D40 housing under $1k

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fjpatrum

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I spent $650 on my D40 with lens 4 years ago. I'm now looking for a housing for it instead of buying my other "underwater camera" option (Sealife DC1200), but I can't find a housing for less than $1k.

Any suggestions out there for a basic housing that I can buy for less than a "full-featured" P&S camera like the Sealife?
 
You won't. Your best bets are the Ikelite or the Sea & Sea RDX, that with a bit of shopping will be found in the $1300-1400 range. You'll still need ports. The Ikelites offer more variety and a bit more economy, but both products are very nice.

By the time you get done with housing, ports, strobe(s), sync cords, strobe arms, etc. you're looking at at least $3K. Best bet if you're not in a hurry is to wait for a used set-up from someone who is upgrading.
 
Thanks, Larry. I'm still new to diving so I don't think I'll be sinking that kind of money into a camera system but I appreciate the information. Looks like the SeaLife is my next big present to me then...
 
Sea Life makes decent cameras. You can take pretty good pics with them and they're easy to use. There are many other options for similar money. Follow the forum on various camera models and read the stickies in the UW photograpy forum for a lot of useful info.
Features to look for in an underwater camera are: availability of full manual controls, including shutter speed, aperture and white balance. A lens that doesn't extend too far at full zoom, so that the port isn't required to be too long and gets in the way of adding on a wide angle lens. Readily available housings from OEM and aftermarket (that will usually be a good indicator of a camera that is useful underwater).
Once you have some experience taking uw pictures, you'll find that the most important accessory for taking good pictures is a good diver who knows his camera and has good buoyancy and knowledge of the wildlife where he dives. A good photographer can take excellent pictures with almost any camera because he knows the strengths and limitations of his eqpt. and he has awareness and control of his surroundings, allowing him to frame pictures well and get the lighting and background right.
There is a lot of good information in Underwater Photography Guide and there are many excellent books available as well.
 
That's true for sure. By the way, what ya think about this Nikon Coolpix S8100 12.1 Megapixel Compact Camera? Is it nice stuff for diving?

I don't want to hijack the OP's thread here, but AFAIK nobody makes a housing for the S8100, although Ikelite says it is under consideration. One problem would be the 10x optical zoom, which means the lens extends out like Pinocchio's nose, so the port has to be very long and large to avoid vignetting at wide angles. This prevents adding wide angle lenses and such. I think Nikon's best bet for a point and shoot right now is the P6000, but the Canon G11/12 or S90/95 seem to be a lot more popular right now and get better reviews topside as well.
 
I understand your wanting to shoot with the D40 underwater. You already have it. Unfortunately as others have said, Housings are expensive. The basic Ikelite housing is about $1400, and you need to add a port for whatever lens you have, another $150-400. Add a strobe, another $600-1000. More money than you probably want to spend.

For about $600, you can buy Point and Shoot camera such as a Canon S95 with housing that will serve you well. Try that for a few dives. If you decide to upgrade later, you'll know more what you like to shoot. Also, if you flood it or lose it, it's not as great an expense.
 
I understand your wanting to shoot with the D40 underwater. You already have it. Unfortunately as others have said, Housings are expensive. The basic Ikelite housing is about $1400, and you need to add a port for whatever lens you have, another $150-400. Add a strobe, another $600-1000. More money than you probably want to spend.

For about $600, you can buy Point and Shoot camera such as a Canon S95 with housing that will serve you well. Try that for a few dives. If you decide to upgrade later, you'll know more what you like to shoot. Also, if you flood it or lose it, it's not as great an expense.

Pretty much what I had ascertained... thanks for the details on "extra" expenses, though.
 

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