Advice on purchasing a dive camera...

[marcaumarc]

For a beginner setup I would recommend the Canon SD780, which came out recently, and is about $250 + a canon housing which is probably about $180. It's small and easy to use and also takes HD video. We have this and it works very well. We also have/had some SD1000s with Canon housing and those worked well for us. I haven't used the cameras you mentioned, but I would not be surprised if the Canon is a better camera overall.

Here are some photos from St. Martin with the SD1000 (the 780 has better specs) and a Sea & Sea strobe:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/theactionitems/sets/72157617571987237/

 

[scottfiji]

I'd recommend the Fuji F series.
I'm presently using the F50fd SE and have been very happy with the results.
I'd compare shots with any of the Nikon, Canon or Olympus P&S cameras the only feature it is missing is the RAW file handling ability. Fuji sensors just exhibit better color and lower noise.
You'll also find shutter lag of this series to be as good as any other P&S and better than most.
Fuji housings have double orings are rated to 130' and are priced right.

RAWalker,

I also like the Fuji F-series, and the double-oring housings are the best OEM housings out there for a compact camera.

But I believe the F50fd does not have full manual controls (shutter speed and aperture can not be set independently), only aperture priority and shutter priority, is that correct?

Scott

 

[RAWalker]

Scottfiji you are correct about the manual capabilities on the F50fd you can choose aperture or shutter priority and there is an manual mode for all the setting except shutter & aperture.
For the beginner this isn't a hinderance it can be very helpful in fact. Even as you advance you'll learn quite a bit being creative and working with it. Also this limitation may not be true for all F series Fuji cameras. My prior camera a F-400 could shoot full manual. There have been a few other F series cameras released since the F50fd.

 

[rab1412000]

So, rab1412000, what are your recommendations for BUDGET UW point and shoots?

well i use a 10megapix canon sd790is and an 8megapix intova ic800.

for cheap nothing will beat the ic800 or the new intova ic10 10 megapix. both can be had for less than 200dollars in amazon for the camera and casing. the cameras are good to 180feet and provide basic manual controls like exposure, white balance, etc. it gives me a little more control than my canon actually. i find mine a little tricky to use since the autofocus and ccd are not as fast or as good as the canons, thus you have to be more still while taking a photo without a strobe or flash. other than that its a great camera. oh yes they tend to use batteries kinda fast but then again just get rechargeable aa batteries.

the canon is just an all around good performer. it doesnt have full manual functions but if you want that just downlaod the chkd program and turn your canon into a super camera! at its default settings its already very good and it allows me to shoot time lapse video. good battery life too. its around 350 dollars for camera and casing. i would recommend any canon p&s with the chkd hack.

another good choice would be the new panasonic lumixes. i has good value for money, and comes with a continious focus ( no need to press buttin halfway), you can also shoot videos while zooming in and out. i think there are a number of threads that have reviewed the various lumix models.

good luck