What kind of camera?

[LynnB]

We are going to Roatan in June and I really want to take pictures. I have not had an underwater camera before and want some info. What do you recommend that is easy to use and takes good pictures. Not looking for anything big or real expensive. HELP.. if you can i would appreciate it.
Lynn

 

[RonFrank]

You may want to define the term "real expensive"!

Canon makes some very nice camera's with UW housings. I would recommend that anything you look into has a housing available. If you want to go on the cheap, get a housing built by the manufacture vs. a third party housing. While the third party housings are generally better, they are also generally at least 2X the cost.

The Canon powershot G10 would be a great choice, but maybe a bit pricey, and not super compact. They also have S series and A series cameras that may have UW housings available. Those tend to have less features vs. the G series, but are more compact.

Nikon also makes some nice compact cameras. Again, check on housing availability and features before purchase.

IMO a good UW compact camera will have the ability to shoot in Manual mode, RAW is nice, and have a lens that is 28mm wide. Shutter lag is a big factor in these cameras, but maybe not something one has a lot of say in especially on a budget.

Most compact manufacture housings fall in the $200~$300 range, and the camera's run anywhere from $125~$450+. Ikelite housing generally run in the $500+ range for compacts. You may want to read about what other users are shooting on SB as a starting point.

Unfortunately without an UW flash, your shooting possibilities are somewhat limited. However my Avatar was shot with a Canon S70 in a Canon housing without a flash, so if you are doing shallow dives on sunny day good results are very attainable. Post processing is a MUST for most UW shots especially if shot without a flash. Software tools is an entirely different topic of discussion.

You may want to look at used equipment on Ebay if budget is a factor. Make sure you can find both the housing and camera if you are purchasing used. It's difficult to find new housings for discontinued camera's, and versa visa.

 

[TriMat]

This site helped me when I was deciding on which camera to get. I'm still new to underwater photography myself, so I might not be the best person to give advice, but the author lays out all of the option settings (for this specific camera) and gives a nice tutorial.

I was in the market for a "regular" above-water camera as well as one to use underwater, and went with the 8 megapixel Casio Exilim (z82). I've been happy with it so far. That + the underwater housing was around $300, but I've seen the price lower on this and later models since I got it last fall.

Point & shoot, pretty compact, not RAW.

Here's a resized pic I took with no post-processing, so it's still heavy on the blue / green. Cloudy day.
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/115233

Edit: When I was researching, I saw some people advising that some housings might not give you access to all of the camera features - so this might be something to watch out for.

 

[alcina]

Have you checked out the Sticky (follow the pink link in my sig) to get started?

To simplify things, I recommend (and use) the canon A series cameras with Canon housings. The Canon G series is also excellent. Both offer a full range of control and will let you grow at your own pace. Both have full auto modes if that's how you want to shoot. The A series are smaller and cheaper than the G series; the G series produces a better file but mostly it isn't that noticeable for web and small print uses.

There are zillions of options out there but the above two just don't let people down and they consistently still bring back the best images of any compact choices that I see on a regular basis.

If you want super small, the Canon SD range does a good job, but they do not have full manual controls so will be limiting down the line.

 

[JackConnick]

I like the new Olympus Stylus T-8000, as it is shockproof and waterproof to 33'. You can use the excellent PT-045 housing to go to 140'. It has 3 UW settings, and a lot of great shooting modes, so although fairly automatic in operation, I've found that you can use the preset modes to good effect. Most people get great shots with it right out of the box. As it is waterproof, you really can't flood it should you have an oops with the housing.

I also like the Nikon P5100 or Canon SD1100 in the Fantasea Housing. Great sharp lenses. Manual operation is available with the Nikon. The new SD1200 also fits the FD-770 housing for the SD-1100.

I have a couple of articles on my blog that may be of help.

Getting Started in UW Photography
Olympus PT-045

Jack

 

[RAWalker]

As said by others any underwater camera should at the least have the ability to shoot manually with manual white balance adjustment. I personally don't agree with the statement that RAW file data handling is needed.
Fuji F series cameras offer sensors with the widest color gamut available in a Point and shoot camera. Very good low light handling and just about any feature you'd need to develope your UW photo skills to the point where you may consider the need for a DSLR.
Also they offer their own brand housing that are highly reliable and well layed out.
Finally as you start to compare cameras in the compact P&S segment you notice that on a price to performance evaluation there may be a few with marginally better performance but at a much higher cost.
Also consider the size of some of the suggested cameras when they are in housings. when diving the camera size will increase the difficulty to manuver.

 

[marcaumarc]

Here are some photos I took in Roatan earlier this year with a Canon SD1000 (since replaced by the SD1100), Canon housing, Sea & Sea DX27 strobe and the inon wide angle lens:

Roatan Favorites - January 2009 - a set on Flickr

This was the first time I was using the strobe, so I wasn't that good at it, but overall it's a really affordable setup, relatively small and easy to use. By the time I went to St. Martin a month later, I was already quite a bit better with the strobe and whatnot:

SXM - Feb 2009 - Favorites - a set on Flickr

Probably any current P&S with the manufacturer's housing would be just as good if not better.

I will probably get a DSLR setup this year, but I would imagine I would still bring my current gear for days when I didn't want to lug around a big camera.

 

[marcaumarc]

One other thing...

Before I started using my strobe, I thought it would be really unwieldy. It does feel somewhat awkward and heavy on land, particularly compared to the camera in housing which is still almost pocketable for the little Canons. I found that once I was underwater it really didn't matter at all. If you aren't using your arms for swimming anyway, it's not a big deal to hold a camera rig that doesn't really weight anything underwater.

 

[RonFrank]

Also consider the size of some of the suggested cameras when they are in housings. when diving the camera size will increase the difficulty to manuver.

Regardless of the weight/size of the camera topside, UW size and weight don't matter that much. Most are neutral to slightly negative. I can clip off my DSLR, fold up the arms, and really not notice it much. Larger cameras/housings have controls that are better laid out to begin with vs. smaller models and UW I find that makes larger cameras easier to control. On my DSLR most things I need to change/set are controlled by one external button, easy to select. Many basic controls on compacts are in menus, and are harder to access and change.