Digital Cameras in the rental pool - suggestions?

[IslandDiversHI]

Hey Divers, I'm looking to put a half dozen digital cameras in the rental pool at the shop. Here is what I'm thinking:
1) small digital camera, with housing, no strobe
2) should have manual white balance
3) if model available that is waterproof to 30fsw, bonus, as when the eventually flood the camera won't be toast

I have to admit, I'm just being lazy asking the question here, but I KNOW that there is so much underwater camera knowledge, that someone is just going to call out the current model that meets these needs.

However, I'm also open to suggestions if anyone has a great other idea for the rental pool.

Thanks for the help, Matt

 

[Onewolf]

I assume you want something rated for deeper than 50 feet? Amazon.com: Olympus Stylus TG-2 iHS Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom and 3-Inch LCD (Black): OLYMPUS: Camera & Photo

 

[jameseg]

I haven't used it, but the camera that Onewolf linked to would seem like a pretty solid choice. Note that an underwater case is available which brings the depth rating to 135'. I seem to remember reading some surprisingly good reviews on this forum of the previous version of this camera a year or so ago. Guy in the Red Sea, I think.

I'm guessing most of your customers will be new to underwater photography. One thing you may want to consider doing is creating a little "helpful tips" card for whatever camera you end up with. Tips like how and when to set white balance, when to use flash, shoot from below, get close to your subject, watch your buoyancy, stay off the coral, etc. Laminate it and give it to people with their camera rental. If people like their pictures and find the camera easy to use, they'll rent more often from you.

James

 

[Shasta_man]

It also depends on what level you want to support. A strobe is a requirement for any serious photography (or really at all to me). However, strobes are typically big money so you want more of a serious photog, and I'm not certain how many of those won't come with their own gear.

Actually, I would MUCH rather you not give tourist or relatively inexperienced divers cameras because, for too large of a proportion of them, it results in focusing on the camera and not their buoyancy accidentally thrashing the reef (already not necessarily a high priority for them), or thrashing it on purpose to get some picture, literally chasing critters around and blasting everything in the face with a flash. I see it on many liveaboards I go on even with relatively experienced divers. Being led from creature to creature by the guide to blast them with the flash for an endless list of half assed pics of creatures they never took the time to actually appreciate and enjoy their natural behavior. One "experienced" diver (a doctor, at that) went around picking up nudibranchs, shooting them, then just dropping them in the water column. That's how I noticed what he was doing when a nudibranch came floating down. An otherwise highly educated guy.

That may be harsh, but unfortunately, it's the truth.