Sea & Sea MX-10 w/ YS-40A strobe - GOOD or BAD?

I'm a newbie just getting started in UW photography. I've found a local photo shop that is selling a Sea & Sea MX-10 35mm Underwater Camera Kit w/YS-40A Strobe for $150.00. Price seems fine, but is it a good camera/strobe??

I know that I'll eventually go digital, so are there other options out there in a $300-$400 price range for camera & housing? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks for the help.

I don't think that you can put "$300" and "good" in the same sentence when you are talking about an underwater camera set up. I guess it all depends on your definition of "good."

On the other hand, $150 is a super cheap price for your first set up. It will give you some hands-on experience with an underwater camera and strobe. When you get frustrated with its limitations, you'll have enough experience to decide on your upgrade to a real underwater camera/strobe.

In my opinion, though, film cameras are totally obsolete for underwater photography. Underwater photography is a bit tricky at first (even for experienced photographers). Digital gives you immediate feedback regarding your exposure settings and technique, which allows you to reset the camera to get a better and better images immediately.

With film, you are going to pay $$$ for film and then get roll after roll after roll of terrible photos. The learning curve will be very flat since you can't see your results until after the film is processed. You probably won't get any good photos for the first 5 to 10 rolls of film. Then, once you get the hang of it, you MIGHT get one or two good photos per roll.

It's just not worth it, in my opinion. Go digital.

In it's day the MX-10 was a great camera and it still is capable of great shots. Problem is the cost of film and processing very quickly overshadows the extra cost of a $400-500 digital. Look at it this way, each roll you shoot is going to cost you at least $10-15. I use to shoot 8 to 10 rolls on every trip...my film/processing cost as around $100-150. I now shoot between 400 and 500 photos on a trip and my film/processing cost is zero. Add in the huge bonus benefit of instant viewing of your photo and being able to share them very cheaply with others. I think you can see the huge advantages of digital quickly overshadow the extra initial cost of a med priced digital.
Another issue with the MX-10 I suspect your LDS is not share with you is the Orings for that camera are getting very hard to find. I don't know of any place that still has them.
Now if you still want one, I have a well used but loved one that is collecting dust. I have the camera, flash, close-up lens, macro lens and several sets of Orings...$100 will get it all.

herman:

In it's day the MX-10 was a great camera and it still is capable of great shots. Problem is the cost of film and processing very quickly overshadows the extra cost of a $400-500 digital. Look at it this way, each roll you shoot is going to cost you at least $10-15. I use to shoot 8 to 10 rolls on every trip...my film/processing cost as around $100-150. I now shoot between 400 and 500 photos on a trip and my film/processing cost is zero. Add in the huge bonus benefit of instant viewing of your photo and being able to share them very cheaply with others. I think you can see the huge advantages of digital quickly overshadow the extra initial cost of a med priced digital.
Another issue with the MX-10 I suspect your LDS is not share with you is the Orings for that camera are getting very hard to find. I don't know of any place that still has them.
Now if you still want one, I have a well used but loved one that is collecting dust. I have the camera, flash, close-up lens, macro lens and several sets of Orings...$100 will get it all.

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Never a great camera IMO,@ best a good camera(S&S MM II came closer to that)......To the OP, get a digital setup--you're buying B&W TV technology now that color with built in DVR models are out & perfected.......Look @ a Canon A570IS & housing for under $300 US(Amazon.com).....The advantages of digital VS. film are huge & in a few trips the digital outfit will be eqaul in price if not less down the road(you're going to pay $10 or more for a processed roll of film & I promise you no more than 2 or 3 pictures will be fair to good----with the digital setup I described you probably get about 10 to 15 great shots with that same number)....Also, IMO $150 is overpriced for that old camera, I've got a S&S MM II with YS 50 strobe & WA lens that IF I got a chance to sell it for that much, I would feel good.......

It was a great beginner camera set up. Processing film gets to be expensive when you are ending up with 2 or 3 keepers per roll. I still have one also, I even use it every now and then with the wide angle lens. I also believe it should be less, I have seen them around 100$

diver 85:

Never a great camera IMO,@ best a good camera(S&S MM II came closer to that)......To the OP, get a digital setup--you're buying B&W TV technology now that color with built in DVR models are out & perfected

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I have to agree, the only divers I ever ran into that thought the MX-40 was a great camera or even a great beginner camera were either trying to sell it or had no experience with the Nikonus cameras. The MX-40 was a cheap U/W camera but unless you fancy underwater creative anachronist festivals don't bother with it today.

Even Nemrod has a digital camera!

adurso:

It was a great beginner camera set up. Processing film gets to be expensive when you are ending up with 2 or 3 keepers per roll. I still have one also, I even use it every now and then with the wide angle lens.

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Alas, the "2 - 3 keepers per roll" is so true! I'm a fairly talented amateur dry-land photographer, but despite a wonderfully complete Sea & Sea MMII EX film setup, complete with wide angle and macro lens and a high-power off-camera strobe, I get only a handful of 'keepers' per roll. It is very frustrating.

I know it's not the equipment, per se. I've seen incredible results from the above setup in the hands of the experienced. The challenge for me has always been feedback. I go on a trip, fill a bag with exposed film, head home to develop it and then and only then find out what worked and what didn't. Next trip, I may or may not remember why or what worked!


I need to take a deep breath, look aside when $$$ are totaled, and buy the gear to make one of my Nikon DSLRs a submariner!

I still use an MX-10 with YS-40A strobe. Agree with much of what's been said above, especially with regards film development costs. The reason I've not yet (!) gone digital is twofold:
1) lazyness
2) I really like the big flash that comes with this camera - it brings out the colours of the corals and fish so well (with none of that blue/green tinge you sometimes see with UW pics). A lot of the digital cameras I've seen being used for diving only have the little internal flash, which is fine for photos of close up nudibranches, etc, but not so good for wide angle coral scenes. I'm no photography expert, but I'm guessing a decent digital camera, with underwater housing and a good strobe will cost a fair amount...

It's an easy camera to use, just get about 1.2 to 3 meters (to be within range of the flash) from critter of interest and take a pic. Because its fixed focus you cannot get closer than 1m, otherwize the image is out of focus. I have MANY potentially great photos which are blurry, as I always get too excited and go too close..

In fact, over 90% of my pics are not so good, I just show the few which worked

Thanks to all of you for the info.....it rang loud and clear to avoid 35mm and go digital. I just got back from Staples where I bought the Canon A570IS for $129.00. I've also ordered the Canon WP-DC12 housing, so I'm on my way. See you in the Canon Corner on S'Board! Thanks again for all the info.

Jim

Bora_Horza:

I still use an MX-10 with YS-40A strobe.
...
In fact, over 90% of my pics are not so good, I just show the few which worked

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Oooh Awhhh ...the 10% are sure well done!