Underwater Photography Equipment Advice

[blaze_away]

I have a friend who wants to be able to photograph underwater. Not extreme conditions, just extended holidays where he does quite a bit of diving in nice places like off Australia and in Carribean.

He wants to get best combination of features and value for money, budget several hundred punds, so is willing to buy a sensible camera and fit a waterproof over it, like a Nikon D90 or so.

What would you advise ?

 

[boyfalldown]

I have a friend who wants to be able to photograph underwater. Not extreme conditions, just extended holidays where he does quite a bit of diving in nice places like off Australia and in Carribean.

He wants to get best combination of features and value for money, budget several hundred punds, so is willing to buy a sensible camera and fit a waterproof over it, like a Nikon D90 or so.

What would you advise ?

with a budget of several hundred he would not get anywhere near a waterproof housing for a d90. SLR housings as expensive things (he'll not see change from a grand) and require different lens ports to be bought for each lens. If he's using an SLR underwater then (assuming he wants decent photos)he'll need to think about lighting as well.

For a few hundred quid he's better off with a good compact and housing

 

[RicherSea]

As above - a bridge or compact in a housing is what will fit in that budget, and also what your friend should be considering for occasional use. A complete set up for using a DSLR underwater, including camera, housing, lens, ports and lights is going to cost somewhere in the region of £2000 to £3000.

Also bear in mind that a DLSR in a housing is quite cumbersome and big to handle while diving. If he is only diving occasionally, and on holiday, he may be much better, and safer, with something that doesn't get in the way as much.

 

[barneyrubble]

A good compact and housing gives good results. I have a Canon G9 and a housing, got some very good results in Florida recently

 

[Uneducated_Rick]

A complete set up for using a DSLR underwater, including camera, housing, lens, ports and lights is going to cost somewhere in the region of £2000 to £3000.

2-3 if lucky!

I would estimate closer to £4500 if wanting the camera and lens too (assuming dual strobe set up)

 

[RicherSea]

2-3 if lucky!

I would estimate closer to £4500 if wanting the camera and lens too (assuming dual strobe set up)

Yep, you'd need to be getting some or all of it second hand if you wanted to get in under £3000. My video kit was actually a lot cheaper than my SLR set-up, by almost 70%!

 

[SixToes]

Yup, its unbelievably expensive to get an underwater DSLR setup. A friend of mine has full underwater equipment for his 40d and the housing on its own cost over £1000, and then you need lights, lens ports, etc.

A modern compact in a manufacturers housing will give surprisingly good results as long as it's not too dark, so you should be alright in Oz and the Caribbean. I expect they are easier to handle underwater than a DSLR as well.

When I went diving in Oz they had a newish Powershot in a housing on the boat I was on, and the results were really good. I've got an old Powershot A75 (3.2 megapixels, 2004 vintage) with a Canon housing and I've got some nice pictures even with that.

 

[EdBray]

I might have a nice little Fuji compact and housing for sale soon