Is the Sealife DC1400 a good camera for beginners?

[cayal]

First off, sorry for asking a question that has probably been asked many times and is a little annoying.

Looking to get into the underwater photography side of diving. I have my gopro and I love the video but at some point I would love to get some photos of me and my partner underwater and the GoPro is too hit and miss with photo quality.

So we are looking at the camera options and came across the Sealife brand.

My question is, are they good for beginners (usability) and do they take good photos?

If so, what would be a good beginner one? I found this one but my knowledge of such things are limited and right now I need something to get used to and hopefully be able to take some good photos with it.

Sealife DC1400 14 Megapixel Underwater Camera and HD Video SL720

 

[Scuba_Noob]

Yes, they are good cameras for beginners and they do take pretty good photos/videos. They would fit the goal of sharing your experiences underwater with your friends. The price for a set-up with strobes is very affordable.

However, if you think your photography goals are going to develop beyond simple point-and-shoot, there are other options (other than replacing your Sealife). The Sealife, doesn't shoot in RAW format (which would be good for post-processing, etc.) and can't be customized as much as some other cameras (in terms of Aperture, etc.). Other options may be more expensive, but will grow as your photography goals change and develop.

Basically, it all depends on your current and future goals. I think you'll probably be pleased with the DC1400. Here's a review (SeaLife DC1400 review of the underwater camera & housing|Underwater Photography Guide)

 

[deeper thoughts]

Yes they are excellent cameras for beginners

 

[cayal]

Yes, they are good cameras for beginners and they do take pretty good photos/videos. They would fit the goal of sharing your experiences underwater with your friends. The price for a set-up with strobes is very affordable.

However, if you think your photography goals are going to develop beyond simple point-and-shoot, there are other options (other than replacing your Sealife). The Sealife, doesn't shoot in RAW format (which would be good for post-processing, etc.) and can't be customized as much as some other cameras (in terms of Aperture, etc.). Other options may be more expensive, but will grow as your photography goals change and develop.

Basically, it all depends on your current and future goals. I think you'll probably be pleased with the DC1400. Here's a review (SeaLife DC1400 review of the underwater camera & housing|Underwater Photography Guide)

I think at the moment I am happy with taking some decent photos to share. Not sure where or how I would go with underwater photography besides having memories.

Thanks for the link to the review and the advice.

 

[divingpyrate]

Let you know in in three weeks, My wench just got one and will be taking her first shots in coz soon

 

[cree]

i just purchased this camera from stoys for 374.00. I think the sale ends on feb 19. Eagerly anxious to use this camera to see if I made a good investment.

 

[sagibson]

I bought the DC1400 before my Bonaire trip last summer and was very happy with the quality. It's a great beginner camera. I think a lot of people have trouble with the lag between button push and shutter release but your going to have that with any point and shoot camera. You'll end up with a lot of fish-butt pictures until you learn to anticipate movement or step up to an SLR.

I bought a sealife strobe right before I left for Grand Cayman last week. It helped a lot but tended to wash things out unless I turned the power down on it. I didn't get as much time to play with the settings as I would have liked because my buddy just completed her OW so I spent a lot of time keeping tabs on her while we were down.

 

[cayal]

I bought the DC1400 before my Bonaire trip last summer and was very happy with the quality. It's a great beginner camera. I think a lot of people have trouble with the lag between button push and shutter release but your going to have that with any point and shoot camera. You'll end up with a lot of fish-butt pictures until you learn to anticipate movement or step up to an SLR.

I bought a sealife strobe right before I left for Grand Cayman last week. It helped a lot but tended to wash things out unless I turned the power down on it. I didn't get as much time to play with the settings as I would have liked because my buddy just completed her OW so I spent a lot of time keeping tabs on her while we were down.

How much lag would you say?

 

[KevWind]

How much lag would you say?

I would rough guess between about 1/2 to 1 second depending on light.

 

[Tailspin]

I agree with the 1 second shutter lag. That is my only gripe with the system (but it's a big one). Wish that could be improved.

Everything else related to the DC-1400 system is designed and operates well underwater.