I need a favor, but first I have a confession to make:

[KTE]

I don't dive. I feel I'm here under false pretences, but I was directed to these boards by someone on a CruiseCritic message board as the ultimate place for informed opinion/personal experience w/underwater photgraphy.

I do snorkel whenever I get the chance; unfortunately, that's only about every 2 - 4 years. I have also done SNUBA a couple of times and Aqua Safari (AKA: Helmet Dive) and my question is this:

I usually just use disposable UW cameras, but I'd like to upgrade a little. The budget doesn't run to more than $100 - $150 and I don't have a "land" digital that I can buy a housing for. I have explored various websites and have come across 2 types of inexpensive UW cameras that might do ok:

SeaLife 35 mm & Pixtreme digital.

I have read all the reviews of these that I could find both pro & con. The pros seem to slightly outweigh the cons, but I was wondering if the cons had to do more w/the depth at which they were used? I would not be using them deeper than 15 - 25 ft max (depending on the type of excursion I was taking).

I would appreciate any guidance/opinions/knowledge/experience.

Thank you
KTE

 

[HammerNoMore]

Reading this it sounds like you're looking for a camera with more "controll" on the cheap and digitial is not a requirement?

One route you might consider is a Nikonos. They are work horses that have been around forever and you can pick one up on EBay for < $100 easy.

James

I don't dive. I feel I'm here under false pretences, but I was directed to these boards by someone on a CruiseCritic message board as the ultimate place for informed opinion/personal experience w/underwater photgraphy.

I do snorkel whenever I get the chance; unfortunately, that's only about every 2 - 4 years. I have also done SNUBA a couple of times and Aqua Safari (AKA: Helmet Dive) and my question is this:

I usually just use disposable UW cameras, but I'd like to upgrade a little. The budget doesn't run to more than $100 - $150 and I don't have a "land" digital that I can buy a housing for. I have explored various websites and have come across 2 types of inexpensive UW cameras that might do ok:

SeaLife 35 mm & Pixtreme digital.

I have read all the reviews of these that I could find both pro & con. The pros seem to slightly outweigh the cons, but I was wondering if the cons had to do more w/the depth at which they were used? I would not be using them deeper than 15 - 25 ft max (depending on the type of excursion I was taking).

I would appreciate any guidance/opinions/knowledge/experience.

Thank you
KTE

 

[alcina]

I just bought a Canon A520...I bought it bundled with a printer and the whole thing was $179. The housing for the camera itself was about $170. It's a bit over your budget, but I really think heading that direction will make you happier in the end. And you will use the digital camera on land a lot more than you think! The housings very rarely decrease in price though you may be able to find one on ebay from time to time.

I've used the A75 by Canon, too. Check out ebay as their "older" models can often be found for good prices. Again, the housings are going to remain the same unless you can find someone selling the whole setup.

Olympus has a range out that doesn't need a housing to 3m. It's water and shock proof. My hubby just bought one but I haven't laid hands on it yet. I do know some our whale shark researchers were using these to snorkel with the whale sharks this season while taking ID photos. Not sure the price, but pretty sure it's outside your budget - still might be worth considering.

 

[alcina]

ps James....love that Johnny Cash!

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board.
There are also a ton of used Sea&Sea MX-10s around. They are 35mm but built like a tank and are quite capable of really nice photos. New ones can be had for around $150, I would suspect you could find a used one with extras for around $100 or less.
http://www.leisurepro.com/Prod/SSMX10.html

 

[cdiver2]

Reading this it sounds like you're looking for a camera with more "controll" on the cheap and digitial is not a requirement?

One route you might consider is a Nikonos. They are work horses that have been around forever and you can pick one up on EBay for < $100 easy.

James

I think I would have to recommend the Nikonos also. It takes excellent photos, is cheap, very versatile and expandable.

 

[HammerNoMore]

ps James....love that Johnny Cash!

Love that song. Politics lead to trouble but if you live here, you gotta respect the S&S.

 

[KTE]

Looks like I have a lot more research to do and maybe try to revise my budget.
(upwards)!
KTE

 

[louisianadiver]

Looks like I have a lot more research to do and maybe try to revise my budget.
(upwards)!
KTE

Uh oh. Once that happens, you can't go back. BTW, I still use Nikonos quite a bit. It's a solid camera and the lenses for it are second to none. -Clay

 

[Cecil]

KTE what you should spend your money on first is getting scuba certified. You obviously love being underwater so take the next step. It is a different world.

Then you can get a camera. Believe taking good UW photos is much much easier when you are not holding you breath.