Last year before our Cozumel trip I bought a Sealife HD (or maybe HD +) Camera. I've had the older Reefmaster Film cameras and always enjoyed the pics so I thought I'd try this one. There is absolutely nothing wrong with how the camera works. However, I had trouble not having a viewfinder. Trying to use the rear screen on the camera as the "viewfinder" didn't work well for me. I just didn't seem to be able to see the screen clearly or at all. There seemed to be a lot of glare and I just see what was on the screen. We are going back to Cozumel in a few months so I'd like to get some input on digital cameras with viewfinders if there are any. I'm also willing to listen to advice on how to use the Sealife more effectively. Thanks in advance for your input.
Recommendations, something with a viewfinder???
- Thread starter gt2003
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Nauticam has an LCD magnifier that fits their compact housings, allowing you to use the camera's screen like you would a viewfinder, and blocking out external light. Above that, you'd be looking at interchangeable-lens cameras, where the cheapest option with a viewfinder would be a Sony A6000 with a SeaFrogs Salted Line housing. Note, however, that the viewfinder on that housing is really basic - just an inch-long extension with a lens in it; no adjustments or extra accessories. High-end housings for SLRs and mirrorless ILCs such as Nauticam or Aquatica typically accept add-on viewfinders, which come in 180 degree (straight) or 45 degree versions (example), but these mean investing thousands upon thousands of dollars into housings, ports, camera bodies, lenses, strobes and other accessories.
Well, I'd probably pay that if it would work on my Sealife camera! I simply don't do enough underwater stuff to justify buying expensive camera gear. I do have an old SLR...may be time to look for housings! I like the sealife, I just simply can't see the screen, UGH
Depending on what SLR you have, if it's old, finding a new housing might be impossible, and a used one, if it's very old, might be in questionable shape - tried out seals, weakened springs, that sort of stuff. In any case, SLR underwater housings range between huge and gigantic - you only bring one underwater if the purpose of your dive is solely to take photos, rather than having a camera with you to take snapshots during a dive.
If you want a compact setup with a viewfinder, your best bet is probably to look for a used Canon S110, Canon G7X or Sony RX100 kit with a Nauticam housing - quite a few of those floating around for not exorbitant sums of money - then add the LCD magnifier. A Sony A6000 with a kit lens and Meikon housing will be about $1k, less if you buy the camera used, but it's significantly larger - it's not something you can clip off to your BCD and ignore unless you need it.
If you want a compact setup with a viewfinder, your best bet is probably to look for a used Canon S110, Canon G7X or Sony RX100 kit with a Nauticam housing - quite a few of those floating around for not exorbitant sums of money - then add the LCD magnifier. A Sony A6000 with a kit lens and Meikon housing will be about $1k, less if you buy the camera used, but it's significantly larger - it's not something you can clip off to your BCD and ignore unless you need it.
Looks like my best option might be an anti-glare screen protector but not sure how that would work underwater. I'll get the camera out tonight and also see if I can adjust the brightness settings for the lcd.
Similar threads
