New and need to decide what camera.....

Hi all,
I hope this is the correct place to post this thread, sorry if its not, but I wanted to ask ye what camera ye think would be a good camera to start underwater photography with. My budget is around 1000 for camera and housing and maybe up to 1300 if I'm getting or need a strobe. The least I can spend the better!! If I can get a good camera and housing for 500 al the better!! I want to take nice pics, to show to my family and impress friend etc. I hadnt any idea's really on which camera I should buy untill I started looking here. The Canon G9 sounds like it gets good reviews and I've been told the Fuji f50 is good too. Is there any other camera's that I'm missing on? I am impressed by the olympus 1030sw and other olympus camera in the sw range due to them being waterproof so if the housing does flood the camera is still ok. It'd also be handy on the dive boat!! However I believe I'll grow into the photography and was thinking I'd maybe be better off with a camera that can capture RAW images. To be honest I couldnt be further from making a decision as everytime I start to lean in the direction of one camera I see another or see its missing a feature I think might be useful etc. Is there any camera that anyone would advise me to get or against getting?? I'm getting into top side photography and I wanta be able to develop my underwater skills as my top side skills progress!! Any help or pointers would be very welcome. Thanks again!!

Oh and by the way I was hoping to get a camera I could fit in my BCD pocket if I dont have a strobe attached, so I can take it on most dives without having to worry about carrying it!!

Sent ya a PM

Hi Ben,

The only real option if you really want something that will fit a BC pocket is SeaLife's Eco Shot or Reef Master. Both are underwater cameras (the eco going to 75' the reefmaster 100+') that lack housings. They are really rugged and actually take pretty good pictures for such a small camera. You can add an external flash and wide angle lens although the camera would no longer fit your BC pocket then.

I had an Eco Shot and wasn't terribly impressed. Like I said image quality was good but the camera would lock up in about 45+' of water and the only way to reset it was to take the batteries out and replace them and of course you can't do that underwater. Also I found the external flash kit pretty shoddy as well.

I got rid of the SeaLife and purchased the Sea and Sea DX850G. It is a stand alone camera and housing (8.1 mp) but is smaller then many third party housings. The kit I got ran about 1200 bucks and came with the digital camera, rechargeable battery and charger, strobe kit, wide angle lens, optical cable, etc. It's a really superb unit and if you buy the kit it's all housed in a nice Pelican case.

Image quality on that model is pretty impressive, we used it in the Florida springs and the pictures turned out very nicely. The downside is all the accessories packed in the Pelican case is pretty heavy and with stringent airport guidelines it makes it tricky to take the whole kit.

Personally I like Sea and Sea's underwater imaging gear overall. I've never taken a third party camera and bought a housing for it. I know people that do and mix and match some very impressive (albeit expensive) imaging units - I just normally purchase a dedicated underwater camera from an underwater imaging company.

Underwater photography isn't as easy as many people think. In fact I call it the "dive destroyer" for new divers. They get underwater in a gorgeous new dive site and spend the whole dive spinning around like a jacka$$ trying to figure out their new camera and how to get better then average shots. The reality is it's not easy and takes lots of practice. A course in underwater photography would help boost your skill.

Also, photoshop skill is very important to make those pictures shine. I can't count the amount of pictures that were so-so when I first looked at them and rocked once I got them into Photoshop.

Hey BenLou, I will second the comments made about the Sea&Sea cameras. I've had 4 and been impressed with all 4. Click on my "view gallery" link and see the pics I took in Fiji with a Sea&Sea 8000G. I recently purchased the new DX-1G and you can see some pics I took with that camera in my Galapagos album. For less than $1000 you can get the DX-1G (camera and housing). It will cost several hundred more for a strobe. You can get the 8000G on ebay for a lot less. You could probably get an 8000G with a nice strobe for $1300 if you search on ebay.

That said, there are a lot of cameras in the price range you gave that will give you very good pics. I have seen pics taken with the G9 that are excellent as well.

If you have any questions, email me at jamescrew6@verizon.net

Regards,

Bill

I'd look at the Canon A series range or maybe something like the Fuji F30 (even though it has no manual controls).

When you add a strobe you aren't going to put this in your pocket so something that might be a tad larger won't hurt. Both of the above suggestions are also fabulous for land.

I picked up two Canon A 570IS cameras with Canon housings a couple months ago. Nice little units. I haven't tried to stick it in my bcd pocket, but I usually tuck it under an arm or in a shoulder strap of my bcd to secure it. Works for me and allows me to have it while also carrying my bigger rig.

Lots of ideas to suit your budget out there - have a bit of a look through the forum and subforums for some recent discussions and images from some of the more popular choices.

Have fun shopping!

BenLou, listen to what alcina says, she knows what she's talking about---& will not steer you wrong......look @ some of her work, absolutely 2nd to none.......

diver 85, those pictures are great! were you using an additional flash/strobe for those with your Canon A570? if so, which one?

BenLou,

Ditto on Alcina and diver 85's recommendation. The Canon "A" series with a Canon housing are a great way to get started.