Hi Tom,
the 707/717 are great cameras and even after being a few years on the market can still compete with most of the newest models. The only bad thing about these cameras is, that there are only few housing options. This pretty much explains the premium prices for the housings.
Ikelite, makes a housing, but it does not accept any add-on lenses.
10bar makes one as well, but I have not tried/seen one and I am not sure how easy it is to get one (they are Japanese comany).
Lastly, Amphibico built a wonderful housing for the 707/717 but just discontinued production. You might be lucky and get one of the "leftover". I personally own the Surveyor II and like it a lot. It also accepts the Amphibico 80 degree wetmount WA lens and you can fit a flat (1-element) diopter on the camera inside the housing for dedicated macro shots.
For more information about available housings, check out
www.digieep.com
You might find, that other alternatives might be more feasible for P+S UW photography, like the Olympus line of cameras with inexpensive housing and a LOT of accessoires - just a thought. Get a camera with a fast lens, and, more importantly little shutter lag and fast focusing.
WRT your strobe/depth question. In my opinion, everything below 5m/15ft requires pretty much a strobe to bring back the color. You can do a lot with color-filters, but only if there's enough surface light and you are not too deep.
One of the best strobes you can get for the 707/717 is the Inon Z220 in combination with the Amphibico LSD (Light Sensor Device to emulate TTL and allow external strobes). If you opt for Olympus or similar. go for the Inon D180 or D2000 in combination with their clear picture optical strobe trigger. Ikelite and Sea+Sea also make some good strobes, but after I compared the different models, I liked Inon the best.
UW photography is one of the most rewarding things you can do while scuba diving, but it is also a HUGE money drain. "You get what you pay for" - sad, but very true.
Good luck
Eric
Remember: Leave nothing but bubbles and take nothing but pictures
hmv-alp:
I am ready to get into uw photography. I have a Sony DSC 707, which I love, but the housings I've seen online cost 2 to 3 times ($1500 +) what the camera is worth. Is there a less expensive alternative, or am I better off getting another camera and housing? Also, at what depth (or distance) does the arms and good flashes become pretty much mandatory for decent shots? I realize it depends on the viz, but I don't want to spend a bunch of money for a housing and/or camera and them be disappointed with the results and wind up spending another $500.00 on flash equipment. Thanks in advance!!
Tom Murray
Memphis
