Sd900

[PinkPADIgal]

I just purchased a Canon SD900. The camera is awesome and 10MPX is amazing. I have a couple of concerns so I thought I would as some veteran photographers.

I bought the Canon because one of my divemasters has one and has some amazing UW shots. I have a Sealife DC100 and I got good photos with it but it was time to move up. I know 10mpx is a bit of a jump and maybe overkill but I want this camera to last for more than a couple of years.

The WP-DC7 is the UW housing but I don't see it on the Canon website. I am concerned with "grey market", so if Canon doesn't have it listed, who should I buy the housing from? I trust the big companies out there but their prices are higher and most do not have the housing yet. Where should I buy the housing? Should I just wait a few weeks? I leave on vacation mid Nov so I need to get it soon.

I have never had a camera flood on me but I am so freaked out about flooding this camera. Who sells good insurance??? I have trips to Maui and Canada in the next couple of months and I don't want to ruin my camera. If I do, I want to make sure it is covered. If it does flood, who would I send the camera to for replacement?

Thanks for your help,

 

[JamesD]

On the side of insurance I can't say, I haven't bothered with insurance yet, but none of my cameras has been what I consider irreplaceable (sometimes I wish my current housing WOULD flood because then I could get a new camera)

Anyway, on the subject of housing however, doing a quick search on Froogle shows the housing to be 169 from B&H, who are definitely a very good supplier, the only one cheaper is in fact not cheaper (the price is listing as $139 but it's actually a UK supplier selling it at 139 POUNDS (about $270).

Personally I'd not be hugely worried about "grey market" for camera housings either, cameras definitely, but the housing meh...

Oh, and 17th Street Photo has it 10 bucks cheaper, I've ordered from them before too with no issues.

 

[REII]

I just purchased a Canon SD900. The camera is awesome and 10MPX is amazing. I have a couple of concerns so I thought I would as some veteran photographers.

I bought the Canon because one of my divemasters has one and has some amazing UW shots. I have a Sealife DC100 and I got good photos with it but it was time to move up. I know 10mpx is a bit of a jump and maybe overkill but I want this camera to last for more than a couple of years.

The WP-DC7 is the UW housing but I don't see it on the Canon website. I am concerned with "grey market", so if Canon doesn't have it listed, who should I buy the housing from? I trust the big companies out there but their prices are higher and most do not have the housing yet. Where should I buy the housing? Should I just wait a few weeks? I leave on vacation mid Nov so I need to get it soon.

I have never had a camera flood on me but I am so freaked out about flooding this camera. Who sells good insurance??? I have trips to Maui and Canada in the next couple of months and I don't want to ruin my camera. If I do, I want to make sure it is covered. If it does flood, who would I send the camera to for replacement?

Thanks for your help,

Why don't you take the housing down empty the first time if you want to test it. If it leaks at least it wouldn't be damaging the camera.

TOM

 

[randini]

I can't really say where to get your housing (since I haven't bought mine yet), but if it's a genuine housing I wouldn't worry too much about who's selling it. Granted you do want to make sure the place is legit though. HERE is a link to a thread in a photography forum that lists tons of places and peoples experiences with them for buying photgraphic gear. Not sure how many of those places sell UW housings, but it should be worth a look.

As for insurance, DAN has plans for UW cameras and from what I've heard they do take good care of you.

 

[alcina]

Congratulations on your new gear!!

Insurance - I use DEPP (www.awryinc.com).

Flooding - it's all about maintenance and little to do with the housing itself in most cases. You have to resign yourself to the fact that you will, in all likelihood, flood your gear at some stage - and that, as hard as it will be to admit, it will be user error That's just how it is.

Who you send it to will vary depending on your insurance. Read the policies carefully and make sure you understand each of them before you commit.

B&H has great service and $169 is about standard for a Canon housing.

Having a camera for several years...I hate to put the possible bad news out there, but I'm guessing that you aren't going to be satisfied with this camera for underwater work for long as it has no manual controls (I think...it's early here) and this will severly limit the possibilities. It should serve you well to get started and as a land camera (which I think it's important to have - you don't want to be carrying the housing around or pulling the uw cam out all the time!). But shopping is always fun, so I wouldn't stress about it

 

[PinkPADIgal]

Thanks for the feedback. I will probably order the housing from from B&H.

I will call DAN tomorrow regarding insurance. I never flooded my DC100, (over 100 dives) but it wasn't a $500 camera either. I did pay for the Canon with my AMEX though...I should check with them too. I like Tom's idea too. I might do that.

I ordered the Canon because of the U/W features it has and the quality of everyone's photos that have used them. I am not looking for an award winning shot, but clear, color balanced photos of small critters. Oh yeah, also because it is 10mpx!!!

Someone told me I could use my strobe from my Sealife DC100 with this housing. Can anyone confirm if that is true?

 

[alcina]

Looking forward to seeing your shots soon - always good to have more models with real life images!

What "underwater features" are you talking about? Underwater preset modes?

 

[sandrascuba]

Alcina: I just read your UW photo information for everyone. Very nice! I have a quick question about white balance. You say not to use the UW white balance preset but instead set it manually. Could you please explain your procedure for this and how often does it have to be reset? I am the new owner of the Canon S80. Thanks so much.

Sandra

 

[PinkPADIgal]

I ordered my housing from B and H. It should be here in a week. I can't wait to go and play underwater with it.

I have been doing some checking and I have a Sealife Strobe that I purchased with my Sealife DC100. I am curious...the model number is SL960 but it looks different that the strobes that they are selling now. Is it the same strobe, but with different coloring? Will it work with my new Canon camera and housing. According to what I have read, it appears that my Sealife strobe will work but since it is older, would it be compatible?

 

[alcina]

Alcina: I just read your UW photo information for everyone. Very nice! I have a quick question about white balance. You say not to use the UW white balance preset but instead set it manually. Could you please explain your procedure for this and how often does it have to be reset? I am the new owner of the Canon S80. Thanks so much.

Sandra

Sandra -

Have a read of your manual as pretty much everything you need to know is in there. Also have a look at this thread on the S80 - hth

White balance from the Pink Link - head back there for more "when to use" info, too...
"White" will change with your depth and with the way the light is acting - for instance when you change angles substantially. Generally you need to take a new white balance reading (Manual White Balance = MWB) every time you change depth by a couple of meters or if the lighting changes dramatically (clouds, facing the opposite direction than when you first set it...). A slate is the most common "white" object used to set MWB, but you can also use sand if it's more or less white.