Underwater housing for Canon SD800 IS

[Steve G]

I don't know much about underwater camera housings but I am going to be snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef in a couple of weeks (poor me) and need to figure out how to take pictures.

 

Are there disposable underwater cameras? Should I get a housing for my current digital camera? I have a Canon Powershot SD800 IS. I looked up prices for underwater housings and they seem to range from $150 to $300. I can't imagine I would use it more than just for this trip. Should I try to borrow one? If so, how likely is it to find someone with exactly the right housing. I assume they have to be very closely matched to the camera. Will this give me the ability to use my camera just as I do on dry land?

 

thanks in advance for any advice.

[toastiireefs]

I don't know much about underwater camera housings but I am going to be snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef in a couple of weeks (poor me) and need to figure out how to take pictures.

 

Are there disposable underwater cameras? Should I get a housing for my current digital camera? I have a Canon Powershot SD800 IS. I looked up prices for underwater housings and they seem to range from $150 to $300. I can't imagine I would use it more than just for this trip. Should I try to borrow one? If so, how likely is it to find someone with exactly the right housing. I assume they have to be very closely matched to the camera. Will this give me the ability to use my camera just as I do on dry land?

 

thanks in advance for any advice.

 

i know they sell disposable underwater cameras, however i dont believe they'll give you the same quality that you might be looking for in your shots.

[gmubeach]

They do make underwater ones that are disposable my parents used them when they swam with the dolphins.

[wreck]

Underwater housings are usually made for a specific camera. $150- 300 sounds low for a housing. Good housings at reasonable prices are made by Ikelite. If you decide to buy one make sure that it is depth rated for more than 10-20ft if you will be scuba diving. Most disposable U/W cameras are only rated for shallow depths (less than 40ft if that) and picture quality is not very good. I have been using a Sealife DC500, which is a 5 megapixel camera in a U/w housing rated for 200ft. I like it because it's very compact when used without the external strobe and can also take MPEG movies. The cost is around $550 with camera and housing, they now make a 6 MP model.

Wreck

 

I don't know much about underwater camera housings but I am going to be snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef in a couple of weeks (poor me) and need to figure out how to take pictures.

 

Are there disposable underwater cameras? Should I get a housing for my current digital camera? I have a Canon Powershot SD800 IS. I looked up prices for underwater housings and they seem to range from $150 to $300. I can't imagine I would use it more than just for this trip. Should I try to borrow one? If so, how likely is it to find someone with exactly the right housing. I assume they have to be very closely matched to the camera. Will this give me the ability to use my camera just as I do on dry land?

 

thanks in advance for any advice.

[Steve G]

Underwater housings are usually made for a specific camera. $150- 300 sounds low for a housing. Good housings at reasonable prices are made by Ikelite. If you decide to buy one make sure that it is depth rated for more than 10-20ft if you will be scuba diving. Most disposable U/W cameras are only rated for shallow depths (less than 40ft if that) and picture quality is not very good. I have been using a Sealife DC500, which is a 5 megapixel camera in a U/w housing rated for 200ft. I like it because it's very compact when used without the external strobe and can also take MPEG movies. The cost is around $550 with camera and housing, they now make a 6 MP model.

Wreck

 

The Ikelite one for my camera was $300 and boy, does it look cool, but I can't justify it for this one trip. I wonder how deep I would go for an intro dive (uncertified) and snorkeling, but I'm guessing not more than 3 or 4 meters. Let's hope for clear water and I'll buy a disposable. I hope there is some good shallow reef.

 

I went snorkeling on the reef near Caye Caulker in Belize 20 yrs ago and was blown away by the fish and inverterbrates. Didn't know much about corals back then. Wish I had had a camera but in 1989 the technology was not there.

[squiddly]

You'll be quite unhappy with the quality of a disposable. They may have something you can rent at the facility where you're going diving. Intro (pre-certification) dives are generally no deeper than 30 feet (PADI doesn't allow you to go deeper than 40).

 

Have a great time.

[lanman]

The Ikelite one for my camera was $300 and boy, does it look cool, but I can't justify it for this one trip. I wonder how deep I would go for an intro dive (uncertified) and snorkeling, but I'm guessing not more than 3 or 4 meters. Let's hope for clear water and I'll buy a disposable. I hope there is some good shallow reef.

 

I went snorkeling on the reef near Caye Caulker in Belize 20 yrs ago and was blown away by the fish and inverterbrates. Didn't know much about corals back then. Wish I had had a camera but in 1989 the technology was not there.

Oh... yes it was. I still have a Nikonos-II; an underwater 35mm camera which I purchased in 1969.

 

bob

[Steve G]

Ok, so I went diving (to 12 meters) on the GBR. It was a religious experience. I'll post details in another forum. But the camera I used was a disposable Kodak. I have no idea how the prints will turn out. It was very hard to see through the viewfinder, but I took snaps of turtles, sharks, corals, and fish. Many of the pics were taken very close to the surface (while snorkeling, which was easier than shooting during the dive).

 

So where should I send them for developing? I'm nervous about sending them just anywhere because I imagine that underwater pictures would require a real professional touch to develop properly, to deal with all the blue and the backscatter and what have you. Can anyone recommend a good photo lab?

[jnguyen4007]

I tried those underwater disposable camera when we went snorkeling in the carribbean a few years back. Even on the brightest day, the picture quality rapidly diminished after 3 or 4 ft under water.