Can anyone recommend a point and shoot u/w system?

[rickthompson]

Looking for inexpensive point and shoot w/ housing + strobe. I would like to keep the total cost under $750 and would prefer if the camera supported RAW capture...

 

[thejamez]

Looking for inexpensive point and shoot w/ housing + strobe. I would like to keep the total cost under $750 and would prefer if the camera supported RAW capture...

not getting anything new at that cost other than the sealife, which has no RAW. Try looking for something gently used.

 

[tstormdiver]

Intova has a set-up that falls within that realm. Ikelite may also still have such a system.

 

[edclee]

I have a Cannon Elph 100 and the cannon housing and an Intova torch that doubles as a dive light. It is rechargable and I can make two one hour dives and leave it on ALL the time during the dives. The torch comes with all the mounts, but you will need to get a flex arm (cheap). It has autofocus, zoom, auto-exposure, and takes both stills and videos. I have less than $500 in the whole thing, and I can use the camera all the time. While there is no strobe, with the light you dont need the strobe. I can take a macro of a peterson shrimp and fill the frame (focusing down to about an inch).
Ed

 

[dna77054]

Looking to find something for a friend, I ran across this

Bonica SONY DSC-W350 w/Housing, G8-B Strobe, Travel Bag

You would need to look at the specs of the camera and the strobe, but it is a complete system for $650. Please note that I have no affiliation with that company, nor have I purchased from them before. Be careful that you do not end up with a camera that has an internal battery. You want to be able to switch batteries during the day, not recharge the whole camera.

Also ask yourself if you want to be able to expand with wet lenses and if whatever you are considering supports wet lenses.

 

[JIsgren]

I am selling a Panasonic ZS-7 with the Panasonic underwater housing. The housing is very new and has only been on two dives last month. The camera does not have RAW, but you can set a manual white balance. I got some pictures in Belize and Roatan with this set-up. I do not have a flash, but you could add something like the Fantasea Line Double Ray set and still be within your budget.

I am asking $400 for the two including shipping to Continental US.

I will be putting this in the classified section tonight with pictures.

 

[buton]

Well, because of the price is kind of difficult, check for a canon camera where you can install CHDK and you will be able to take raw pictures..I did it on my old sd600 and it worked great.. I have a sea life strobe for 200 USd if you need one...

 

[rickthompson]

Thanks for all the tips! I've been doing a lot of research myself and I think I'm going to splurge and go with a Cannon S100 with an Ikelite housing and Ikelite AF35 strobe system. All together it is going to be about $1000 I think but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a housing for my DSLR and I don't think I'm willing to sacrifice not having a strobe or RAW capture. Thanks again for the help!

 

[RetroBlader]

Thanks for all the tips! I've been doing a lot of research myself and I think I'm going to splurge and go with a Cannon S100 with an Ikelite housing and Ikelite AF35 strobe system.

You beat me to it.

I was about to recommend the S100's predecessor, the Canon S95, in order to fit under your $700 budget:

S95 is getting harder to find, but about a month ago some vendors were clearing it out at $250-$300.

Underwater housing for the S95 will likely go extinct soon, but as of right now, B&H is still selling the original Canon housing (WP-DC38) for only $199.
Canon WP-DC38 Case for Canon PowerShot S95 4712B001 B&H Photo

This is an extremely capable combo. See the photos from my recent trip to Cozumel (all photos are straight-out-of-camera, unprocessed JPEGs):
Cozumel Feb/Mar 2012 - RetroBlader's Photos

You can still add the Ikelite AF35 strobe (or a better strobe from Inon or Sea&Sea -- which can still be used when you upgrade to a better system).

I also have the S100 and the Canon housing WP-DC43, but my wife (who loves to take pictures underwater but did not want to bother learning about apertures/shutter speeds/ISO/etc) loved the combo so much that she has claimed it as hers.

All together it is going to be about $1000 I think but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a housing for my DSLR and I don't think I'm willing to sacrifice not having a strobe or RAW capture.

On land I use a 7D, but housing a DSLR costs an arm and a leg, not to mention for new divers who are still perfecting buoyancy and other skills the setup may be too bulky.

The beauty of the S95 and S100 is that both are RAW-capable, both shoot HD video (S95 only 720p, while the S100 can do 1080p), and both are pocketable gems for on-land use, even for discerning photographers who normally shoot DSLRs.

 

[Interceptor121]

I would not bother for an AF35 has only 70-80 degrees coverage and guide number 9
I would suggest you focus on the Camera and housing at this stage as that will allow you to take decent macro shots without strobe
The AF35 is so narrow that you could only do close up anyway and is not really a choice for the future save your money and learn more about the camera
If you really want to spend some money invest it in a wide angle lens as an Epoque EDCL-30 that will allow you to RAW take shots in shallow water that you can then white balance when you edit them, or even get a filter at later stage