I'm posting this in hardware instead of general banter because I believe that digital cameras are tools many of us use for our aquaponics projects
I just received my new Ricoh WG-M1 digital "action camera" today. Previously, I've been taking pictures with my cellphone as I'm sure many of us do. But I wanted something more durable, with better quality, and that could be mounted to things. I did some research earlier this week and settled on the Ricoh device. "GoPro" is a brand synonymous with sports / action cameras, but they are expensive and in order to be waterproof they require a plastic case around them.
First impressions are great. It's a little on the heavy side, but not bad at all. It did not include much in the way of accessories, the only mounting piece it comes with is a small movable thing with a heavy duty permanent adhesive bottom so you could glue it to a vehicle or helmet and then mount the camera on that. I will probably buy or make some additional mounting devices for it. Ergonomically, it's quite nice. it fits in the palm of your hand and the buttons are large and easy to press even if wearing gloves. It uses a removable lithium-ion battery and supposedly has the best battery life of almost any action camera on the market. From what I've read, it can record up to 2.5 hours of 1080p/30fps video on one charge.
This camera has an IP68 rating and is guaranteed for underwater filming at depths of up to 10 meters (33 feet) for 1 hour. I have not yet filmed anything underwater with it yet but other reviews indicate that this camera does a much better job than most others of capturing sound while submerged. This likely has to do with the camera not needing a plastic case to be waterproof.
Anyway, I have to get back to work but I look forward to this weekend and will hopefully post a video or two with the new toy
Here's a link to the product page on Amazon (where I ordered it): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NLJ3PAE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00
I also bought a 32GB MicroSD card at the same time, when inserted into the camera, it shows I have about 4 hours, 7 minutes of recording time at 1080p to fill a 32GB memory card:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010Q57T02?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=od_aui_detailpages00
I'm not sure on the camera availability in AU, but it's likely sold globally.