Advice: Sealife DC500 vs. Sea & Sea DX 860G

[r2odie]

Considering these two used cameras, Sealife DC500 & Sea & Sea DX 860G, both come with strobes. any advice, pros or cons for either or both appreciated. Or if you have another one for sale let me know. located in Florida. Thanks.

 

[DandyDon]

The odds against any of us having owned both are really great. The weak point on the DC500 is the battery life, but you can get 900 mAh Nikon batteries that work well on ebay.

 

[Darol]

I've been using 1200 mAh batteries from Battery Wholesale.
You get use to the on off switch and the shutter being in the wrong
locations, and eventually you figure out how to stop the fogging issue,
then you sort of fall in love with the great pics you can get with the DC 500.
I wish there was a cheap replacement camera for the housing...
The Vivitar 5340 is almost impossible to find.

 

[DandyDon]

I wish there was a cheap replacement camera for the housing...
The Vivitar 5340 is almost impossible to find.

I got my last one from a seller in the UK, which sold cheap enough to offset shipping since she'd lost the charger but it they are both old models - hard to find anymore. Well, when you do see a DC500 on ebay, it's less than $200 now complete.

 

[r2odie]

The odds against any of us having owned both are really great. The weak point on the DC500 is the battery life, but you can get 900 mAh Nikon batteries that work well on ebay.

thanks, I didn't really figure too many people would have both but was hoping those that have either one might comment about their camera.

 

[DandyDon]

Ok yeah, you'll get comments on one here anyway; just hard to get a comparison or real discussion.

I've been using 1200 mAh batteries from Battery Wholesale.

Arrrg! I need those now. After my last trip, changing cameras between dives, changing batteries in AC room for third, I bought 2 - 900 mAh batteries, but hadn't tested them well. It's hard to shoot 100+ pics in a day if you don't have much to shoot at. Now in Coz, I am getting 60. Makes me suspect the validity of the 900 mAh claim.

So I'll take both cameras today, change between dives - and see what I can do otherwise.

 

[Darol]

You the Man Don....

 

[DandyDon]

You the Man Don....

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[DandyDon]

I've been using 1200 mAh batteries from Battery Wholesale.

Can you give me a link to the one you like? There are several companies by that name.

How many pics can you shoot on a charge...?