Sea & Sea DX-1200 HD for first time purchaser?

[MikeSK]

Did they happen to say what it was at all? Firmware update, design change, etc etc. Just curious. I'm going to (hopefully) be buying all new gear this year and this system is on my shortlist cause i really prefer packages that are meant to work together.

 

[Hedgehog52]

I am on my second DX-1200HD and have not experienced the problem of the camera locking up or overheating with either of them. The first one flooded due to my own negligence after several hundred photos while the second one has taken approximately 400 photos so far with no problem. I do carry a spare battery as it will eventually run down if you are shooting lots of pics although it does give some advance warning that the battery is low.

 

[slowhands]

I would definitely not recommend this product for purchase. This product is officially discontinued by Sea&Sea after a short life; many problems reported.

Sea & Sea USA - Underwater Photography Cameras & Video

There have been many reports here of it not working, when taken to depth. Service and support by Sea&Sea to resolve this problem have been ineffective. The actual camera was marketed by a UK company, ERGO, made in China as the Ergo 1200HD, rebranded Sea&Sea. It is virtually impossible to get spare parts for Ergo products.

The current DX-2G product has a Sea&Sea housing and a much better camera made by Ricoh, the GX200 (which is discontinued unfortunately). Ricoh is a highly regarded maker of cameras, printers and faxes, often selling under other brand names such as HP. Based on Ricoh's track record, it's a much safer bet.

I would expect the DX-2G to be ripe for discontinuance too, simply because the underlying camera is discontinued. So do your research on what's available and recently introduced. Beware of products that have been out for 2 years or more, because they will be headed for discontinuance soon.

 

[ltcmiller]

I've had mine since they first came out and started this thread I think. The camera had an issue when it first came out and I got them to fix it. I use a Nikon D5000 wit macro lens in Ikelite housing with two strobes. I carry my 1200HD in my BC gear pocket to get in tight sometimes (like the frog fish). Get a strobe when you can, even for shallow diving. Also, wide angle lens for more reef shots. I'd make sure I have the wide angle before the stobe if dollars are an issue. But if you go more than 60ft down you are going to need a stobe for really good pictures.