Sea Life DC 500 Questions

[micahjt]

The DC500 DOES have manual white balance. No, this camera is not for someone who is wanting full manual control or is used to working with a DSLR. It is not marketed or designed for that type of diver. It is designed for someone who wants a good point and shoot system at a reasonable price from a reputable company. To say that you are "not sure why SeaLife is even in the business" seems a little.....harsh. Everyone has preferences that go into deciding what they think is a 'good' camera. While I am not expert in the field of underwater photography, I will say that I have gotten wonderful pictures out of both my dc500 and its predicessor the DC310. They are small, lightweight and easy to master, although there is, like any other piece of electronics, a learning curve. One of the biggest selling points for me is the high quality of customer service that I have gotten from SeaLife. They have always been helpful when I have had a problem or a question. Something that we did not have with Olympus. So, if you are a diver that wants good pictures without having to spend your dive focusing on deciding on which f-stops and aperture settings to make, something like the DC500 may be just what you are looking for. If you enjoy aspects of photography where you have control over all of your settings, you would be happier with something else.

It's a very cheap camera in all aspects and the SeaLife customer service sucks rocks!
Harsh? perhaps but it's the honest truth....no sugar coating.
Maybe after calling their customer service so much to work out all the problem you've developed some personal relationships? Personally, I've called their customer service at least a half dozen times and left messages which I was told would be returned. Not once, ever, did anyone return a message from their customer service. They also tried to charge me a $140 for repairs on a camera that was still under warranty. Had to talk with their manager to get that straight.....took weeks....

The camera doesn't even work well out of the water......

While I am not expert in the field of underwater photography, I will say that I have gotten wonderful pictures out of both my dc500 and its predicessor the DC310.

Some folks are OK with trying to squeeze blood out of turnips, out of the 1000+ shots I too have a few 'good' photos I've taken with my DC310.


This poor guy is still battling with color issues....something SeaLife cameras are notorious for.

Check out the E900 from Fuji, double the quality, double the features for about the same price.

 

[Bbarnes]

I am not sure why you feel it necessary to make a comment such as saying that "Maybe after calling their customer service so much to work out all of the problem you've developed some personal relationships?" Give me a break! Just because you have had trouble with the company, doesn't mean that because I had positive experiences that there must be some lurid 'relationship'. Maybe, just maybe, I ASKED them for help, while others called to complain. You catch more flies with honey......For the record. I have had three experiences with the customer service department of SeaLife over the last 4 years. Twice with my dc310---once was a glitch with the lcd screen at depth and the other was after a flood. They replaced the internal camera for me both times. The third contact was due to the problems that I had with the DC500's strobe not firing consistently and getting some strange glare rings in some of my photos. They worked with me to get my firmware upgraded and figured out that I was using the 3X lens which was not compatible with the DC500 and created the 'flash back' type ring in the pictures. Because I was very excited about the improvement in my camera function, I have also sent pictures from our last two trips, as requested on their website. One from the Flower Gardens appears in the gallery. My husband has one from Saba there as well.
I am sorry that you have not had good experiences. I have only tried to let people know of the positive experiences that I have had.