Help the newbie...too many camera choices

[Georgia bubble blower]

Hello everyone and thanks for taking the time to read my post. I really need some guidance here and I will attempt to be as brief as possible. I am new to the board and am entirely new to underwater photography however I find after a recent dive trip to WPB I am very interested and would like to begin taking my own underwater photographs. I did a search and have read quite a few threads but could not find very much information on the current camera that I own so I decided to post my own thread in hopes of getting a little help.

I am pretty set on Canon products. I currently own a Canon A80 (after trying several other major brands) and as far as digital cameras are concerned find that I prefer Canon over all others hands down. All things considered that is not likely to change any time soon.

I plan on getting the Canon underwater housing for whichever Canon camera I end up going with. My basic concern is whether or not the A80 is sufficient for my new undertaking (4.0 megapixel) and it's feature set or lack there of or should I go ahead and upgrade. I really don't mind buying another camera if it would benefit me in my new undertaking but I don't really want to spend MAJOR bucks on a new camera and then have to buy the housing on top of that if my current camera is good enough or a newer 5 or 6 megapixel camera will do. I did do some research and found that I can purchase a newer, higher megapixel Canon in the $200-$300. But again, there is my delima. If I purchase one I want it to be a good underwater camera and I have NO idea where to begin in that department. I can tell you most of my diving is done in tropical waters (WPB, Florida Keys, Bahamas etc...) at moderate depths (average depth of about 50' or 60') and with good visibility (usually anywhere from 40' to 100'). If you all do recommend I buy a new camera I simply want a really good camera for underwater use and get the most camera for my money without breaking the bank.

I really don't know if I am even asking the right questions here or giving you enough information for what I am asking so please feel free to ask. Thank you very much for any help and thanks for taking the time to read my post.

Matt

 

[CompuDude]

5 or 6 megapixels is plenty. 4 is quite workable also, but it's cutting it close. The extra MP really gives you more leeway in terms of cropping your pictures later and leaving you with a decent-resolution image. If you're comfortable with the A series camera you have, just get a more current version in the 5-6 megapixel range, the housing, and you should be good to go.

 

[DesertEagle]

6MP is great. Everything over is gravy for most sizes.

As far as your A80 goes, I'd probably get a new camera. The new cameras with Digic II are much faster.

If bang for the buck is your top goal, get the Canon A540 and the WP-DC2 housing. The camera is under $200, has 6MP and full manual controls. The housing is roughly that, and is supported by Inon so you can add wide angle or macro lenses.

Beyond the $200 range, the new A630 should be quite nice. 8MP, 4 AA batteries is even better, but make sure the Ikelite housing is available. Some of the new Canon housings (like the one for the A630) have an oblong glass port. They don't allow for other lenses.

 

[alcina]

The A80 is a great camera. It has the slower Digic I in it, but as you already use this camera you will be used to it and won't notice! I had and used the A70/A75s for a long while - would still be using them if some nice person hadn't flooded the last one. I picked up a cheap A520 to use...I haven't had a chance to get it underwater yet but the only downside to that model is two AA batteries instead of 4.

If you look at the pink link in my sig and scroll down a bit you will find the A80 along with a link to some photos (actuallly I think it's the A85, but same dog) taken with internal flash only.

I wouldn't worry too much about MP really - 4 and above will be fine.

Going with the camera you already have will save you some bucks, but if you think you would like the more MP and/or the newer technology then maybe check out some of Canon's newer models. Keep in mind that with your curren A80 you can simply add things like wetmate lenses to your housing. If you go with the A620, a great camera, you will need to head to the Ikelite housings in order to be able to put wet mate lenses on. Again, the pink link talks a bit about extras you may want to add.

Have fun shopping!

 

[cfelliot]

This came from an A75 and its Canon housing:

 

[Georgia bubble blower]

Thanks for the replies. I have considered your comments and even though my A80 takes fantastic photos on land and as some of you have suggested I am sure would do just fine as an underwater camera I think I might as well just go ahead and upgrade. I think I was just looking for a reason to buy another camera anyway. Now to decide which one. I've spent the past several hours researching Canon's newer cameras and I am even more overwhelmed now than when I began. As DesertEagle suggested the A540 with housing seems like a pretty good deal and for the price I could probably swing a housing for my A80 as well. That way my wife and I could both have one. What do ya think or should i keep looking? I also considered the S600. Thanks.

 

[alcina]

The 540 is a valid choice for sure! You'll find that you'll have to just jump in eventually as there will always be one more model to look at and choose from!

 

[Georgia bubble blower]

Yep, I was just starting to think that myself after I started second guessing myself just moments after I posted my reply. Heck, it's only money and if I don't like it there is always Ebay. About the only thing I really know is that since I already have a 4 I would want to at least go up to 6.

 

[EvaL]

I use a 2 year old Canon A520, which has 4 megapixels as well. I don't know if the A520 is faster than A80, but if prices are identical, I'd go for the newer A520. You might also check up the A540 or A620 series which have more MP to see if their prices are in your budget (prices keep coming down nearly every week). As someone said, 6 MP is ideal in allowing you to crop the pic, but 6 MP cameras still cost quite a bit more. I think if you can get a 4MP or 5MP or higher camera for around $200 and $170 for housing, it's a good start-up set for a new photographer. I added a slave strobe (Sealife D960SL) for $250. The strobe is triggered by the camera's flash and has an adjust knob for intensity, which sometimes requires several tries to get the ideal exposure. It is powerful enough for most of the pics I take (distances up to ~8ft). The entire set-up cost me under $600. If you use TTL strobes it would cost quite a bit more. I figure if I retain my strobe, in the next year or two I can upgrade to a new camera (such as SD600) and housing for around, say, $350 or so (when prices have come down further).
Have fun taking UW photos.

 

[alcina]

FWIW the SD range is not an upgrade - you lose all of the manual controls going from the A series. The SD range is true P&S vs compact with manual controls. Manual controls are vital for UW.

Housing prices also will likely remain constant over time, no matter if the model is discontinued. You may find deals on second hand housings, though.

MPs are not everything - some cameras simply pack more MP onto the same sensor and this can actually give you less pleasing results. So just be careful and don't believe that more is always better.

Taken with Canon A70, 3.2MP - published in multiple newpaper Sunday supplements incluidng this cover: