#77323 - 10/26/08 11:20 PM
Re: underwater cameras
[Re: tambir9]
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Suki (689)
Advisor
Registered: 10/29/07
Posts: 685
Loc: ELA US of A
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Sanyo Xacti only 5ft deep for those of us who dont swim dat would be me still luv da water (((((9FP4LIFE(((((
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#77352 - 10/28/08 10:06 AM
Re: underwater cameras
[Re: Suki (689)]
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tambir9
Member
Registered: 12/18/06
Posts: 208
Loc: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Hubby decided to buy the Sea & Sea camera. I'll let everyone know how it is when we get back from Cuba. Yosemite Girl, haven't forgotten about the Palau info, just waiting for hubby to get back home to answer the questions.
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#77442 - 10/31/08 08:12 PM
Re: underwater cameras
[Re: tambir9]
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YosemiteGirl2
Member
Registered: 09/17/07
Posts: 164
Loc: California
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Tambir, I hadn't forgotten about you either. Husband's work schedule has made it nutty, he comes home, eats and goes to bed. It's just that time in this particular project cycle. I'm so sorry!
I logged on tonight specifically to get back to you, because I have him here for a normal evening for once and have been grilling him about the cameras. (I hate promising something and then not delivering!)
He says that the cameras that are one step up from digital are compact, with a built-in or closely attached diffuser panel. They are not as good as the big bulky cameras that have one or two arms (a foot or two long) with strobes and remote flashes, but are much better than a regular digital, because they have very effective color balancing built right into the lens column. The built-in diffuser panel attempts to reduce the effect of the flash-back from particles in the water. Without the diffusing panel, it would be like driving in a hard snow with your brights on -- the particles just reflect light right back at you. However, the results with the built-in or detachable diffuser panel aren't as satisfactory as putting the light source farther from the lens. You know, with those giant cameras that look like leggy crabs.
Unfortunately, the gigantic strobe is a gigantic pain (especially in current). They're hard to travel with, they're hard to dive with, they're a pain to maintain. Plus, super expensive.
There are a few reasons why he hasn't purchased a compact underwater camera. The first one is that he loves that his Canon Powershot IS/SD-800 series takes video clips and that the color quality on those videos is superb underwater (and above). The second is that he just doesn't want to tote two cameras, one for under water and one for above. He's happier using the digital's underwater housing, which has never ever leaked.
So what happens is that much of the time, we get fabulous quality stills (and always fabulous quality film clips) with our little digital. But sometimes (like this past trip to Fiji), conditions will result in 40-60% of pictures being too blue or two white. Then he gets grumpy and ruminates about a dedicated underwater camera, yet always comes out on the side of sticking with the digital.
For me, the experience is like living in a technological version of Groundhog Day. Each time he starts in again on thinking about another camera, I think something will change. This will be the trip that tips him into buying a different camera! But no, nothing changes. It's still Groundhog Day.
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#77479 - 11/02/08 01:13 PM
Re: underwater cameras
[Re: YosemiteGirl2]
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Gary & Cath
Senior Advisor
Registered: 04/01/06
Posts: 961
Loc: Wollongong, Australia
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Hey tambir9. You might want to check out this thread from scubaboard.
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-64510.html
These people know what they are talking about when it comes to underwater everything.
_________________________
What's better than a Pina Colada, sitting on the balcony of an OWB in FP? Nothing!
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#78426 - 01/09/09 04:02 PM
Re: underwater cameras
[Re: tambir9]
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Michael in NYC
Member
Registered: 08/09/05
Posts: 45
Loc: New York, NY, USA
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Hi Tambir,
I have a Canon Powershot SD 870- the neat thing about this camera is that it has an "underwater setting" which adds a red filter to the pictures. And you can get an underwater housing specifically made for it which works well topside too. I love this camera because it's a wide angle-28mm- lens to begin with and then it zoom in like all others. The wide angle is great, and gives you alot more to see. I didn't have it when I went to FP, but I did have it on a trip last May to Belize. Here's a like to my shutterfly site. Take a look at the Belize pics ( and our FP pics as well) . I worked them over a little bit with a free program caled IRFANVIEW, that allowed me to add some contrast, and gamma and color when necessary, but nothing like photoshopping...
http://www.bonnieandmichael.shutterfly.com/
Michael in NYC
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