Which camera for first scuba camera?

[mmerriman]

epoque EHD-800 Ai Underwater Camera & housing kit | eBay $50 this is yours - camera and housing...

 

[KeithG]

To answer your other question: The g10 can trigger modern external strobes via fibre optical cables and also make use of video lights.

But I suggest that you do not focus on 1 specific camera. Instead of g10, think recent "obsolete" canon compact (g10, g12, ... g16). Then also consider compacts from other manufacturers. Skim online want ads to figure out what is available at what price point. $300 should easily get you started.

 

[Pullnglide]

IMO can't go wrong with a GoPro, just make sure to keep it updated. A Sealife is another good option if you ever decide to do lights/strobes. They can be purchased with them but doesn't sound like your looking for that at this point. Good luck in your choice!

 

[Bigeclipse]

To answer your other question: The g10 can trigger modern external strobes via fibre optical cables and also make use of video lights.

But I suggest that you do not focus on 1 specific camera. Instead of g10, think recent "obsolete" canon compact (g10, g12, ... g16). Then also consider compacts from other manufacturers. Skim online want ads to figure out what is available at what price point. $300 should easily get you started.

Would you rather have a g10 or a sea life?

 

[GreggS]

I have a Sea Life DC1400. It has both a land mode and underwater mode. It takes pretty good photos and video although the shutter may lag a little on photos if it senses that the flash is needed. My avatar was taken with it.

 

[Marie13]

If you just want to snap some shots and video and do not have plans to get more into underwater photography you may want to look into Nikons line of waterproof pocket cameras. Like: COOLPIX AW130 | Read Reviews, Tech Specs, Price & More

I have this camera and love it. Takes really nice out of water shots, too. I've used it once underwater so far, in really green quarry water. The only issue is that the buttons are small, which may create an issue if wearing gloves.

 

[dmaziuk]

Would you rather have a g10 or a sea life?

I have a sealife dc1400 and I've never really used a canon underwater.
- dc1400 is not as good out of the water as my old canons were,
- dc1400 does not do RAW. That matters if you get more serious about photoshopping your pictures.

Sealife has a new dc2000 with RAW (but no optical zoom) but of course there's price difference between that and a used "old gen" canon and housing.

Overall I'm quite happy with the dc1400, I think it's a great underwater compact. But if I were buying now I'd probably consider a nikon with gps tagging just so I could snap a pix topside and have the site's coordinates recorded. (Canon for some reason decided to ditch gps a while back and have wifi instead -- that's really useful on a boat in a middle of the Caribbean -- and in terms of picture quality etc. there's really hardly any difference between canon and nikon AFAIK. Esp. if you're shooting RAW and do your post-processing on a computer anyway.)

 

[KeithG]

Would you rather have a g10 or a sea life?

Neither. they both lack an "important to me" feature that crosses them off my list. But, they may be perfectly fine for other people who have different desires and a different feature list.

i suggest you continue to learn more so that you can form your own "must have feature list". then start looking for cameras that come close to your list. this WILL take several months. or you can buy something now, then learn in the field (often very frustrating) and then decide what you should have bought instead of what you got.

to get you started it may help to answer: what type of pictures do you want? happy snaps in 10 feet of clear caribbean water? serious close ups of small critters? or something else? very few cameras can do everything. very few photographers are interested (or capable) of everything.

gear for happy snaps can be cheap but are very limited. deep water nightime super macro is very difficult and the gear costs a bundle.

 

[stuartv]

Either, search for SJCAM action cameras on eBay and get a GoPro clone for $50, or, look in the classifieds here and on WetPixel.com and get a complete used rig for cheap. Or, look up Meikon housings, check which model cameras they have a housing for, and then catch a good deal on a camera that you can get a Meikon housing for. All the Meikon plastic housings are around $250. I have one that I am completely happy with, so far.

 

[Bubblesong]

If you are new to photography I suggest the following:
- read up on underwater photography
- buy an inexpensive "starter" kit
- learn more before you spend big $$$$

There are several online blogs / tutorials covering the basic aspects of underwater photography. Read them all. Make notes. Come here and ask questions.

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This is very good advice and I am hoping for recommendations for books that focus on underwater photography? The online does not work for me, plus I would like to give this as a gift to my family members. Recommendations?