Hi all. I am new to the board but not to diving. I am going back to Coz in March and was thinking of buying a Sealife digital. They have two models that I am interested in both 3.3 mp. One is substantially more than the other because you can access all of the menus underH2O. Is that worth the price jump? Any opinions on these cameras or other info that I need? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Newbie wtb digital
- Thread starter Coachwah
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boney
Contributor
Welcome Coachwah!
I am not too sure about those particular models but you may want to ask yourself, how much manual adjustments are you going to do while taking pics or do you just want to point and shoot? Or are the manual features on that camera worth the extra costs to have them available underwater?
They might be worth it if you are a more proficient photographer, unlike me - I just a newbie
.
Another thing you may want to do is perform a search and look for Sealife under this forum and you'll probably come up with a few extra pieces of info...
I am not too sure about those particular models but you may want to ask yourself, how much manual adjustments are you going to do while taking pics or do you just want to point and shoot? Or are the manual features on that camera worth the extra costs to have them available underwater?
They might be worth it if you are a more proficient photographer, unlike me - I just a newbie
. Another thing you may want to do is perform a search and look for Sealife under this forum and you'll probably come up with a few extra pieces of info...
Boney's right....it depends on what you want. If you're just after some souvenier snapshots of your vacation, the cheaper point and shoot version is all you'll need. If you want to utilize the menu options to somewhat control your exposures, then choose the more expensive model.
I can't say whether either is a good camera because we're looking at them from different angles. What's it cost? If snapshots, sharing in emails, minimal prints is all you want I'm sure the sealife will suit your needs. But if you want to study and learn to produce the quality of photos you see Gilligan, Ted, Rooster, and so many others post on here every week, you'll have to spend enough to get you into the pro-sumer range of cameras.
Do a search here for Sealife, you're not the first to ask this question!
I can't say whether either is a good camera because we're looking at them from different angles. What's it cost? If snapshots, sharing in emails, minimal prints is all you want I'm sure the sealife will suit your needs. But if you want to study and learn to produce the quality of photos you see Gilligan, Ted, Rooster, and so many others post on here every week, you'll have to spend enough to get you into the pro-sumer range of cameras.
Do a search here for Sealife, you're not the first to ask this question!
Thanks for the replys. First of all...I am not a photographer, but would like to get better and get some nice photos of the things I have seen. This is also a dual purpose camera as I want a digital for land use. I like the idea that these models have underwater color correction built into it. I guess what I am concerned about is buying a $400-500 (my spending limit) piece of junk that will be not much better than a $60 point and shoot. Anybody out there using one of these models? I did a search and waded through some of the hits but there were way too many to read in one sitting.
Gilligan
Contributor
Coachwah,
I would not put too much faith in the automatic color correction in those, or any other underwater camera. That may be nothing more than marketing. Taking pictures underwater takes time. I am no expert but rather an amateur that has the benefit of being able to dive frequently. That translates to getting to know the camera better.
1.The more complicated the camera, the more you need to practice with it. If that can't be underwater, then get to know all the controls and options on land. Your trip is not the place to experiment with the camera, but rather the time to enjoy your dives and get good pics with it. This is even more true of Cozumel where the currents are usually strong. Depending on your diving skills in that type environment, you may have all you can do just to deal with that, let alone use a camera.
2. No matter which digital camera you choose you will also need a software program to adust your photos after the fact. The ones that come with the cameras are usually minimal at best. If you already don't have one consider Photoshop Elements or Paint Shop Pro.
It's not just about spending $50. or $500. or $1000. If you are not familiar with the camera when it comes time to use it, then your pics will reflect that no matter the cost.
I would not put too much faith in the automatic color correction in those, or any other underwater camera. That may be nothing more than marketing. Taking pictures underwater takes time. I am no expert but rather an amateur that has the benefit of being able to dive frequently. That translates to getting to know the camera better.
1.The more complicated the camera, the more you need to practice with it. If that can't be underwater, then get to know all the controls and options on land. Your trip is not the place to experiment with the camera, but rather the time to enjoy your dives and get good pics with it. This is even more true of Cozumel where the currents are usually strong. Depending on your diving skills in that type environment, you may have all you can do just to deal with that, let alone use a camera.
2. No matter which digital camera you choose you will also need a software program to adust your photos after the fact. The ones that come with the cameras are usually minimal at best. If you already don't have one consider Photoshop Elements or Paint Shop Pro.
It's not just about spending $50. or $500. or $1000. If you are not familiar with the camera when it comes time to use it, then your pics will reflect that no matter the cost.
Point taken and thank you. I have around 40 dives in Coz, so I am fairly aware of some of the conditions I might face. I am also a swim coach and was planning on practicing with the camera in our pool before I go. I have a friend that is a photog pro and has the latest Photoshop so that is not a problem. Are there any other camera and housing systems that I might consider in my price range? Any reliable sites that I can find both? I am really oblivious about this. Thanks for your time.
I just bought the DC250 (which is a lower version than you are looking at), the camera came with MGI Photosuite - which is an okay program but not great. It also came with all the cables, etc. Onboard memory was only 8mb -- so the first thing I had to do was go get a memory card. That said, it's a great little camera, and while the pictures are not the quality of professional photographers, it is alot better than a $60 point and shoot and you don't have to pay to see your mistakes (the blurry picture of the shark that swam by or any of the other multitude of bad pics a person can take underwater). You might want to consider getting an external strobe, though. I could really tell where the flash was in relation to the pictures. Have fun with whatever camera you decide on -- it is really a blast looking for all the "photo ops"
db
db
Gilligan
Contributor
There are so many cameras out there that it is more of what not to get than what to get.
I would not get anything less than 3 megapixels. The higher the MP the more cropping of the photo you can do w/o losing quality.
The market seems to be flooded with Olympus and Canon. The cameras are relatively inexpensive and so are their respective housings.
If you go the Canon or Olympus housing route you may want to consider a re-furbished camera with a 90 day factory warranty instead of a new one. Both my Oly's are refurbs. My thinking is to put the least expensive refurb model I can find on the net in that housing in the event it floods. I don't bother with insurance. I paid around $300. for my Oly C4000Z and $200 for the housing. You may find a refurb Oly C5050Z for around $400 or less as the market gets flooded with them and the PT-015 housing for under $200. That's a pretty good price for a 5MP camera.
I can't speak for Canon but the Oly has a pretty powerful internal strobe and a flash diffuser on the housing that will let you get away with not having an external strobe for awhile.
I would not get anything less than 3 megapixels. The higher the MP the more cropping of the photo you can do w/o losing quality.
The market seems to be flooded with Olympus and Canon. The cameras are relatively inexpensive and so are their respective housings.
If you go the Canon or Olympus housing route you may want to consider a re-furbished camera with a 90 day factory warranty instead of a new one. Both my Oly's are refurbs. My thinking is to put the least expensive refurb model I can find on the net in that housing in the event it floods. I don't bother with insurance. I paid around $300. for my Oly C4000Z and $200 for the housing. You may find a refurb Oly C5050Z for around $400 or less as the market gets flooded with them and the PT-015 housing for under $200. That's a pretty good price for a 5MP camera.
I can't speak for Canon but the Oly has a pretty powerful internal strobe and a flash diffuser on the housing that will let you get away with not having an external strobe for awhile.
I agree with Gilligan all the way....so I'll get out of the way and not confuse the issue!
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