Any Suggestions?

[Jack R]

ikelite makes a beautiful housing for it that you can get for about $800. http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/cd300sony.html

Decent housings are not cheap that's for sure.

 

[psinyc]

Would I have get a light for the unit as well, or is the camera's flash enough?

 

[Jack R]

The housing will most likely obstruct the camera's flash. You will either need a strobe or take shallow natural light pictures only.

 

[psinyc]

so for pictures between say 30ft - 70ft, you would most likely need a strobe?

 

[Jack R]

I would definately say yes. The colors really start to fade out fast the deeper you go and you will need to be able to put the colors back. You will wind up with mostly blue pictures.

 

[psinyc]

So what do you think - pricing online looked to be about:

Ikelite housing for the camera: $850.00
Ikelite new digital strobe: $595.00
-or-
Ikelite older strobe: $430.00

That seems expesive considering the camera was only $999 new! Does this sound like the going rate. Also, with this general type set-up, it is going to interfere with a rec dive. In otherwords, if I brought the entire set-up down, would the purpose of my dive be limited to just taking pics? How big would the set-up be? Thanks.

 

[Mike Newman]

Many of us love the Olympus 3000 and 4000 series cameras and underwater housings. There is a cheaper route into underwater digital though.

The Olympus Camedia C-1 and Olympus PT-008 housing will easily sneak under the price bar you have established.

Read about the combination at www.oceanoptics.co.uk

I strongly support the earlier endorsement of Steve's Digicams site. But he has yet to look at underwater housings, I believe.

Mike

 

[Jack R]

I dont really know anyone using that camera for underwater, but if you want to take it down it should work fine. You can do much better on pricing. I can give you a dealer to call if you want me to that has good prices. But even if he you gave you a couple of hundred dollars off the cost you will still be way over the $500 you initially mentioned. I have a nikon coolpix 5000 that cost me $800 but the housing and strobe I bought was $1600!

It aint cheap!! Now I am so broke I cant afford diving with it! ( only kidding)

 

[Scubamedicjoe]

one route that will do fine for the average user is the sea life DC200 digital camera with houseing rated to 165 and add strobe would be roughly 200 total looking at roughly 600-800 range again this is a 1.3 pixel camera but seems to work fine form pictures i seem for the average user heard rumer they coming out with a 3 pixel camera later this year !!!!

 

[Wreck Ranger]

I agree with Dee, her set-up is sweet. I have the Olympus C-3020 which is very similar to Dee's, but instead of 4megapixels it's only 3.2megapixels. I picked it up online for $400 including a 3 year warranty and case. I picked up my PT010 at underwaterdigital for $250. I haven't purchased any strobes for it yet, but I found a strobe and arm for$250. I love my Olympus, it takes a tremendous picture.