Suggestion needed for budding "teen" photographer

Hi Gang-
I hope this is the right forum for my question, if not, you can simply vote me off the island.
My 15 year old son has been diving with us for about three years and keeps wanting to take pictures UW. At first I wouldn't let him dive with a camera in hand because I needed him to focus on what was going on around him. Now, he's gotten better at staying with his buddy and refraining from darting after everything "cool" that he sees.
Recently, we got one of those useless $25 throw away cameras in Cozumel that was supposed to take pictures down to about 90 feet. We never got further than 80 feet and not a single picture processed.
He's got a birthday coming up, and we thought we'd buy him a "starter" camera for the next trip. I nearly lost my mind when I saw how much money divers spend on gear, (myself included), but I was never prepared for what photographic equipment costs.
Is there a decent basic camera I can buy so that for the next couple of years he can capture a halfway decent pictures UW when there is good sunlight and good vis?
I was hoping to find something for a few hundre bucks. After all, he's a teenager, and more than memories, I think he'd like to show his friends the nurse sharks, lobster, morays, etc. Bragging rights, and all that.........
If he really wants to get into photography, he'll have to wait a few years until he has a job and then save for the good stuff. Until then, I'd like to give him an affordable option. Not looking to win any photo contests here, or shoot pictures at night, just the basics.
Digital, film, I don't care. Just would like to keep it less than a mortgage payment if I can. If not, he'll have to just draw pictures of what he saw during the surface intervals.........
Thanks for any ideas you may have.
Susanumpkin:

Do you already have a point and shoot digital camera around the house? There are a variety of underwater housings for such cameras which would be a "relatively" cheap option. Another option would be the Sea and Sea underwater digital cameras. You can get one for a "few" hundred dollars and can easily add strobes, etc. in the future if you want. Just my 2 cents.

Look at the Olympus SP-350. It's in the $250 range and it's housing is around $150. I heard rumors Cosco had it for $200. Add another $100 for accessories (gift from grandparents???) like digital media and a case. It is quite capable of very good photos both UW and above. You will want to go digital even if it cost a little more. The cost of film and processing very quickly eats up any saving a film camera may give you and the instant feedback available with the digital camera makes improving his skill a lot quicker.

Thanks Herman- I wish I had read that before I jumped at a camera! I think I did okay though. I found a Sea & Sea MX-10 with a strobe on Amazon for $139. and jumped at it.
After reading debersoles post (also good avice) I went internet hunting and found the Sea & Sea at Leisure Pro for $179 and then on Amazon for about the same.
Lucked out because there was I guy on Amazon Marketplace who had bought the camera and never used it other than to check the box contents, and so it was really "new" for $139. bucks. No tax and for $143. total it's being shipped to my door.
The wide angle lens and sports viewfinder are things I'll want to pick up later but I figure sooner or later someon's camera will crap out and they'll list the accessories on ebay. As far as film and developing, it won't be too bad because right now we only bring the kids along to dive once or twice a year. If he loves the picture thing, he can start saving his money for a digital while I save for his college!
Anyway, I figured $143. was cheap enough to take a chance that once he does it he won't get bored with it and move onto something else.
History tells me that this camera has a good chance of winding up in the same corner with the golf clubs, the guitar, the karate bag, and the "used once" telescope.......
We'll see............

Since you have the MX-10 here are a couple of tips. The close up lens and macro lens do a really nice job and a lot cheaper than the wide angle lens. I perfer close up/macro shots myself. The YS-40 strobe does not pack enough punch to be an effective in wide angle shots IMO. The MX-10 is a really rugged little camera and is quite capable of great shots. A really great book on the Sea and Sea cameras is "The New Guide to Sea and Sea" by Liburdi and Sherman. It's out of print but you might can find one. It will explain everything you ever want to know about the MX-10, it's strobe and lenses.

Just a quick follow up- as I said, I got the camera and strobe for $139. but then when I tried to buy the 20mm wide angle, it was more than the camera. Lucked out, found a guy on ebay who had the same camera bundled with the 20mm wide angle, close up lens, pelican case, a few new o-ring sets, and the lanyard along with the camera and strobe and scooped it all up for $91 bucks. The guy says the camera is in excellent shape, but I bought it just to get all the other stuff and now I have an extra camera and strobe!
Happy ending for sure, and although I haven;t found the book, I did find an instructional video for the MX-10 so that will have to work for now and I'll keeep scoping for the book!
Thanks again, I'll let you know how it all works
Susan

Hi! If you look at the pink link in my signature you might some useful tips - even though you are going to be shooting film instead of digital

Have fun!!

The New Guide to Sea & Sea

Susan,

They have the book at Amazon.com. It will be money well spent. With only 24 or 36 shots on each roll of film/dive, your son will want to have a good idea of how to handle the camera. The book gives specific settings and techniques for each lense. I used to have an MX-10. It took very good shots. I paid a lot of money only to sell it at a big loss a year later when I went digital. You got a good price on the camera.

David

susan6868:

If he loves the picture thing, he can start saving his money for a digital while I save for his college!

Click to expand...

Here's a tip, buy him the digital and make him pay for his own college--you're getting the better end of the deal that way

Good luck with your new camera! If you have access to a pool the two of you might get in and take some pictures to give him a feel of what different distances look like underwater. EX: You are 2 feet away from him, hold up two fingers and have him take the picture. Same thing at 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, etc. That way he'll have a better idea about how far away an object might be underwater.
Ber :lilbunny:

For film cameras, try using photoshop or another comptuer program to edit your pictures. Even film pics can be edited if you scan them or get electronic copies when you get them developed. You might be able to salvage some pics you thought were worthless if you are just interested in documenting what you see and not trying to create art pictures.

This company can do amazing things to underwater pictures:
http://www.dalelabs.com/
You can send them the film or upload digital pics to them and they do a special underwater printing process.