I the Sealife DC 300 worth the money?

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divrnr

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Messages
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Location
Scottsdale AZ
# of dives
500 - 999
I am thinking of buying the Sealife DC 300 fo a trip to oz in March. What do you think? thanks, Joe.
 
I think you'll be better off with an Olympus or Canon set up. Better cameras, more bang for your buck, expandable if you want to go past point and shoot.
 
Joe,

I don't know how experienced a shooter you are. I've been diving a long time and done a lot of point and shoot. I'm more diver than shooter. I recently bought a DC 310 and am very pleased with the camera. It has the advanced housing and I got a strobe and lenses/filters etc. I think the only difference between the 300 and 310 is the housing configuration. You may wish to compare the two. The 300 will be initially more user friendly, but lacks ability to change multiple settings underwater. If you are not looking to publish, the 3.3 MP results are very good. On the other hand, the 300 would be a great camera for a trip to OZ!!

Regards
 
Both Dee and Cuda have raised some good points: what are your objectives for the camera? If you want excellent optics and topside use, the Olympus and Canon cameras with their relatively inexpensive housings are unbeatable for the price. They're also good for getting prints above 5"x7", sometimes to poster size. However, they've got a lot of buttons to fiddle with underwater, and if your purpose of shooting shots u/w is just to show your friends via email or 4"x6" prints some of the neat critters you've seen, then the SeaLife cameras should do fine for you. My first u/w camera was a SeaLife 100 (1.3 megapixel). It was simple to use underwater, and the bayonet mount lenses were easy to use as long as you "focused" properly with the distance wand. I took the photo of the goatfish and butterflyfish in my avatar with the SL 100. After about 6 months of getting used to taking u/w photos and improving, I was ready for an upgrade, so went with the PT-010 Olympus housing ($190) to house my D-3000 and now D-4000. These cameras have way more functions, and if you're not familiar with them on land you'll have even more taskloading underwater.
 
yes just for emails and showing people online not a avid photog but wanted something better than the little underwater point and shoots. I might get the strobes but all my pics will usually have someone in them. And I definitely want 3mp for just in case printouts of regular size pics.
 
I have had this camera for 4 months. Good picture but it keeps leaking thru one of the buttons on the back. Sealife has replaced it each time but after the warranty period I don't think they will..... :frown2:
 
I had one (it floated away from me on a recent night dive) ... I thought it took great pictures underwater, but I was not real impressed with it on land.
Still, it was a great starter camera... very reasonably priced (remember the price INCLUDES the housing).

My replacement though, is going to be a Cannon A70 ... a little more expensive by the time I get a housing, but I really think it takes much better photos (plus the zoom function).

All0in-all though, I think you'll be pleased with the sealife
 
I have a Reefmaster film camera which I really liked, but if you want to go digital, I think it is worth the extra money to go with an Olympus or similar set up. I got an Oly 4040 with the PT housing thinking it would just be for underwater, but I love the camera for land as well now too.
 
divrnr:
I am thinking of buying the Sealife DC 300 fo a trip to oz in March. What do you think? thanks, Joe.

never really seen any photo's from them, but from what i have heard you are better off paying the little extra and going for a high street name like Olympus, Canon, Fuji etc.

I would stick with a big gun rather than a new to the digital market camera.

you will get way more functionality and although you say you will only use it for point and shoot stuff, i guarantee once you get a digital you will use it all the time and before you know it you will have out grown it.

so my advice would be to get the best camera in terms of price, picture quality and functionality that you can afford.

like the old saying goes, buy cheap you buy twice, i doubt that there is not one person on this board (myself included .... saving for my 4th digital now) that hasn't bought a camera and then upgraded within a relatively short period of time (a year or so, or sometimes quicker).
 
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