DC1400 or S95 or S100

[Oldbear]

I once again am finding myself in the market for a new "Recreational" Dive Camera. I lost my DC1200 Friday in the Persian Gulf...but that is another story.

I read some posts on the DC1400. Sealife has made some improvements to the DC1200 and the DC1400 is highly recommended. Equally impressive are the Canon S95 & S100 (the G Models are just a little bit more than I really want to pay for a compact camera, but still descent cameras).

On a few SB posts it was mentioned that the S100 was not better than S95, but I think that was mainly for adding external wide angle lens and filters to the housings. This is more technical than I really want to get. I enjoy manually adjusting the white balance and that is about as technical as I really want to get as I am doing well with that. Maybe use the RAW file storage for future editing would be nice. I am looking at that for the future. I have a S90 (or I should say my daughter NOW has commandeered my S90) and I like the qualities of UW pictures we get with it and it is very versatile and enjoyable land camera.

Has anyone compared two or all three cameras, Seallife's DC1400, Canon's S95 & S100? Right now I am leaning towards the DC1400, but I would love to hear from someone more knowledgeable then me.

Thanks Bubble-blowing Shutterbugs, :uwphotographer:

~Michael~

 

[Interceptor121]

A few reviews are on underwater photography guide
SeaLife DC1400 review of the underwater camera & housing|Underwater Photography Guide
Best Underwater Cameras 2012, compact options | Bluewater Photo & Video

The sea life DC1400 seems the easiest to use but also the lowest performer

 

[Oldbear]

Interceptor121,

Thanks for the great articles...I am liking the Canons better and better. I knew my S90 was a great camera, but now I think the S95/100 would make a better choice than the Sealife DC1400.

I might even give the G12 another look.

Thanks,

~ME~

 

[Gilligan]

Interceptor121,
I might even give the G12 another look.
~ME~

If you are not using an external strobe I would not consider the G12. The length of the lens tunnel on the Canon housing using the built in strobe impairs the macro photos if you get too close. The strobe, even with the supplied diffuser, cannot distribute even light on the photo. You end up with a darker area in the lower right of the photo. This is much less of an issue on the S90 and S95 because they have shorter lens tunnels as shown in the below photo. I can't speak for the S100 but it does have more zoom than the S90 and S95 so it will likely have a longer lens tunnel on the housing.
An external strobe is a must on the G12.
I have both a G10 and a G12 in Canon housings with an external strobe.

 

[Oldbear]

Gilligan,

Thanks for your advise. After doing some more research, I am once again leaning back towards the S95. On B&H I found some used S95s for $200+ and I am still on the fence on the housing just yet. I like the Recsea...just have to decide if my usage will warrant the cost. I just want a good Rec camera.

Overall, I am pretty sure that whether I choose a used S95, a new S95 or S100, I will be happy with the Canon.

~ME~

 

[Rumrunner_1492]

I was in the same boat as you and ended up going with the Canon S100 with the Ikelite housing. I couldn't be happier with the choice. I wanted a setup that I could grow with. I felt the Sealife was a fine camera but it was lacking when it came to expandability and functionality. That was just my impression.

 

[Oldbear]

I found the S100 at Best Buy for around $389; about $100 less than most sites. I too think that the Ikelite is the best value for me. Expandable, yet middle of the road in price. Plus I still have my S90 that my daughter borrowed a year ago.

 

[Scuba_Noob]

The DC1400 will cost you much less than the S95/S100 and its housing (also, the Sealife strobes are cheaper). However, the DC1400 does not shoot RAW images (i.e., the camera will "pre-process" images before actually saving them). The S95/S100 can shoot numerous types of images (including the "unprocessed" RAW file) and offers a lot more optimization, using a variety of manual modes to change the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Also, depending on the housing, you may have more options than the DC1400 with lenses.

You mention that you want a simple camera. If so, the DC1400 is the way to go, and Sealife has amazing customer service, from what I've heard. I've seen some amazing photos with the Sealife cameras.

I decided on the S95 because I considered the possibility that I'd eventually want more customization as my photography skills improved and my goals shifted. Ask yourself what are your goals in photography and if they're going to change in the future. Will you eventually want to have even more control over the types of photos you shoot and more options to adjust a photo afterwards? It would be cheaper to get one camera and housing, as opposed to buying another because your first camera doesn't match your new goals.

Here's a review of the DC1400: http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/sealife-dc1400-review - Apparently, there are some limited manual options for the DC1400 and a possibility of a wide-angle lens in the future. The macro capabilities also are good.

 

[rickthompson]

I got the S100 and Ikelite housing and I'm loving it. The only problem I'm having now is that I'm trying to find a strobe for it, which is a little difficult because I guess the Ikelite housing doesn't have a fiber optic port by the flash to slave the strobe. Can anyone here help me with that? I would like a strobe I can grow with so I've been looking at Sea&Sea and Inon. Any recommendations?

 

[mjh]

The Sea&Sea YS01 is a very popular strobe for this camera. If you want one you can "grow into" the new D1 looks promising but of course no one has shot it yet underwater and we are still waiting for a firm delivery date, but max guide number of 32 in a strobe "smaller" than the 110a.