Need Camera Help + Recs

[jonb347]

Hey guys,
my girlfriend is going to Jamaica for two weeks of undergraduate research and she wants a camera for obvious reasons. Most of the diving will be in 60 ft or less of water on coral reefs. I have a canon a2200 I was hoping to find a decent housing for and she has a 50d as well. I am on an extreme budget here and what some reccomendations on what I should do. Pix dont have to be super amazing, just good enough for comparing over time and maybe some nice colors with the flash.....open to buying a new camera if it is somewhat affordable (and no 500+ isn't affordable right now)

 

[flareside]

An Ikelite housing for the A2200 is probably the most economical route. Amazon.com: Ikelite Underwater Camera Housing for Canon Powershot A2200 Digital Camera: Camera & Photo You might also get her a white slate to adjust white balance off of.

 

[jonb347]

okay, the other option was the Amazon.com: Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 12.1 MP Rugged/Waterproof Digital Camera with 4.6x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD (Blue): Camera & Photo

any experience with these?

 

[alcina]

Check out my recent thread on the Panasonic TS3 - I'm enjoying it immensely I think it's definitely a contender for you.