Tell me about Sealife cameras..

[louxwe]

I agree that it is not as professional as some of the more advanced set ups but with a little practice and getting used to it you can take stunning pictures. I included a link to some of the pictures I recently took.

louxwe's latest photos slideshow on Flickr

If you do some good bargin hunting on the inernet you can find a great deal that will be far less than the fancier rigs. Unless you want to be a professional photographer I would stick with the point and shoot. Cheaper, easier to use, and high enough quality that you can get great pictures with very little photoshopping.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Recent photos taken with the DC600 Pro Series (Standard lens)

This was 2' from the surface while waiting for the boat to pickup

Inside a wreck

The original...

The zoom...

Beautiful!!!!

 

[crab lover]

I had a Sealife DC500 full package (strobe, carrying case, base) and once the housing flooded, you can't find just a replacement camera. I would say to go the way I have now, buy separate camera and housing, so that if the housing ever floods, you can just get a new camera and not an entire new setup.

I like my Olympus Stylus 750. It has an "all-weather" exterior, so that even if you get a teaspoon of water in the housing, all is not lost (trust me, I've done it a couple of times and had a big sigh of relief when the camera still functioned). The macro is not so hot, but it seems to be the same macro most of the Olympus cameras have.

 

[diver 85]

I had a Sealife DC500 full package (strobe, carrying case, base) and once the housing flooded, you can't find just a replacement camera. I would say to go the way I have now, buy separate camera and housing, so that if the housing ever floods, you can just get a new camera and not an entire new setup.

I like my Olympus Stylus 750. It has an "all-weather" exterior, so that even if you get a teaspoon of water in the housing, all is not lost (trust me, I've done it a couple of times and had a big sigh of relief when the camera still functioned). The macro is not so hot, but it seems to be the same macro most of the Olympus cameras have.

And I use macro over 80% of the time---it is always on, I take it off when I decide not to use it...........GEAUX TIGERS...........

 

[crab lover]

Well, I do use the macro all the time on mine too. It's just that on the Olys for the regular "macro" to auto focus, you need to be at least 1ft away from the subject, but you still get the flash and the housing has a built in diffuser. If you use the "super-macro" setting, you can get closer to the subject, but no flash. For a "point and shoot" I guess the macro is pretty good, but my surface camera is a SLR wannabe and I am really used to the macro on it.

Compared to the DC500, the Oly is a much better camera in my opinion (even with the macro issues). So, if it's a decision between a Sealife and another brand, I would say another brand because of the replacement issues I stated before. Also, i dive with 2 other people who use the exact same Oly setup as mine and get really great pics.

 

[Jim Ernst]

As othere's have said ....

I too feel you can do better for the same or less money, I have not had any experience with the newer models but I did buy the pro kit and I was very unhappy with the entire ordeal!!

Long story but it was a very big waste of money.

Maybe it was the photographer

 

[BHB ScubaTroll]

How do you do that?

Menu...
Scene Mode...
Ext. Flash

 

[tstormdiver]

Thanks I found it. I'll try it out once I get the strobe back from repair (dropped the set up & broke the strobe platform).

 

[shakespear]

I had a Sealife DC500 full package (strobe, carrying case, base) and once the housing flooded, you can't find just a replacement camera. I would say to go the way I have now, buy separate camera and housing, so that if the housing ever floods, you can just get a new camera and not an entire new setup.

I like my Olympus Stylus 750. It has an "all-weather" exterior, so that even if you get a teaspoon of water in the housing, all is not lost (trust me, I've done it a couple of times and had a big sigh of relief when the camera still functioned). The macro is not so hot, but it seems to be the same macro most of the Olympus cameras have.

Someone said in another thread that Sealife guarntees their cameras if the housing floods and would replace them.

Is this not the case?

 

[crab lover]

From the instruction manual:

"Limited Warranty
This product will be replaced or repaired free of charge within 1 year from the purchase date in the case of a
manufacturing defect, if the complete defective product is sent freight prepaid at the at the sender’s risk to:
Pioneer Research, 97 Foster Road, Suite 5, Moorestown, NJ 08057 or to the importer in a different country.
Contact your local authorized SeaLife dealer who can assist you with returning cameras to the SeaLife service
center or make basic repairs. Contact the service center to obtain a return authorization # before shipping
product. Include a letter describing the damage or defect, your return address (no PO Box), daytime phone #
and a copy of the original purchase receipt or proof of purchase with the purchase date. Excluded are any
consequential damages, cosmetic damages, damages to products which show abuse, non-conformance with
the instructions, particularly water damage due to a damaged O-ring or removed O-ring or any particles
wedged between the housing and the O-ring, or tampering and attempted repair of the product. Excluded are
scratches on lenses or damaged lens coatings. Products used in rental operations are excluded from this
warranty."

The reason for the flooding was a cat hair on the o-ring, thus voiding the warranty. Operator error, very expensive operator error. But humans make mistakes and that's why I say it's easier to replace a just the camera instead of having to replace the whole setup.

And I am sure if I were to contact Sealife, they would have sold me just a camera, but I am happier with my new setup.