No. What I want doesn't exist.

So... I will have to compromise on my requirements. Clearly I have to give up the waterproof idea. From the reviews I have read, inexpensive waterproof cameras are only waterproof the first couple of times they are used, then they leak and the camera is ruined.

So, I'll give up the convenience of waterproof, carry the camera in a Zip-Loc bag, and take it out when I want to use it. Now, I just need to find a 6x or better optical zoom camera with a viewfinder, priced under $200. If it gets wet and ruined, c'est la vie.

OK, less than $200 and viewfinder are mutually exclusive. But this comes close, and the specs on the camera so far exceed my requirements that I can live with the extra cost. The manual zoom control is worth the extra money all by itself, and the 30x optical zoom (with 2x digital if I want it) is just gravy.

Biggest downside I see is low light capability, it is not a fast lens, especially at the longer zoom ranges. (My current camera is f2.8 from 25 to 600mm, or 25-2400mm when using digital zoom, plus a built-in flash that is good to over 40 feet.) Since I only kayak in the daytime, low light won't be too much of a problem.

For an extra $42 I can buy an extended warranty that supposedly covers accidental damage. I'm waiting to hear from them if it will cover damage from being dropped in the water. They'll probably say that they cover water damage only for waterproof cameras.

I haven't pulled the trigger on buying the camera yet, I'll think about it a few days first.

tanstaafl.