Simple point & shoot with strobe package?

[robbcayman]

As the title says I'm a newbie at underwater photography. I don't need a DSLR right now. I just want to start slowly with a simply point & shoot digital setup with a strobe. I'm looking to stay around the $750 -$1k range.

I've searched in here and haven't come up with much. Is there a superior brand i.e. cannon, nikon, olympus etc? Any packages that start around the above listed price range? I'm hoping to use photoshop and other software to deal with major backscatter issues. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[diver 85]

Backscatter.com has a couple packages, looks like 1 under & 1 over the 1k$ range....click link

http://www.backscatter.com/underwater/photo/package%20deals.lasso

EDIT: & for editing pics, PS Element 5.0 thru 8.0 is out there(cheap)---along with(free) Picasa 3.....

 

[robbcayman]

^^ Thanks for the link, that's the kind of info I'm looking for. The one package slight over $1k doesn't come with a wide angle lens. Would a wide angle lens help quite a bit? How much should I expect to pay for one and is there a certain brand or width I should look at?

 

[ramasule]

Mozaik Underwater Combos -Sets - Digital Camera + Housing - Canon, Nikon, Bonica

 

[nw_diver]

Check out the Sealife DC1200 Elite package. I am happy with mine.

 

[robbcayman]

Thanks for the advice on the software and the links.

 

[AKA_Longlegs]

a great camera in and out of the water is the Canon S95, many professionals use that camera here. it's small, compact but has some great functions and awesome picture results.

Also the GEX5 by Sea & Sea is a very good option as it comes already with the fibre option connections for the strobes on the housing.

I would also do a search on flickr for the cameras you're thinking of. many people post their shots there, so you get a really good idea of the quality that can be achieved.

 

[robbcayman]

I was looking at the S95 package for about $1k on backscatter. I was also thinking that if I did get a flood it wouldn't be a disaster like a super pricey DSLR camera. I'm just not really crazy about the cannon housing. I'm wondering if it might be more cost effective to piece the system together myself.

 

[Jorgy]

I own a S90/Ike combo....it would still really really suck if it flooded.....

M

 

[Doc Harry]

A P&S is a great way to start out.

BUT..... Photo processing software is not a good way to deal with either minor or major back-scatter issues. In fact, it can be impossible to "fix" back-scatter via software without an extraordinary amount of time and effort.

Better to avoid back-scatter in the first place. Get a strobe arm and move the flash 10-15 inches away from the camera. How you aim the strobe can also have a significant impact on back-scatter.