what camera to get

[boondocksaint]

hi all i am a noob and am looking to get a uw camera and i have $800.00 to spend what should i get i was thinking of a SEA & SEA DX-750G 5.1 with the SEA & SEAYS-15STROBE

 

[Nomad]

You might want to compare it with the SeaLife DC500. It is also available with all kinds of strobes and stuff, in the same price range you mentioned.

 

[f3nikon]

Look around before you buy, you will find that the Olympus "C" series (5050,5060,7070,8080) dominates the point and shoot class for underwater use. I hope that the SP-350 Olympus can pick up from there because the "C" series has been discontinued.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=133944

 

[mike_s]

hi all i am a noob and am looking to get a uw camera and i have $800.00 to spend what should i get i was thinking of a SEA & SEA DX-750G 5.1 with the SEA & SEAYS-15STROBE

If I had to choose between the DC500 (Reefmaster) and the DX750G (Sea&Sea), I'd go with the DX750G. It's a little cheaper w/o the strobe and a little more with the strobe, but it's a lot more camera in my opinion than the DC500. The DC500 also seems to have had a lot of production quality problems with their firmware, battery life, white balance, autofocus, lockup etc, which might be all fixed by now.

The DC500 also uses a battery that is designed for that camera. Therefore you have to charge that battery "in" the camera instead of just swapping out for fresh AA's. You can buy a 2nd optional battery and optional "out of camera" battery charger, but it's more hassle and expense in my opinion, especially since you have to have a AA charger in addition for it's flash also.

You can compare the two cameras and their average pricing here.
http://www.divesports.com/IndexPages_Cat/cameras_cat.htm

 

[alcina]

Also expand your search a little to the Canon A or S series as well as those above. Compare a bit and see which system you think you would use more- both on land and in the water

Ask questions and look around the forum here for recent discussions on various models.

 

[Trinigordo]

I was in your boat recently, but I decided on the Olympus Stylus 600. I am enjoying it very much as well.

 

[boondocksaint]

can you add strobes to these other camera? is there a need for a strob? like i said i am a compleet noob that is why i am looking for a package that comes with everything i need

 

[alcina]

Yes, you can. But you choose your strobe and arms etc to suit your needs instead of buying a complete package that the company has put together for you.

 

[f3nikon]

I still think this is the best value for anyone starting off.

http://cgi.ebay.com/OLYMPUS-PT-019-...600085479QQcategoryZ50506QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Olympus-CAMEDIA...599279557QQcategoryZ48542QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I know they are still bidding but I have seen the Olympus housing go for $50.00 and the C-5000 for $150.00.

I can't find my last post on this subject. But I have tried this camera on land, the C-5000 is like a strip down version of the C-5050. A non metal body compared to the 5050 (the underwater housing will protect anyway) full manual mode, super macro and a hotshoe on both cameras. I believe both cameras use the same chip at 5mp.

The Olympus housing has all the controls and the housing lens port is made of real optic glass on both, not plastic (I think why the C-5050 takes some great pictures)

 

[Mustangfreak]

$800 eh? Get the Canon S80 with Canon WP-DC! housing. Thats less then $800.