Sony DCS-P10, UW housing

[grazie42]

I´m thinking of getting a Sony DCS-P10 but as I plan to take it UW i´d like some oppinions on the UW housing...
Does it really hold to 40m? has anyone had problems with it?
As easy, cheap, user-friendly UW-photography is one of the main reasons for buying the camera I´d appreciate whatever input you might give me, also about the camera itself and the quality of prints you could expect from it...

wow, that´s not really one question but here goes...

 

[Cecil]

Well there are a few questions there. I have a DSC-P5 that I've been using for two years now. I have the UW housing and just use the internal flash. I've been very satisfied with the camera, it's small, light and compact and take damn good pictures. I've had it to 120' without a proble and in 100 dives or so it's only flooded once. That was in fresh water and I never did find the cause probably a hair across the o-ring).

If you want to see how the camera does, here's a link to a trip report from Bonaire earlier this year.

http://www.bonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/1022/110973.html?1061922017

It has a number of pictures in it. Here's a screensaver of the Bonaire shots.

Screensaver

You will probably need to right click on that and select save target.

 

[orangeBloke]

I have the housing on the P8 and it has been to 40m without a hint of leak. It takes some fairly decent shots and the built in flash is good if you're very close to the subject but if you're more than a few feet away expect back-scatter in the shot or get an external strobe that'll slave off of the built in flash - the arrangement for this is not very elegant but it works.

Being small and compact it easily fits into a BCD pocket so it doesn't get in the way if you need to free up your hands.

It is slightly negatively buoyant so make sure you have it well secured as if it falls off it may disappear into the depths.

One thing to be aware of is that the housing is not covered by a guarantee so if it gets a problem Sony won't fix or replace it for you, not for free anyway.

 

[grazie42]

Thank you both...
specially about the UW housing not being covered by warranty...didn´t know that and find it strange that they are allowed to do that...knowing ít´s negatively boyant is sure good to know before you drop it
Nice pics btw cecil...

I´m goin to buy the p10...it´s the only 5 megapixel camera that doesent cost an arm and a half and I like all my other sony stuff...
thanks for the input guys!