Gilligan
Contributor
The top end of the point and shoot is the Canon G12 which is about $500. The Canon housing is about $200 and the Ikelite housing is $600 or an aluminum housing for $1200. A strobe would be about $300-$1000. So you can get the whole thing for about $1000-$2700. The advantage of a point and shoot is that you are not wedded to one lens like you are for a DSLR.
By the way, Gilligan takes superb photos and is a minor expert on this subject. You might want to go to his web site and look at his photos. As I said, he is good. He is worth listening to. I prefer the G12 to the S95. The G12 is better at macro (closeups). Closeups work well underwater because many of the small critters will just sit there for you. Also in underwater photography, you want to keep the amount of water between you and your subject at an absolute minimum. Macro fits the bill well.
You will want to shoot RAW. JPEG is a file system that many cameras use. The camera looks at the object and processes the information and stores it as a compact JPEG file. RAW files store all of the information that hits the cameras sensor. It allows you far more ability to correct the white balance (which is critical underwater) and to get detail from shadows and highlights.
You will want a strobe. At even 15', virtually all the reds are gone. Red light is absorbed fast in water. A red fish at 30' does not look red. A strobe will replace the colors again. At greater depths like 80', everything is either blue or green. There are no reds, yellows, oranges and so on. Strobes are essential.
Thanks for the compliment.
I too prefer the G over the S camera. After having used a borrowed S90 here I still prefer my G10 (hope Canon can repair mine). I have made the decision to get a G12 and Canon housing when I get back to the USA next week as a backup to my G10.
I will say I think the S90 and S95 are better suited for add-on wet mount lenses in non-Canon housings as they have less zoom than the G ones therefore having less vignetting with a wide angle lens. The S90 and S95 in Canon housings are also better suited for use without an external strobe than the G cameras in Canon housings due to their shorter housing lens tunnels which interfere less with close-up macro shots.
I am satisfied with the Canon housing and an external strobe and no wet mount lenses so the G cameras are my favorite.