digital camera for christmas

[davehicks]

budcris once bubbled...
500 is as high as we can afford so i need the best that i can get for 500 i saw a samsung v4 with housing on ebay does anyone know anything about them

I have been using a Canon S40 with the Canon housing. This is very good, solid setup for a beginner and takes great photos! (See these recent Cozumel vacation photos)

http://home.mindspring.com/~davehicks/Cozumel2003/default.htm

You can buy a used S40 for around $300 on Ebay and a new housing is less the $150.


Dave

 

[pggeek]

My girlfriend uses a s230 it is a really nice basic point and shoot camera and small. We used it with the canon case underwater last week you can see some pics here.

http://www.programmergeek.com/Pics/2003Sept_KeyLargo_Flordia_Diving/Virginie's Pics/index.htm

This camera is nice because of it's size and quality of pics she keeps it in a bc pocket. Also it is just a nice carry around type camera. I also like the s400 but it is a bit more.

The 230 withthe case should run you in the $400 range.

The down side is limited manual controls. But for that you need to get into the g series or the c5050 much more money.

 

[DSR-3]

I too am on a limited budget of $500 (tip: don't buy a setup at the same time as you're buying a vacation...). I read through this forum, and a few others with an eye towards examples and results. Another good resource is http://www.digideep.com/
Here's what I ended up with
Olympus C-3020 $215 shipped - ebay refurb or used w/acc
Olympus PT-010 $209 shipped - ebay new
8ea Powerex 2200mAH NiMH & charger $70 shipped - nimhbattery.com
Total $494*
*The used camera came with an extra 128MB card, case, etc. and I'll probably get another 128MB backup ($40), ok a little over budget...
Another interesting option is the Canon A60/70 and Canon case, but I found so many good examples with the Oly that I went for it. First outing- Cozumel in 3 weeks! Good luck.
-Eric

 

[Former FLL Now MSP Diver]

With some diligent shopping online, you can get a Canon A70 and a Canon WP-DC700 housing for it under $500.

That will give you a new 3.2 mp camera with full manual control if you choose, and a housing good down to 130 ft, though there;s been reports of folks taking it deeper with no ill effects.

The extra bonus it that you also get a great land camera that fits in your pocket, takes cheap NiMH rechargeable AA batteries, and uses affordable CF memory.

I've been using mine for about 6 months now and love it.

If you want to wait and spend a few more dollars, the A80 with 4 mp is due out anytime.

Marc

 

[Clutchcargo]

I checked out the Oly C-5050 yesterday and compared it to the Canon S50. The Olympus is the clear winner, albit, it's $130 more.
It takes standard AA batteries (but still comes with rechargables) it feels like it's very well built and can shoot the raw format. The overall fit and finish are very nice. The canon in comparison feels kind of flimsey (especially the lens cover) and takes a proprietary battery, so if you're out in the middle of nowhere and the battery fails, you're screwed.
Thanks Dee for the idea to check out the C-5050. I'm going to newegg my order today for camera and housing.
Cjh

 

[Dee]

Good choice, Clutch. I've had my C-5050 for a couple weeks now and I'm still finding little secret things is does. I'm impressed with not only the results I'm getting but also the quality you mentioned. My C-4040 was no slouch and was very well made but this little bugger is a tank! You can just tell the difference when you hold one.

 

[Archangel]

http://www.thebaobab.com/Pages/TheSinai.htm

You can email me any queries.

A

 

[spike627]

How deep can you go with the C-5050 and what housing model should i get ? Does any one know were can I get it cheap? thx

 

[Dee]

spike627 once bubbled...
How deep can you go with the C-5050 and what housing model should i get ? Does any one know were can I get it cheap? thx

How deep you can take your camera depends on which housing you choose. The Tetra is metal and can go to 300+ ft but it's also $800. The Ikelite has a depth limit of 200ft for a price of $600. The Oly PT-015 has a depth limit of 130ft for a price of $150-300, depending on where you buy it.

I recently bought my C-5050 from Newegg.com (scroll down towards the bottom) for $579. They also have the PT-015 housing for $169. They pay the shipping so that's total prices. I had it in 3 days.

 

[norcaldiver]

Clutchcargo once bubbled...
for her Nikon 885. She hasn't tried it underwater yet, though and for what it's worth she doesn't like her Nikon.

Too bad, but don't let that turn you away from the newer Coolpix 4300. They're going out the door for $400 at Best Buy and uses the same housing. I LOVE mine. It's specs read nearly identical to the Oly 4000, plus I think it just FEELS betting in my hand, much more comfortable. With the monitor on, the battery only last about 90 minutes continuous, but upto 60 HOURS if you shut off the monitor when not using it. Press the button and the monitor is back on for picture taking, then press it again and the monitor is off and you're in standby. I've been playing with it and using it in manual mode in low light and have been able to get some really nice shots w/o the flash. Oly was the 1st to make affordable housings for their cameras so they have the lion's share of users, but I think Nikon is going to catch up real quick.