buying uw camera

[bugsz]

hi i would like to consider buying a uw camera my budget is around 900 - 1k any suggestions on what to buy? maybe afew models that u guys might suggest for me to consider.

[Photosmart]

Canon A640 + Canon WP-DC8 abt $800/= plus....
Canon A710 + Canon WP-DC7 abt $700/= plus....

[vandyk]

If you can stretch your budget a little, can consider getting the ikelite housing for Canon A640 or A710. Ikelite housings are more reliable and can cater for future add-on with Inon wet lenses (macro or wide angle).

Canon A640 + Ikelite #6140.62 = low 1k+
Canon A710 + Ikelite #6140.71 = low 1k+

If interested, can contact Oceanic Focus. Helpful guy with good advice.

[bugsz]

Originally Posted by vandyk If you can stretch your budget a little, can consider getting the ikelite housing for Canon A640 or A710. Ikelite housings are more reliable and can cater for future add-on with Inon wet lenses (macro or wide angle). Canon A640 + Ikelite #6140.62 = low 1k+ Canon A710 + Ikelite #6140.71 = low 1k+ If interested, can contact Oceanic Focus. Helpful guy with good advice.

isn't Canon A710 better than A640?

[bugsz]

where can i buy the camera and the casing from?
ikelite casing can be found in most camera shops?
can u guys recommand me some shops that i can visit over the weekend.

thanks

[Barracudas]

Photosmart's pricing is right, I got my A640 + own casing at $800 plus.

Bugz, can start looking for lobangs at Sim Lim Square. (Camera is abt $500++, Casing abt $300+-)

If you want to look at ikelite, can look frm oceanic focus or scuba cam

Can compare the two camera attributes in these links:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona640/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona710is/

[nemesis32]

Originally Posted by Barracudas Photosmart's pricing is right, I got my A640 + own casing at $800 plus. Bugz, can start looking for lobangs at Sim Lim Square. (Camera is abt $500++, Casing abt $300+-) If you want to look at ikelite, can look frm oceanic focus or scuba cam Can compare the two camera attributes in these links: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona640/ http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona710is/

i bought the Oly 770sw for 615 at CP. no need for casing and its 10m waterproof and shockproof. Optional casing will allow up to 30m i recall.

A photo taken with it:
http://forums.clubsnap.org/showthread.php?t=290040

[airforce1]

[quote=nemesis32;3170864]i bought the Oly 770sw for 615 at CP. no need for casing and its 10m waterproof and shockproof. Optional casing will allow up to 30m i recall.

Yea ,after one dive the camera need one hour drying time before can touch water again.

[Barracudas]

These are a few that I've taken using A640 recently, not that good without a strobe really..

Manado

I think it boils down to your personal preference and how you make use of the camera.

[cat64fish]

Originally Posted by Barracudas These are a few that I've taken using A640 recently, not that good without a strobe really.. Manado I think it boils down to your personal preference and how you make use of the camera.

I mainly use my nikon dslr, but have used the canon PnS S50, S70 and A620 before. I find the layout of the controls easy to use, and the A series has the added advantage of being big enough for my hands.

Aside from the specs and the technology, comfort is an often forgotten issue in camera purchases. If you are struggling to find the buttons to push or your fingers are always covering the flash or the lens ... then no pic, and no fun.

Cheers, Jeff

[neons]

Any big advantage using Canon Powershot G7 as UW camera vs A640 ?

G7 UW housing I think a lot more expansive ?? Ikelite $1200+ ?

[amateur_photographer]

i got olympus C5050 with underwater casing for sell. INterested?

[Photosmart]

Originally Posted by amateur_photographer i got olympus C5050 with underwater casing for sell. INterested?

Brand new or used ?

[lovells19]

Originally Posted by neons Any big advantage using Canon Powershot G7 as UW camera vs A640 ? G7 UW housing I think a lot more expansive ?? Ikelite $1200+ ?

its ard $950 only, comes with a hotshoe connector so u can fire ur strobe thru cable and not optical cord..

gives u more control over the flash power also
without hotshoe, 6 stops
with hotshoe i think its 12 or 16 steps

G7 and A640 ah.. hmm no idea leh hahaha i think its more zoom, nicer built, but its 2 different class of compacts

[OrangeBloke]

Originally Posted by neons Any big advantage using Canon Powershot G7 as UW camera vs A640 ?

Not a great deal no. The image stabilisation may help a bit but probably not a lot. Have a read of http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/CanonG7/page6.shtml to compare the cameras. In terms of use underwater there's not a great advantage of one over the other.

Originally Posted by neons G7 UW housing I think a lot more expansive ?? Ikelite $1200+ ?

This is a case of you get what you pay for. Ikelite housings are more reliable than the Canon, Olympus, Sony, etc housings and thus less likely to flood - there are two types of cameras used in diving, those that have flooded, and those that haven't flooded yet. The Canon housings are cheaper but not as good. That said you can always get fairly cheap marine insurance from NTUC provided the camera is less than 6 months old when you register it.

Also before you get too carried away by the wonders of all things Canon, and I'm not putting them down as I've got a lot of money invested in their kit, think about what else you want the camera for. Will it only be for underwater use or also for land use? If you want it for the latter as well then look for a camera, from whichever manufacturer, that suits what you want to do and go find the housing for that. Look on http://www.digideep.com for housing references and then check with the Sim Lim shops, ScubaCam and Oceanic Focus about the cost

[Quest]

[quote=airforce1;3171043]

Originally Posted by nemesis32 i bought the Oly 770sw for 615 at CP. no need for casing and its 10m waterproof and shockproof. Optional casing will allow up to 30m i recall. Yea ,after one dive the camera need one hour drying time before can touch water again.

Is Oly 770SW that bad? 1 hr to dry b4 the next dive? Maybe, can add those underwater camera bag (abt S$50) to solve this 1 hr drying problem.
btw, anyone tried those $50 underwater camera bags?

[howeikwok]

[quote=Quest;3229319]

Originally Posted by airforce1 Is Oly 770SW that bad? 1 hr to dry b4 the next dive? Maybe, can add those underwater camera bag (abt S$50) to solve this 1 hr drying problem. btw, anyone tried those $50 underwater camera bags?

I don't think that it's bad. It's just the limitations in terms of engineering when you have a normal land camera and want to bring it underwater w/o any housing. Think those seriously thinking of taking pics underwater should get a proper housing for their camera. Take the waterproofing in the oly camera as an insurance in case the housing floods.

p.s. if i remember correctly, photosmart = mchale from oceanicfocus?? So can just pm him directly, heh...

[airfins]

Last check, Inon only have lens mount for DC7 but not DC8. Just incase you want to get the lens and strobe later without strobe you will not be able to get nice pic U/W but of course Photo Shop can do wonders too

Plan ahead...incase you want to upgrade (lens or strobe) then you don't have to change your system all together.

http://www.inon.co.jp/product/system...tem_chart.html (goto system chart)

[Zippsy]

Originally Posted by airfins without strobe you will not be able to get nice pic U/W but of course Photo Shop can do wonders too

Let's say that it's easier to take noce photos with a strobe but it is certainly not a requirement. Despite the modesty, for a quick example see:

Originally Posted by Barracudas These are a few that I've taken using A640 recently, not that good without a strobe really.. Manado

[Zippsy]

Originally Posted by airfins http://www.inon.co.jp/product/system...tem_chart.html (goto system chart)

or if you can not read Japanese: http://inonamerica.com/content/docs/...m_chart_En.pdf