Choices choices, DC1200 or DC1400?

[chrisshortys]

Hi everyone!

Me and my partner are new to the forum so a little background! We did our first try dive last year in the Costa Brava and loved it we also did a lot of snorkelling with an old action camera I had which was water proof to 3m! In that time this funny thing happened we got the bug not just for diving but for underwater photography(my partner has a Digital SLR and has always loved snapping away but thus another story!). This year we spent two weeks in Sicily for my sisters wedding where we completed our PADI open water diver! I had also picked up a go pro hero2 and had ordered the dive case on the day it was released but unfortunately this did not arrive until the day after we left! So we completed our course and did a few more dives afterwood and loved it! Having the GoPro with us seemed to add something extra and although the footage we got came out quite blurry due to the fish eye lens we are still undeterred!
Moving forward we have booked our honeymoon for next may to Mauritius and are looking at adding a digital camera to the works for my partner to use while i play with the GoPro. We are also doing our advanced PADI and photography courses plus maybe a few more bits!
After doing some research we have been looking more in-depth at the DC1200 and DC1400... we have seen many pictures from the 1400 which when setup correctly appears to give some beautiful pictures and some from the DC1200 which also seems to give some great pictures!
Now we are wondering is the 1400 really worth the price difference? I can see there is an increase in Mp but does this justify the difference?
Has anyone seen side by side comparison pictures?
Also does anyone know if there is a new one in the pipes

Sorry for the essay and thanks in advance for any replies!

 

[chrisshortys]

Has anyone out there had any experience of using the two of these?

 

[DandyDon]

Has anyone out there had any experience of using the two of these?

Sorry no one has responded all week.

I was surprised when Sealife came out with the 14 mp as that just 16% more than the 12mp - seemed like such a small change? I have been playing with SL cameras over the years, starting with their 1 mp, then their 3, then their 5, finally moving to the 12 - so my upgrades have always been more significant, but then I'm just shooting for fun - not very serious.

There might be someone who has used both the 12 & 14 who will read this thread and post in time, but you may have to just wait and see if & when.

Good luck with your development in the sport, but be careful - as cameras can be so distracting from dive safety. The other reason I don't really like to see newbies with cameras is they so often lose them. The Sealife orange floating wrist strap really is a good idea - getting a lost camera to the surface and making it easier to see from the boat.

 

[Superlyte27]

Sealife comes out with a new camera every year. The 14 was the next progression. But, it's the same cost as the 12, so who cares. We've been a sealife dealer since the days of film. They keep getting better and the price stays the same. Buy the 1400.

 

[merxlin]

The 1400 does not accept the previous wide angle and macro lenses from what I hear.

 

[DandyDon]

Oh, BTW - welcome to Scubaboard.

Sealife comes out with a new camera every year. The 14 was the next progression. But, it's the same cost as the 12, so who cares. We've been a sealife dealer since the days of film. They keep getting better and the price stays the same. Buy the 1400.

Ok, there is a good view. Depending on what you have available to you there in the UK, if they're the same price - sure, get the 14. Or, if you can find a dealer with a new 12 he wants to sell for a lot less than the 14 - but still comes with warranty, then take the savings.

You might even find a good used one at a bargain. Between my home bud & me, 2 of the 3 DC500 mp we have, we got used and they worked fine.

The 1400 does not accept the previous wide angle and macro lenses from what I hear.

I have no idea. It might be worth checking out, but I wouldn't - just more than I would ever bother with. A brand new diver may not care, or might be seriously interested in such...?

 

[viking diver]

I have the DC1200 pro with the video light and it takes great pictures, the only issue is you cannot manually focus, but for learning to take pictures while maintaining your buoyancy it is a great learning camera. the new DC1400 is the one I would go with and they have a new Macro lens that gives you more % of wide angle and you don't get vignetting with the new lens. I would suggest getting the video light as it will help with your photos bringing in more color. make sure you get extra moisture munchers they do help with the humidity.