The $200 Camera

[Scuba_Jenny]

Yep, that's all this budget minded diver is willing to spend for a camera. I am looking for a digital that eventually will take an underwater housing. Any suggestions?

 

[HowardE]

Yep, that's all this budget minded diver is willing to spend for a camera. I am looking for a digital that eventually will take an underwater housing. Any suggestions?

Are you thinking about NEW / USED / Refurb ??? I would take into consideration that most canon's have housings available from canon. Oly also makes SOME housings for their cameras.

Other cameras usually require aftermarket housings / ikelite, etc... so their housings would cost more than the other ones.

The canon housing for michelle's camera was $150... I got her camera (S70) for $250 on E-bay. So I would guess that you should be able to find something like that. (the S60 is only $200 on E-bay right now)

 

[JamesD]

Minolta seems to do a good line on camera housings (they make housings for most of the Dimage X? series).

For small cameras they work pretty good, I like it simply because I can always take it with me (slips in a pocket). I'd advise AGAINST the latest one, I read that it has image stabilization but lacks decent ISO modes (can't do ISO 400 equivalent).

Edit: If you look at my gallery, other than the Flamingo Tongue, every other picture was taken with the Dimage XT just for reference

 

[diversteve]

Yep, that's all this budget minded diver is willing to spend for a camera. I am looking for a digital that eventually will take an underwater housing. Any suggestions?

Canon A610 - It's a new 5MP model that even has an Underwater white-balance setting - helps to reduce backscatter according to Canon.

I think Dell had them sub-$200 with a special rebate a couple of weeks ago or $229 here: http://froogle.google.com/froogle_c...24&btnG=Search+Froogle&lmode=&addr=&scoring=p

I've seen several sell new on eBay for right around $200.

And the Canon WP-DC90 housing is $160 anytime there.

 

[aquaholic901]

Sony makes housings for some of their P&S cameras that are good to ~110-120' also.

 

[alcina]

We just did this for Xmas pressies - check out Canon's SD range (Ixus) and the A series. If you skip the newest models there are several that come in under $200.

I like the A series for the manual controls but those Ixus babies sure are cute for go anywhere! (You'll likely want the manual controls underwater.)

 

[Doc]

Yep, that's all this budget minded diver is willing to spend for a camera. I am looking for a digital that eventually will take an underwater housing. Any suggestions?

Sure. eBay yourself a retired dive housing that takes an older digital camera. Pay $50.

Then go eBay the matching camera that you have been researching at the same time.

Get the whole thing for $300 or less.

Look for 2 meg cameras, more than adequate for 5x7 prints. They're dirt cheap.

 

[devolution365]

Sure. eBay yourself a retired dive housing that takes an older digital camera. Pay $50.

Then go eBay the matching camera that you have been researching at the same time.

Get the whole thing for $300 or less.

Look for 2 meg cameras, more than adequate for 5x7 prints. They're dirt cheap.

I recently did just that and ended up with a 4MP Olympus C-5000 and housing for about $250. The Oly case is really nice. The camera has it's good points and it's bad. If you end up looking at a C-5000 PM me and I'll let you know what I like/don't like about it.

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

If you end up looking at a C-5000 PM me and I'll let you know what I like/don't like about it.

Why not just start a new thread and share your likes and dislikes??

 

[HowardE]

Sure. eBay yourself a retired dive housing that takes an older digital camera. Pay $50.

Then go eBay the matching camera that you have been researching at the same time.

Get the whole thing for $300 or less.

Look for 2 meg cameras, more than adequate for 5x7 prints. They're dirt cheap.

I agree. I did exactly the same thing with my original video housing... I bought the housing first, then found the camera that would fit it...