Digital Camera - For Land & Sea

[rcasey]

I have been shopping around for a digital camera for rec use and at some point want to buy an entry level dive camera. Then I thought why not find one that would do both.

Looking in the 3megapixil range. For land camera they are $300-$400. Also I would like to add a strobe at some point if that is an option. I am sold on Digital and will not consider 35MM because I already have one.

Is there such an animal or am I just kidding myself.

Thansk in advance, Ryan

 

[boney]

You can buy a digital camera and then buy a housing from someone like Ikelite. You can check out the site below.
They have stock housings for the models on the page so whichever digi cam you buy you'll want to make sure they have a housing for it...

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/1digital.html

I know strobes and the housing can be expensive... probably close to the same price as the camera... $300-$400...

 

[rcasey]

Thanks for the reply, I have been reading up all day and went to a couple of stores. I think I am going to step up and get a 4mp - Nikon Coolpix 4300, which I found for $350 on the net.

The housing from www.fantasea.com is $180

The strobe I am still reading up on. Looks like I've got to do this fiber-optic cable and velco thing to make it all work. Sounds kind of "ducktape solution" to me but not sure. So is this a good route to go or am I going the wrong direction?

Thanks, Ryan

 

[friscuba]

Hi there,

You have lots of options. Olympus makes housings for many of their digital cameras, as does Canon and Sony. I've been seeing some Minolta and Fuji housing out there also but I think the styles are limited to fit just a portion of their cameras.

The factory housings offered by the manufacturers of the cameras are small, fit the cameras like a glove, are relatively inexpensive (available for roughly $150-$250 online) and seem to able to access nearly all the functions the cameras have to offer. Most are rated for 120-130 foot depth, if you are looking deeper check into Ikelite.

There are lots of links in many of the older topics on this forum where you can check on housings.

Good luck and have fun,

Steve

 

[rcasey]

Good point and I am considering the Canon Powershot S400 which like you said has a manufacturer housing.

But what abou the strobe for digital cameras. I am searching right now int eh forums and might find my answer but will go ahead and ask. Are these strobes places in slave mode with the fiberoptic cable and everything a good idea?

 

[pggeek]

Ok for price I would go with the canon 230 (girlfriend has it and shoots underwater)or 400 both excelent camera and the manfacture makes a resionable case. Better than most aftermarket because ot fits the camera well, instead of buttons added to a box which usally gets big. Great above water cameras also.

If you want more than that go with the Olympus 5050 that is the most popular or I have a canon G5 but you can get the G3 now for about $400, I think it is better than the Olympus. The trouble is the case will run you more. Forget strobes there is just no cheap way a ds125 will run $600 the cheapest ds50 is about $400 I think you will find the built in flash is not to bad.

 

[HMan]

Fantasea Line will be launching its new housing for the Nikon Coolpix 3100 and 2100 in time for DEMA.

Announcements will be posted on the Fantasea website www.fantasea.com

We will also be releasing a new slave strobe and another 3 mpx
camera and housing and a lot of neat new photo gear.

Here is a recent gallery of images shot using the Fantasea CP-4 Housing with a Nikon Coolpix 4300 and a basic Nikonos SB 105 Flash

http://www.pbase.com/hman/red_sea_images&page=all