need advice

i currently use a reefmaster (sealife ) camera, it has done me well as a beginner camera but it is beggining to get anoying to have to use the different macro lenses as well as the wand (it scareds the fish away)
i am considering getting the olympus stylus 500 with the olympus housing and using the strobe i currently have on the reefmaster

the camera and housing will cost about $550, im not trying to get published in a magazine i just want nice macro point and shoot pictures,
is this a good choice or is there better for the same price range?

also, what is ttl strobe?

r&wc:

i currently use a reefmaster (sealife ) camera, it has done me well as a beginner camera but it is beggining to get anoying to have to use the different macro lenses as well as the wand (it scareds the fish away)
i am considering getting the olympus stylus 500 with the olympus housing and using the strobe i currently have on the reefmaster

the camera and housing will cost about $550, im not trying to get published in a magazine i just want nice macro point and shoot pictures,
is this a good choice or is there better for the same price range?

also, what is ttl strobe?

Click to expand...

I'm sure that camera will suit your macro needs. Is your Reefmaster camera a digital camera? The strobe has to be compatible with the pre-flash on digital cameras. You may also want to take a look at the Fuji 810 and its housing or the Ikelite housing for it. It is a 6.3 megapixel camera in that same price range.

A true TTL strobe is hard wired to the housing and fires based on the cameras settings. The camera you are entertaining is not capable of that nor is the Fuji 810. You have to step up to a more expensive camera and housing for that as well as a more expensive strobe.

r&wc:

also, what is ttl strobe?

Click to expand...

TTL is "Through The Lens" It means there is a light sensor inside the camera that "looks" out through the lens while the shutter is open and controls the brightness (actuallythe duration) of the flash. Good TTL systemmake use of the strobe automatic.

You will not find TTL on a low -end point and shoot digital camera You willl be using the flash in manual mode. Also be sure and check if youre strobe can be triggered by the camera you want to buy.

What _exact_ make and modle strobe do you have.

the camera i am currently using is a sealife dc310 with the sl960 strobe

i am now considering getting sealife's new digital strobe as an inexpensive way to upgrade my strobe a little

for my purpose i guess i dont need ttl strobe, ive actually been very pleased with some of the pics ive gotten from the reefmaster, my only problem with it is that it is a bit of a pain to set up for a macro shot having to snap on different lenses for different distances, and of course the fact that the stupid almost always scares the fish

the stylus 500 seems to overcome those things with the autofocus which the reefmaster doesnt have at close range

oops ^stupid wand^