Underwater Camera

[dshnarw]

I'm considering my options on underwater cameras, and I've found this one in my price range:

 

SeaLife DC600

 

Good/bad price (camera, wide ange lens, Digital Flash for $700ish)?

 

TY

Edited February 19, 2008 by dshnarw

[Hilary]

With the wide angle and the digital flash that sounds like a good price! Camera alone runs $500 plus. I've had mine for about a year or so, and this is (I think) my third SeaLife camera. I dive a lot and always have my camera with me, and so far love this camera.

[dshnarw]

With the wide angle and the digital flash that sounds like a good price! Camera alone runs $500 plus. I've had mine for about a year or so, and this is (I think) my third SeaLife camera. I dive a lot and always have my camera with me, and so far love this camera.

 

Thanks! Do you use it topside as well?

[Hilary]

Thanks! Do you use it topside as well?

 

I do - it's the only camera I use. You just have to remember to change the mode if you're out of the water (I took a lot of really red pictures of sea lions in the Sea of Cortez while snorkling between dives before I realized it was still in sea mode.... ). It's not as fancy as other cameras out there, but then it's also not as expensive!

[dshnarw]

I do - it's the only camera I use. You just have to remember to change the mode if you're out of the water (I took a lot of really red pictures of sea lions in the Sea of Cortez while snorkling between dives before I realized it was still in sea mode.... ). It's not as fancy as other cameras out there, but then it's also not as expensive!

 

Great! Sounds like it's exactly what I'm looking for (good camera for underwater and good point 'n shoot for my fiancee above water).

 

 

...and I can use it when I'm rock collecting. I saw some video on YouTube where they ran over one in a car, and it was still working. I don't think a Canon Rebel can do that!

[OUsnakebyte]

I have the older series model - 500, I believe... with the wide angle lens and external flash.

 

It's a great point 'n shoot for the price, and it does take nice topsides as well. Some comments:

 

The wide angle lens - LOVE IT! I pretty much don't ever use the camera without it. When taking pictures of my tank, I'll even use the housing with wide angle lens out of the water (or in the tank too...).

 

External flash, with cable - I have never been able to get this to sync up with the camera under water. I have managed to get it to flash topside, but once I splash... nuthin'.

 

I've been using it about two years now, and it is starting to show its age. I can feel the housing buttons starting to develop resistance, and the camera sometimes just takes white photos...???

 

Below are some links to different dive spots where I used this camera. Cozumel was where I first used it, then The Bahamas, then PR.

 

 

Cozumel

 

The Bahamas - Exumas - Look for folders on the left.

 

Puerto Rico, SECORE 2007 - Look for folders on the left.

 

 

I think for my next toy, I'm going with the Nikon D200 and Ikelite housing - can you say, "Cha-ching!"

 

Cheers

Mike

[wreck]

I also have been using the older DC500(5 MP model) for about two years, and I'm very happy with it. It's a very easy to use point and shoot in water and out of water. I also had problems with the external strobe not working underwater. It uses a fiber optic slave to actuate the strobe so alignment of the cable ends on the camera over the flash and on the strobe is critical to it functioning properly. Sealife came out with a piece that helps hold the cable in place on the strobe that seems to help a lot. I really like the video MPEG mode for taking videos when I want to. I'll try to post a video I took in Dominica chasing a turtle.

Wreck

[dshnarw]

I have the older series model - 500, I believe... with the wide angle lens and external flash.

 

It's a great point 'n shoot for the price, and it does take nice topsides as well. Some comments:

 

The wide angle lens - LOVE IT! I pretty much don't ever use the camera without it. When taking pictures of my tank, I'll even use the housing with wide angle lens out of the water (or in the tank too...).

 

External flash, with cable - I have never been able to get this to sync up with the camera under water. I have managed to get it to flash topside, but once I splash... nuthin'.

 

I've been using it about two years now, and it is starting to show its age. I can feel the housing buttons starting to develop resistance, and the camera sometimes just takes white photos...???

 

Below are some links to different dive spots where I used this camera. Cozumel was where I first used it, then The Bahamas, then PR.

Cozumel

 

The Bahamas - Exumas - Look for folders on the left.

 

Puerto Rico, SECORE 2007 - Look for folders on the left.

I think for my next toy, I'm going with the Nikon D200 and Ikelite housing - can you say, "Cha-ching!"

 

Cheers

Mike

 

Thanks for the review and sample pics! Looks like great quality. Good to see what a "normal" user can do with it...the "sample shots" on websites make me wonder sometimes. Would be nice to stick the camera in the tank...I could do top-down pics without turning off the pump.

 

Were it up to me, I'd have the new Rebel and a housing for it. But I can buy this package for less than a decent housing for the Rebel. So I get to buy this now, and later this year (TAX REBATE!!!!) buy the Rebel for land shots.

 

 

I also have been using the older DC500(5 MP model) for about two years, and I'm very happy with it. It's a very easy to use point and shoot in water and out of water. I also had problems with the external strobe not working underwater. It uses a fiber optic slave to actuate the strobe so alignment of the cable ends on the camera over the flash and on the strobe is critical to it functioning properly. Sealife came out with a piece that helps hold the cable in place on the strobe that seems to help a lot. I really like the video MPEG mode for taking videos when I want to. I'll try to post a video I took in Dominica chasing a turtle.

