I have found the perfect P&S camera for diving (IMHO)!

[Eskasi]

After spending exhaustive research on the internet for a few days, I went out today and almost got myself a Canon G7 with the intention of buying the Canon housing or even the Ikelite one as Canon's housing was supposedly out of stock around SE Asia. I came away dissapointed as neither housing was available in short notice and I was going for a 4 night dive trip in 2 days time to Tioman. I went back home and got on the internet again and found this....

I remember seeing this before somewhere,

Sea & Sea DX1G (Camera & Housing).

This camera is basically the Ricoh GX100. A concise review of this camera can be found here;
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/ricohgx100/

Here are some details;

http://www.seaandsea.com/DX-1G/release.pdf

10 MPix
RAW format supported
Image Stabilizer (Vibration Control)
4gb SDHC supported (SD Cards of course)
F2.8-4.4, 24mm-72mm Lens (Decent wide angle out of box)
16mm WA wet lens available from Sea & Sea
1cm Macros at full zoom
Low lag time (less than G7)
Manual FOCUS
Full manual controls including custom WB and various customizable settings (2 I believe)
Very compact housing compared to Ikelite's boxes
2 Fibre optic cable sockets in housing
Outer and inner hoods and soft grip on housing
Built in Flash Diffuser
PC usb2.0/AV interface
Avi recording with up to 4gb (max card)...no crappy mpeg4
Batt life of up to 350 shots with the possiblity of using AAA batterys in case of emergency (50+ shots only!)

THAT is a very nice feature spec, especially for a dive oriented camera. The camera and housing is going for around $1050 bucks. About the same as a G7 and Ikelite housing I believe.

I suppose that those who are looking to use their camera for more Topside stuff may find the G7 more appealing as with the Canon reputation. I am however looking for a more dedicated UW camera with the possibility of capturing some topside shots in between. A nice dive travel camera! My DSLR stays dry and topside only as I hate paying for excess baggage on my dive travels- hence no DSLR housings and ports (no local diving here!)

I am looking to match this with a single INON Z240 strobe. Unless someone can advise me differently? Perhaps a Sea&Sea strobe is better for the kit?

 

[bigfrog23]

you might look at the sea and sea ys-110 very nice little strobe very powerful about as powerful as the Ys-120. you can find this strobe on ebay for about 400-500. Sea and sea will also be releasing the ys-250 which is a great strobe probably the best the company has ever produced has some very nice features. you can check out this sight for more info on most strobes http://www.digitaldiver.net/strobes.php exept the ys-250 that one is to new to be on there list. if you are on a tight budget don't forget that if you get a strobe you need to get strobe arm an tray which can cause any were 275 to 400

 

[alcina]

Great you found something you like!

Looking forward to a review of your experiences and of course lots of photos.

I love the Inon strobes as they are easy, light, take AA batteries that last forever and give good coverage. Sea&Sea make nice strobes, too.

 

[Eskasi]

Cool. Thanks for the advice....BHPhoto has a package deal on the Sea&Sea combo including the YS 110 Strobe/arm set. For $1799.

I have not seen these in person but I believe the Z240 is a more compact and lighter unit? I am concerned about my flight weight restrictions as ALL my diving is done by flying to overseas locations....

 

[Gilligan]

IMHO you should go with one of the Inon strobes that has the focus light or the Sea&Sea YS-110 which also has a "target light".

I have had my older model Inon D-180 with focus light since Dec 03 and have taken between eight and ten thousand photos with it. The focus light is invaluable for subjects in darker locations and night dives. My focus light bulb burned out last month and I had it replaced with Inon America for $55. (part-shipping-labor) and had it back in about two weeks.

 

[alcina]

$1799 seems high to me for a compact digital system with strobe. YMMV

I love my Inons - I have an older 220s and the 240. I never use my focus light lol

 

[ScubaSteve]

$1799 seems high to me for a compact digital system with strobe.....

I agree but I guess I should not say what I spent on my 10mp Nikon / Ikelite system because it was a bit more. But I LOVE IT as I know you will love your sea and sea. The pictures are much more enjoyable to look at and share when taken with a good system.

Look forward to seeing your first shots.

 

[Eskasi]

Hmmm....I thought it wasn't too expensive too...given the camera and strobe choice. I suppose that there are many less costly cameras out there and the older model strobes are certainly a lot cheaper.

I figured that I would have spent more (or at least as much) had I bought a G7, Inon Z240, Ikelite housing, cable and Ultralight Arm system...

I really do take great joy in taking decent pictures. Hope I get as much fun out of the new camera (when I get it!) as you do Scubasteve!