cameras World.com

Check out these new waterproof digitals. I think you'll like what you see.