cameras

[sonnyt]

HI all u crazy a divers

I am thinking of getting an underwater camera .
Its a dc500 by sealife
can i get some feed back on this camera
like to do u/w photos
love taken pics .



thanks
sonnyt

 

[Gilligan]

IMHO - No.

You will get better pictures with a Canon S80, Fuji E-900 or Olympus SP350 in their respective housings or an Ikelite housing. The Fuji and Olympus have RAW mode, The Canon does not.

Don't buy any camera that does not have manual white balance capability, especially if it does not have a RAW mode.

 

[DiverLS]

The DC500 does have white balance. I just bought one for my jump into digital. I've been shooting film for years but can't get developing anymore on the boats.

The DC500 also has an option to turn off the digital zoom and a lot of other that I have not discovered yet. I'll check out the RAW mode tonight. You can also get wide angle and macro lenses for the housing.

The best buy I found was at B&H photo. I bought the "pro" setup 'cause it was the cheapest with a strobe. I also bought the wide angle and macro lenses, an extra battery and charger and an 512 memory card. It all comes in a nice soft case.

And remember - when shooting underwater, get close and shoot up.

 

[alcina]

I second the NO on this unit.

I still prefer a camera such as Fuji, Canon or Olympus with the manufacturer's (or maybe an Ike) housing.

You'll pay a bit more, but IMHO, you'll get what you pay for and have faster, better results on land and under sea. YMMV

 

[Bbarnes]

I have the dc500 elite set up and love it. One money and frustration saving tip though... the wide angle lens IS compatable but the macro lenses are NOT. You don't need them anyway since the DC500 does have a optical zoom. My husband has an Oly and I wouldn't trade him! Also, the camera DOES have manual white balance. I would highly recommend the elite set up with the digital strobe.