Wreck

 

Thanks! I'll have to check into the strobe issues, but it's good to know it can be fixed with (seemingly?) minor parts.

 

Please do post the vid!

[wreck]

Here's a pic a took that the strobe worked:

 

Here's a link to the turtle chase video I took in Dominica in 2005, I started following him at 80ft and he took me down to 140ft, I used a handheld HID light to try to bring out his colors.

 

 

Let me know if this doesn't work, first time using Youtube.

Wreck

[Hilary]

Here's a pic a took that the strobe worked:

 

Here's a link to the turtle chase video I took in Dominica in 2005, I started following him at 80ft and he took me down to 140ft, I used a handheld HID light to try to bring out his colors.

 

 

Let me know if this doesn't work, first time using Youtube.

Wreck

 

And how long was your safety stop after THAT dive?!

[wreck]

And how long was your safety stop after THAT dive?!

 

I stayed in no-deco time, gotta love dive computers, but I always do as long a safety stop as my air supply will let me. I ended up doing over 10 minutes at 15 ft.

Wreck

[dshnarw]

I like the video!

 

Now, I just have to convince Amber

[gmubeach]

Great sea turtle video I wish I could dive:)

[dshnarw]

So a photographer friend pointed out that I could get a Canon G9 (12.1 megapixel) with underwater housing for the same price...just wouldn't include the strobe.

 

I'm thinking it may be a better option?

[wreck]

That sounds pretty good depending on the quality of the housing. Be sure it is depth rated for a lot more than your usual dives and that you'll be able to add an external strobe. Good luck.

 

So a photographer friend pointed out that I could get a Canon G9 (12.1 megapixel) with underwater housing for the same price...just wouldn't include the strobe.

 

I'm thinking it may be a better option?

[dshnarw]

That sounds pretty good depending on the quality of the housing. Be sure it is depth rated for a lot more than your usual dives and that you'll be able to add an external strobe. Good luck.

 

So I checked around and it seems that the UW housing should be good (rated to 130 feet), and there's an Ikelite housing for it that's fairly cheap if it needs to go lower. External strobe is no problem.

 

 

And so, with that, I got the G9 this afternoon. So far so good...still learning with all the new controls, but I've gotten a few shots comparably better than my old camera after only a few hours (loaded into my tank thread).

[dshnarw]

First impressions...camera is wonderful. Even with everything running on auto, good pics are easy. It's easy to use right out of the box, but has plenty of options (which I'm still exploring). So far, it has handled 3 of my 5 major camera uses - the aquarium, rocks, and microscope (shooting down the eyepiece), with landscapes (too darned cold) and UW photos still to attempt. Shutter lag/response times are fast, and the big display is helpful. My two complaints are the button sizes are smaller than I'd like (clumsy fingers) but I think I'll get used to it, and I accidentally turn the dial around the function/set button sometimes.

 

 

So, since this is the photography forum, I should put some photos up...

 

Took the camera to work today to see how it'd do on the microscope and on rock samples. These are some of the shots I got of the rock samples in my office (camera set completely on auto since, if I were in the field collecting for research, I wouldn't be messing with camera settings much):

 

copper ore:

 

herkimer "diamond" (quartz):

 

rutile needles in quartz:

 

quartz:

 

fluorite:

 

fluorite:

 

tourmaline in quartz:

 

smokey quartz, pyrite, and orange garnet (appx. the size of my thumbnail):

 

quartz, pyrite, and calcite (thumbnail size):

 

this is my 3mm rough diamond. This is the cropped, full-size, untouched pic:

 

rubies in green tanzanite (how tanzanite looks before heat treatment):

[wreck]

All your pictures look pretty good, I think you made a good choice. Can't wait to see your underwater photos.

Wreck

[dshnarw]

 

 

 

[toastiireefs]

so after two years of your camera, how do you like it. since I am now considering a Sealife just because it seems like a good all in one package with out having to deal with housing etc.

but your underwater pictures in what i assume is your tank look really fabulous!

 

i know this is a stupid question, but would is there a significance between diving and tank photos as far as lighting goes. (i kinda know the answer to this just need it better explained).

Basically if I were to dive with this type of camera as opposed to a sealife would it still take good photos, just because sea life has the color correction modes.... ??

[Coral Hind]

Yes, there is a big difference between diving and tank photos. The factors in the tank are pretty set and don't change from shot to shot as much as a dive where factors such as sunlight, depth, water clarity, current, and other things that are changing during the dive. It can be hard to take a good picture while you are moving back and forth with the wave action. Having a really good flash or strobe for your underwater camera is very important. I've never had a Sealife camera but when I was doing research for my underwater camera purchase I wasn't impressed by it, plus I wanted a camera I could use for hiking or other outdoor activities. I ended up getting the Olympus tough 8000. Here is a pic from about 100ft down, low light as it was 8am, using an ikelite housing, standard camera flash, no external strobe.

 

 

 

 

I'd recommend talking to a local dive shop and seeing what they recommend. Maybe even taking their underwater photography class.

[watson_barrett]

I also have olympus plus and happy using it both diving and in tank. plus it is much cheaper than some of the other options noted...