Looking for advice

[drwendy]

My brother wants a new digital camera for his birthday. We're not real photographers, just looking for something that can hold a large memory card, decent res and for which there is an affordable housing available. We won't need strobes and flashes and all that sort of accessory, just a fun travel camera he can get a housing to dive with. Looking for suggestions on what might fit that bill. Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Warren_L]

For simple point and shoot cameras with manufacturer's housings, probably your best bet is to check out the Canon and Olympus line. Lots to choose from in terms of features, and relatively inexpensive housings.

 

[dbh]

I would take a hard look at the Fuji F810. Fuji & Ikelite both make housings for it depending upon your needs.


Dave

 

[BigJetDriver]

My brother wants a new digital camera for his birthday. We're not real photographers, just looking for something that can hold a large memory card, decent res and for which there is an affordable housing available. We won't need strobes and flashes and all that sort of accessory, just a fun travel camera he can get a housing to dive with. Looking for suggestions on what might fit that bill. Any advice is appreciated!

I recently purchased the Canon Rebel XT with the 17-85mm self-stabilized lens, on the advice of friends who are professional photographers.

It is outstanding!! Color, clarity, and ease of use are marvellous!

Rob

 

[sharky60]

I just recently purchased the Sea & Sean DX5000G, It's actally a Ricoh 5 Mpix. camera with both point & shoot and manual settings. really nice little camera. Sea & Sea makes the housing and if you decide to move up to strobe they have a lighting package available also.

I purchased what's called the Island Package included the camera, housing, lighting package, wide angle lens and pelican case. it all added up to around $2000, but I've seen the camera and housing package online for as low as $880
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=7965393/

It uses the small sd memory cards, i have been using the 512 MB cards and have been able to get a lot of pics on it. the camera indicates with my settings, (I'm using the second from the highest resolution), i can get over 235 images per card.

here's a link to my photo gallery from my last Cozumel trip, remember these images were taken with a strobe, but it will give you some idea of what this camera can do
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1008

 

[DA Aquamaster]

I have a 4.o mega pixel Olympus C4000 that does a great job and is easy to use that, at the time, came with a very affordable housing ($187). But be advised that while Olympus makes housings for many of their cameras, they only produce them as long as the camera is in production and the housings quickly become scarce once production ends. So check housing availability before you buy the camera.

Also, while they are generally durable given reasonable care, they are not regarded as something that can be sent in for a repair of rebuild, so if the housing ever develops a serious problem, you are stuck with getting an expensive housing from a third party or with starting over with a new camera and housing.

But with proper timing you can pick up a soon to be superceded Olypmus inexpensively on-line or at Wal-mart and still get an inexpensive housing and have a very serviceable underwater digital camera for around $500-$600 total.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

You could get the Olympus C5060 for $420 and a housing for $180(go with the PT027? which works with the Oly C7070 as well-incase you want to upgrade) or a Canon A series camera and housing for even less.