Waterproof cameras displayed by models in Taipei on June 25 Photo: CFP

 With the growing popularity of outdoor and extreme sports, more and more young people are hoping to enjoy the beauty of nature while climbing a snowy mountain or scuba diving among tropical fish.

Li Qian, a 26-year-old Beijing resident who has just fallen in love with snorkeling, believes owning a waterproof camera is essential. "I regret not buying a waterproof camera to go on my first trip to the Maldives," Li told the Global Times Tuesday.

"I used to think an enclosed smartphone would work fairly well, but there were a lot of false touches beneath the water. And the image quality didn't meet my expectations partly due to the protective casing, I suppose."

Consumers like Li have boosted demand for rugged and submergible digital cameras, which analysts said may help camera makers deal with the fierce competition from smartphones, while acknowledging that it will be difficult for them to regain their past glory.

According to a report issued by Amazon China on July 10, the waterproof camera, which not only functions in deep water, but can also be used in extreme cold and pressure without suffering any damage, has become trendy this year.

Based on the analysis of sales data collected via its online marketplace, Amazon China said that the sales of waterproof cameras in the Chinese market during the nearly two months since June this year was more than twice the figure of the previous year.

Japan's Canon, Nikon and Olympus are the top three best-selling brands on the Amazon platform in China. It seems that the three manufacturers' good market reception can be attributed to their marketing efforts.

Olympus has been actively promoting its Stylus TG-3 Tough since it was released in May via popular social networking platforms such as Sina Weibo. In addition to online exposure, Nikon's waterproof camera was also displayed in an eye-catching water tank during a three-day music concert held on Jinshan Beach in Shanghai that ended on Sunday.

"Camera makers need to ramp up their efforts in promoting and developing personalized services such as waterproof products for scuba diving fans, so as to withstand the great impact from the high quality photography of smartphones," Zhang Yi, CEO of Shenzhen-based market research firm iiMedia Research, told the Global Times.

Data from Japan-based Camera and Imaging Products Association shows that the worldwide shipments of digital camera shrank by 35 percent year-on-year in the first five months of the year. It forecast that 2014 would see a year-on-year decline of 19.6 percent to 55 million units, citing the booming smartphone.

Despite having clearly known about the market contraction of its digital compact camera due to the popularity of smartphones, Canon still showed faith in high-added-value models, which feature high-magnification zoom capacities, spending 41.97 billion yen ($410.5 million) on the R&D of the imaging business in the first half of 2014, up 0.9 percent year-on-year, according to the company's financial report.

The company has reportedly patented a waterproof 45x optical zoom lens.

However, some other camera players have already begun to cut back on investment in the digital compact camera business.

Panasonic said in May that with regard to its digital still cameras unit, it plans to cut "total fixed cost by up to 20 percent" in the year ending March 31, 2015.

Meanwhile, Sony is working on waterproof smartphones, being one among the first batch to bring waterproof functions into the handset arena with the launch of its Xperia Z in 2013. Samsung's Galaxy S5 is expected to run normally for 30 minutes at one meter underwater.

More and more smartphone makers have started embracing waterproof technology, which will likely pose a big threat to camera makers in the niche market as well, remarked Zhang.

Chen Jian, an amateur photographer in Shanghai, told the Global Times that if he wanted to try underwater shooting, he would opt for a waterproof smartphone, which is likely to be more practical and economical. 

Canon PowerShot D30

Canon's PowerShot D30 is the top pick among Chinese consumers, according to Amazon China. The device can be used 25 meters underwater, functioning at temperatures from minus 10 C and shockproof up to 2 meters. But according some online reviews it can only stay at this depth for an hour at most.

Thanks to a 12.1 megapixel CMOS image sensor, the device can produce vivid and clear images even in low-light conditions. Installed with a 5x optical zoom with 28mm wide-angle lens, the gadget allows users to shoot vivid 1080p Full HD video with full zooming capacity. The GPS feature can record the location where pictures were taken. 

Olympus Stylus TG-3 Tough

 Olympus has long been exploring waterproof camera, claiming that it released the world's first weatherproof camera in 1986. The TG-3 joined the Olympus digital camera family in May. In addition to being waterproof up to 15 meters, the shooter can also resist shock and temperatures as low as minus 10 C, like most waterproof pocket cameras.

The real beauty of this model is its built-in Wi-Fi, while most other counterparts still use SD memory cards to store and upload images. The device also has a range of optional accessories including waterproof converter lenses.

It is equipped with a high-speed F2.0 lens, being able to create high-quality images with reduced blur even in low light conditions. It allows users to enjoy diverse macro photography with a maximum 44.4x display magnification. However, some Amazon shoppers complained about the weight of the camera and disappointing video quality. 

Ricoh WG-4 

 The highlight of Ricoh WG-4 appears to be its fairly good waterproof performance to a depth of 14 meters for up to two continuous hours. WG-4 was launched by the Japanese camera veteran in February. With a 4x zoom coverage from 4.5 mm to 18 mm, the device is expected to accommodate a wide range of usage from wide-angle photography to macro shooting.

With its 16-megapixel CMOS image sensor, the shooter can offer advanced image processing and high-resolution images. In addition, the WG-4 is equipped with a dual anti-shake protection system for sharp and blur-free images. Users are advised to bring an extra battery for outdoor shooting, as experts said that its battery life is just enough for about 250 pictures.

Ricoh mainly focuses on printer or fax machines in the Chinese market. The WG-4 is on sale on China's second largest online retailer JD.com Inc.