Simple point & shoot with strobe package?

[robbcayman]

^^ Great to know. Thanks!

 

[Larry C]

Packages just simplify things a bit. Depending on what you're willing to spend, you can get a better strobe, different arm...if you buy separately. The Canon housing is by far cheapest, but if you don't like it, there are plenty more. The Ikelite is very robust, but bigger and heavier. If you want to get really fancy, you can get one of the fancier housings, but they hit your $1000 mark by themselves. The Inon S2000 strobe is tiny and light and does a great job, but costs more than the Sea & Sea you're looking at from backscatter. If you plan to enjoy photography for a while, it pays to get a top notch camera set up. You'll be able to use it for years.

 

[stortecky]

I was your position a few years back. I wanted to keep the cost down. In the end I just keep upgrading and losing money along the way. I would get your self a canon G12. I have the G11 and it takes amazing pictures and give you many if not all the function of SLR. I have a Canon 7d that I might try underwater this year but I am shocked how good the pictures are topside with the G11 compared to the 7D.

I do have the Canon housing and I think it is a nice housing. I know it is not as great as the Ikelite or even more expensive. If you just check your main oring You will not have a problem.

As for a strobe and arm I would just look around. I have two different Sea&sea and have been happy but I have not compared them to other strobes. Just read around and look for one that will work for you.

 

[SoCalRich]

Greetings,
I have two very old (30+ dives with each.) canon point & shoot cameras. with dive cases that are full function. These are ebay spiecals that take pretty good photos, so if they ever leak the loss is minimal.

Diving was getting kind of boreing until I started dive with a camera. I am sure it will change the way you look at things underwater.

 

[AKA_Longlegs]

Agreed Canon housings can be problematic, mainly with the o-ring, however i used my G9 for probably over 500 dives without any problems. I now use a G11 which as said in another post takes amazing pictures and i'm sure the G12 does the same (and uses the same housing as the G11!!)

As a beginner i would personally not go too crazy on buying hefty expensive underwater camera gear. It takes a little time and practice to be able to dive and take GOOD pictures with a camera. A simple point and shoot like the S95 or G12 will give you the functionality you need and you can learn a lot by using them because of the SLR type qualities and settings.

I've been diving and taking pictures with the G-series for a few years now, without strobes and i'm more than happy with the results i get. I'm not planning on winning competitions or turning pro, just capturing the underwater world the way i see it and having fun diving.

Probably one of the most important things to also consider is to get your buoyancy tuned up. without it it doesnt matter what camera you have, you will struggle to take good pics and possibly damage corals or aquatic life, however hard you try not too!!

 

[robbcayman]

Agreed Canon housings can be problematic, mainly with the o-ring, however i used my G9 for probably over 500 dives without any problems. I now use a G11 which as said in another post takes amazing pictures and i'm sure the G12 does the same (and uses the same housing as the G11!!)

As a beginner i would personally not go too crazy on buying hefty expensive underwater camera gear. It takes a little time and practice to be able to dive and take GOOD pictures with a camera. A simple point and shoot like the S95 or G12 will give you the functionality you need and you can learn a lot by using them because of the SLR type qualities and settings.

I've been diving and taking pictures with the G-series for a few years now, without strobes and i'm more than happy with the results i get. I'm not planning on winning competitions or turning pro, just capturing the underwater world the way i see it and having fun diving.

Probably one of the most important things to also consider is to get your buoyancy tuned up. without it it doesnt matter what camera you have, you will struggle to take good pics and possibly damage corals or aquatic life, however hard you try not too!!

I'm with you, I don't plan on winning any contests. I just want to take decent photos to show family and friends. However, I don't want to invest in a camera and turn around the following year and spend more money on an upgrade.

 

[Warmwater Wank]

RobbC--You've answered your own concerns and don't really have a host of choices. You want decent results, you don't want to upgrade in a year and you don't want to spend more than around $1K. I've used a Canon G-10 going on 2 years and unless I flood it or lose it I'll keep shooting it. Why? It's a good camera, does what I need it to and it lets me enjoy my diving and picture taking. Prowl through the Canon forum, see what folks say about the S-95 (or the G-12). These aren't your only choices of course, so check on the Nikon and Olympus forums as well. In the price range you want to stay at, however, there are not many better camera choices than the S-95. (Yep, that's just an opinion of course... )

UW p&s has changed a lot in recent years. No, it is not dslr but it is very decent quality and better still, it is vastly less cumbersome, simpler and cheaper. An external strobe is practically mandatory but still, you can keep it simple. I use a S&S 110-A strobe and Canon housing w/ my G-10 but take a look at an Inon S-2000 or a S&S YS-01 for a strobe. A lot of folks who don't shoot the Canon housing knock it, then spend 2 or 3 times as much as the camera for a better housing. For them it makes sense, even though the housing alone does not determine image quality (though it can certainly affect wet-lens options etc.). When budget is a factor (as it is for most of us) you are the one who needs to decide your priorities.

Will you want to swiitch in a year? Who knows but like I said, unless I mess my camera up I'll stick with it. I'm including this image to give you a sense of what you can do with a good p&s. BTW, not much post-processing with these examples. Slight color and density correction, a small amount of sharpening--maybe a minute or so of playing on the computer. I dive and take pictures to have fun, enjoy this amazing planet and share my enthusiasm. A decent p&s ought to let anyone do that! // ww

Leaf fish Tulamben, Bali w/Canon G-10 + S&S 110A strobe

Detail of above photo

 

[WetBoy101]

You know you're going to upgrade!! So maybe you should think toward an intro setup. These were taken on auto, with a p/s and a strobe for under $350. You can start taking photos right away and do more research on what features you think you need (or just want) on a high dollar camera. Like I said these were shot on Auto. Some at night and some in not so clear water. It's not always price of camera = quality of picture. A good cameraman could set my camera on manual and get photos to compete with cameras costing 5 times as much. JSTTA!! Happy Shooting...

 

[diver 85]

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.

Robb, just thought of something---find someone who's selling their old A570(with Canon housing) & buy it from them--for a little bit you can take decent pics, nothing NG now but some you can blow up etc & hang on a wall somewhere(I know, I've done many......see some of my pics in my sig)....

 

[robbcayman]

Awesome pics, guys!! Diver85, that's a good idea I will keep an eye out for one. I'm a patient person, so I will wait until I'm really sure of what I want.