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#163
Underwater Camera
Jenifur - 6/08/2009 1:03 PM
Category: Photography
Replies: 14

I am ready to purchase an underwater camera. I have been looking at Canons. Any suggestions?
#8046
Rich-D-Fish - 6/08/2009 1:17 PM
Can’t go wrong with a Canon these days. The underwater housings are pretty cheap. Just make sure of a few things 1) the model you are thinking of is supported with a Canon housing 2) the model has un "underwater" mode, as this will help make your photos look better. 3) the shorter the shutter lag the better. Have fun!
#4035
uwlover4u - 6/08/2009 1:37 PM


I have a Canon A620 which is 8MP and I got fairly cheap at Best Buy b/c Canon discontinued this item. The UW housing actually cost more then the camera but it takes great pictures, has an underwater mode, and even takes video. There is a slight shutter lag so you may not catch fast moving fish. This line is not SLR but for the average photographer like me it’s perfect for land and water use.


Denis
#20384
LatitudeAdjustment - 6/08/2009 3:11 PM


The big thing to watch on some of these compact Canons and Olympus cameras is the screen bright enough in sunlight and the hood big enough to shade that screen in shallow water so that you can see what you are shooting.


Someone handed me their camera to take a picture on top of the reef and I couldn’t see the subject in the screen.
#1135
Triggerfish - 6/08/2009 4:14 PM
Get the Sea Life 1000 easy to use ansd will take the same pics as 5,000 dollar camera’s! you will love it
#163
Subscribed
Jenifur - 6/08/2009 4:24 PM
I appreciate all of your feedback. THANKS!
#162
Zig - 6/08/2009 6:19 PM


All of my photos and videos posted on my DB page are shot with the Canon PowerShot SD790IS point-and-shoot, with the Canon housing, and a cheap (relatively) Sea&Sea YS-25 strobe. The strobe makes a huge difference. Amazing pics from a pretty inexpensive camera. I got mine from Costco for ~$180.


Good luck, and have fun!
#39
kevindcornwell - 6/08/2009 10:04 PM
Hi Jennifer,

I have a Canon SD850 IS (can be had on eBay for about $125) with the canon housing ($170). I can’t speak highly enough of this camera. For an amateur like me who just likes to remember what I’ve seen and to take shots of the kids while diving, it is the bomb! Whatever camera you decide upon, while the ’underwater’ mode is nice, it isn’t the end all at all depths. I’ve shot from the surface down to 110’ (garden eels) and you _must_ have customizable white balance for both shooting and video (if you like video.) In fact, if you have good white balance settings, you won’t (for the most part) feel the need for an external strobe. In good sunlight, the white balance correction will be far more interesting. If you’re doing macro and more dramatic shots, or night shots, then you’ll appreciate an external strobe. However, the built-in flash (ignoring other built-in issues) is quite bright and you’ll enjoy learning to use it without the expense of an external strobe. As for shutter speed lag - this is an issue, but, you can significantly minimize it by half-depressing the shoot button and then press all the way at the desired moment - there’s still a bit of lag, but not enough to eliminate some great shooting on your part. Finally, if you really want to squeeze every drop out of your Canon, take a look at this http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK - I use these extra features a lot, especially while diving as it gives you fine control over shutter speed, and other nifty features such as raw files and more. It’s pretty advanced (even intimidating) but take some time and you’ll appreciate the extra options. Finally, take the Digital Photo specialty. It’ll make your photos 10 times better! Really! The rather simple ideas and tips go a long way toward better underwater photography.

Have lots of fun, cause if it ain’t fun, it’s just another chore.
Kevin
#1974
nauidiver - 6/09/2009 9:31 PM
I don’t know much about camera just yet since I use a real cheap one but I can help you out with a store to look for a camera! Checkout http://www.divebuddy.com/leisurepro/
I buy a lot from them & it’s been worth it so far. Very good people to work with!

- Dale
#9476
hoofpick - 6/09/2009 11:11 PM


I use a Nikon P5100 (12 mega pixel) camera and a Fantasea P5000 Housing. It is an Advanced point and shoot that takes great pictures and you can purchase the whole package for about $700.00. It has almost all of the same capabilities as the full size camera’s.


Lonnie
#3240
daz88 - 6/10/2009 9:12 AM
If you’re looking for a small Point & Shoot, Canons are great. Go to their website and look at the underwater housings they make for their cameras. They make quite a few underwater housings. Then look through the cameras and see what features you like in the cameras and pick one. Just look through the housings first. And if your looking for an SLR camera do the same. ( but they Canon doesn’t make underwater housings for the SLRs, you have to go after market)
#1286
SCUBAU - 6/10/2009 9:40 AM


Jennifer,


I have taken great pictures with SeaLife cameras and also with a Nikon camera and housing. I am a dive shop owner and we carry both of those cameras in stock. If you would like to order just e-mail me. The prices are as follows for any dive buddy member, you just need to e-mail me and we can go over the order process.


SeaLife DC800 Pro package - $ 600


This package includes the camera and a digital strobe


SeaLife DC1000 Elite package - $ 800


This package includes a camera, digital strobe and wide angle lense


Fantasea housing and Nikon Coolpix L18 camera - $ 500


This package includes a camera and strobe


Should you or anyone need anything else just e-mail me and I will get you a quote out for any other equipment.


Thanks


John


SCUBA "U"


Burbank, IL


 
#1286
SCUBAU - 6/10/2009 11:51 AM
No reply.
#1124
luv2dive100 - 6/11/2009 7:19 AM





this is the quality of pic you can take with sea life camera. this was taken with a DC600 the company is great as well


good luck


steve
#23
Tommy2tone_1999 - 6/12/2009 4:43 PM
I just purchased a Canon Power Shot A570 iS 7.1 MP camera on eBay Wednesday for $76, and I found a sale on Canon’s homepage for the matching housing for 99.99 (reg. $240). I got the housing in today, and hoepfully I’ll get the camera today or tomorrow. Now I have to make a tray and flexible arm for my slave strobe. Any of the Canon Power Shot cameras would be a pretty good choice since Canon makes a housing for just about all of them. If you find a camera you like and the housing, check the depth rating. A few of Canon’s housings are only waterproof casings and are rated to only about 10 feet.

Also, once you get your power shot, you may want to go to http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK and check out a firmware enhancement program that you load to your memory card that will enhance the functionality of your power shot.