Fuji V's Olympus

[phrixus]

I'm after a little help - the dive centre I'm working for is thinking of getting some 'point & shoot' style camera's for students to use & the choice is between Fuji & Olympus. Can any of you recommend some camera's to me as I only really have experience using Sony & Canon camera's underwater. If you have a camera made by one of these manufacturer's can you let me know what you like (& dislike) about it. I've had a look through some underwater shot's on Flickr but you can't always tell if the photo's good/bad because of the camera or the user or how much photoshopping has been done.
All help gratefully appreciated.
Thanx
Kaz

 

[JackConnick]

Fuji has the FX-50 which is a very nice camera and they have a housing for it as well. But it is being discontinued. They will only be producing one new housing the new FX-200.

I like the Olympus T6000 for you use. It's almost indestructible; shockproof, waterproof to 10' and they have a very nice PT-047 housing that goes to 140'. It has 3 UW mode settings that will work well for newbies to get nice shots without a lot of fuss. You might also want to consider the T-8000/PT-045 which is waterproof to 33' for snorkelers.

There are wide angle lenses available for them as well from Fantasea.

Jack

 

[RAWalker]

Fuji's website still shows the FX-40, FX-50, FX-100, FX200 and a few other housings.
These housings are fairly easy to find on the web and quite good quality.
IMHO the F series Fuji cameras are all too often overlooked. Their price to performance is far better than the average of the other major camera manufacturers that have offerings for UW use.
Even without the Fuji housings considered Ikelite offers housings for a few of the Fuji models.
There are port adapters and lenses offered that fit many of the Fuji housings so even for advanced P&S users there are viable options.
As a final note the Fuji models a very inexpensive.

 

[MdkSniper]

What do you think of the Fujifilm F60fd? The Ikelite housing is very cheap and it seems like it will work with WA wet lenses.

 

[JackConnick]

They may have the housings, but the cameras are discontinued. Still I liked my F810 and E900 just fine if you can find them...
Jack

 

[Doubler]

I have an Olympus Stylus 710 in an Ikelite housing and an Olympus 790 SW in an Olympus housing. Both take great pictures with an external strobe. From experience I can tell you that they both will accept WA lens, the Ikelite housing is large and 'Clunky" to operate as all the camera controls are operated by push buttons that are very close together and seem rather stiff to push. The Olympus housing is very compact and easier to operate. My 2 cents is go with the Olympus. I have been on several liveaboards and have never seen a Fuji camera on board. Mostly Canon and Olympus P&S and of course the big DSLR rigs.

 

[RAWalker]

What do you think of the Fujifilm F60fd? The Ikelite housing is very cheap and it seems like it will work with WA wet lenses.

The F60fd is nearly identical to the F50fd except for the larger display. I was able to find the F50fd and the FX-50 and saved myself $60 if the price were the same I'd take the F60fd and the Ikelite housing without any hesitation.

 

[Scotttyd]

The F60fd is nearly identical to the F50fd except for the larger display. I was able to find the F50fd and the FX-50 and saved myself $60 if the price were the same I'd take the F60fd and the Ikelite housing without any hesitation.

I was just looking at the F60 at the local camera shop, it was easy to adjust the f-stop, but neither I, nor the dealer could figure out how to adjust the shutter speed? now I am an idiot with camera, so that is expected, the dealer? He even looked in the manual and could not figure it out. Are we both idiots or is more involved to adjust it?

 

[Nemrod]

You use the same button pushes for both, you just have to tell it which you are adjusting, like I have said, is it to much to ask the camera manufactures to make a serious subcompact digital range finder with actual freaking dials?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

And FULL manual--all the time--- maybe throw in a simple auto mode as an alternate--I mean---good grief. Faux needles on the lcd that show exposure instead of those ridiculous histograms. WTH.

N

 

[Scotttyd]

You use the same button pushes for both, you just have to tell it which you are adjusting, like I have said, is it to much to ask the camera manufactures to make a serious subcompact digital range finder with actual freaking dials?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

And FULL manual--all the time--- maybe throw in a simple auto mode as an alternate--I mean---good grief. Faux needles on the lcd that show exposure instead of those ridiculous histograms. WTH.

N

I am getting the feeling that you are frustrated by the set up of the cameras? The guy at the shop said how "most people like the simple point and shoot" and the "serious" photographers go SLR. Although with dozens of different models, one would think the diving subsection would be big enough to build a diver friendly camera,