Canon SD780 or ???

[Vlane]

I am wanting to get into UW photography but I'm not exactly sure where to start. My dad is a photographer so he knows his way around cameras...when they're above water. I've done a little bit of reading on UW cameras but haven't been able to find much pertinent info on what I am wanting. Right now I'm not wanting to go with the huge setup and strobes, just looking at smaller cameras.

My dad is a big fan on Canon so right now we're eying the Powershot SD780 IS with an Ikelite housing. It has 12MP with 3x optical zoom, can shoot HD video, and has adjustable F stops. Besides that, how does this camera look, any other suggestions? What other specifications should I be looking at when trying to decide on a camera? My budget is around $500 but my dad is able to get some cameras a little bit cheaper.

 

[Aeropl]

I just got handed down a SD780 so I ordered the Canon housing (WP-DC31) from B&H. I'm very happy with both the camera and housing. The housing has a flash diffuser which works pretty well. The best part about the camera is the HD video which is pretty amazing quality considering the camera size. For under $500 I don't think there is a better combo. Feel free to ask if you have any specific questions. Here's an example of a video, although the vis was only 4' that day and youtube compression doesn't do it justice.

 

[Vlane]

Wow that video is pretty clear. The HD video capability would be nice to have and for the price I'm thinking this will be one of the better choices. Thanks for the input.

 

[marcaumarc]

My dive buddy has a 780 in canon housing as well and I think it is a great combo for the $. It's also really small, which makes it quite convenient. I would totally recommend it.

 

[divekorea]

ikelite or canon housing?

 

[anferney]

I have the SD780 with Canon housing and I've been very happy with it. The HD video is really amazing for such a small camera. You can also upgrade easily for external flash or fisheye lens. I highly recommend the INON UFL-165AD fisheye lens as your first upgrade.

Just keep in mind it's completely point-and-shoot. You can't adjust much... including F-stops. The camera has a fixed aperture and uses a flip-in-and-out ND filter to offer "fake" small aperture.

If you want more control and a similar size, have a look at the Canon S90. It doesn't have HD video, but it has full manual control and a much larger sensor than the SD780 which ultimately means better photo quality.

There is lots of info on the S90 in the Canon sub-forum. Good luck!

 

[divekorea]

thanks for the info, I didn't know there was fish eye lens for the canon housing. Well, after extensive research, I ordered the ikelite housing. It just seemed like it was built with better and stronger parts than the canon.

Plus, I had the canon housing flood on me before. I am not sure how or why it flooded. Because, I took the housing down again after for testing and it was fine. Does anybody have an answer to this? I rinsed it in fresh water every time after use, but one thing I stopped doing was taking the main o ring out and lubricating it after every use. I just cleaned it without taking the o ring out of the housing.