First u/w camera--any suggestions?

[Matt S.]

Tlocke, I have a few comments for you based on my experience... not that I am the most proficient UW shooter.

First, UW photography can be a real budget buster. I would try to figure out your budget first thing as it will dominate the discussion.

Second, you should think about what kind of shooter you will be. Some people just want a basic camera that they can get "what's this fish?" photos with. Some people want to do just macro. Some people want the capability to do everything from macro to WA. And a lot of people aren't sure what they want when they start... that was me! But think about your interests and see if you can at least rule anything out. Narrowing the scope will make your decision easier.

Third, I strongly recommend getting a camera that can shoot in "raw" mode as it makes white-balancing and other kinds of photo processing much easier. Some Canon cameras that don't shoot raw can be made to do so by installing the CHDK software project, but using a CHDK camera is an additional barrier to ease of use. People have varying degrees of tolerance for fooling around with settings.

Fourth, I really recommend budgeting for a nice strobe right away, if you think you will be anything other than the most casual shooter. Yeah, you CAN take pictures with the internal strobe and some housings, but it is a serious compromise.

Lastly, I am selling a Sea & Sea DX-2G kit that might meet your needs.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cl...-tray-arm-ys-01-ttl-strobe-$850-shipping.html

 

[farsidefan1]

I notice that you are a very new diver. Lots of fun in store for you. My first camera was a sea and sea mini reefmaster. It is a self contained underwater camera - no housing and has a built in flash. the advantage of it is that you can stick it into your pocket and only pull it out when you see something cool. That way you can concentrate on improving your diving skills. Once you have that down cold then decide if you want to become a serious photographer. Focusing on both will be a detriment to both. Of course if you decide you want to become a serious photographer this means you have put $250 or $300. down for a camera you can use on land but will replace for serious underwater photography. I liked the convenience and after a few years I decided to get more serious so I got the canon g 12 with the recsea housing, ys-01 strobe yada yada. I liked my path but everyone has a different idea that works for them. In the meantime happy diving, you're going to have a ball.

 

[coralcruiser]

I'm selling an Olympus ZX-1 with Olympus housing, 5 batteries, external battery charger and everything else that came in the boxes. Bought in May and used on 2 trips... Less than 40 dives and the camera was for underwater shooting only. All of this for $450!!

 

[peeweediver]

Ditto to farsidefan1: If you're still honing your dive skills focus on that with a basic camera such as the sea and sea mini or other similar set-ups.. I've seen one too many divers caught up in focusing on their new camera rigs and not maintaining their bouyancy and using air like crazy. Build diving skills first, take some shots here and there for the memories, then build your photography skills.

Rob

 

[lucky83]

It's funny because i hear things like this very often. I on the other hand got the opposite effect from my camera. I started using UW cam very early, i think it has been since my 5-6 dive as certified, and before that i was a real air hog. I always ran out of air first of all, but since i brought my cam something happened and my air usage was minimal. A couple of times i have had DM:s check my gauges since they didn't believe me when i told them about my air consumption, or should i say the lack of it . With that said i did bring on a P&S cam without any external strobes or anything else (by that time) distracting.