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camera for diving ?



 
 
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  #1  
Old January 31st 09, 01:00 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.scuba
1hogrider
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Posts: 4
Default camera for diving ?

Antonio Huerta wrote:
I would like to dive and take casual pictures of the rocks and fishes.
What waterproofed camera should I get ? I do not want an expensive
one, because it is first of all for experimenting. And I would not be
sorry if I did not do much diving (thus would not be sorry for the
sunken cost... gee, pun not intended).

I am aware that there are Olympus mu kind of cameras which are
waterproofed, but I am not sure about their suitability for diving and
their image quality. I am also aware that there are housings for
"land" cameras. But I do not know about their suitability...


Underwater cameras can be had for several hundred dollars all the way to
$10,000 and more. What I gather from you is you are leaning more
towards the "hundreds of dollars" range.

What depth are you planning on taking it? There are some very
inexpensive "snorkling depth" type cameras (15 ft or so). SeaLife makes
some fairly good yet relatively inexpensive camera systems.

I have a SeaLife DC310 and get fairly good results for a 3.1 MP camera.
They no longer make this camera but you may be able to get one on Ebay
from someone who is upgrading. I would recommend whatever camera you
get, also get an external strobe. Makes all the difference in the world
in color and detail.

You are correct that housings are made for regular land cameras so they
can be used underwater but you can be talking at least $1000 or more.
Ikelite makes such housings.

I dive with a friend who I think has an Olympus with the underwater
housing. He is happy with it but does not use an external strobe.
If you are interested, I can direct you to pictures I took with my
system and pictures he took.
  #2  
Old January 31st 09, 02:52 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.scuba
Lee Bell[_2_]
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Posts: 2
Default camera for diving ?

Thanks for your reply. I am planning on snorkelling. As such, I am
looking at the depth of diving of up to 3 m, and a range of camera of
1-5 m (greater if possible).


I was thinking about an inexpensive camera. I did a search on
dpreview, and found Ricoh G600, which was watreproofed according to
JIS grade 7. This means that the camera can stand 30 minutes at a
depth of 1 m, http://www.opticsplanet.net/water-proof.html . Perhaps,
it could withstand larger depth ? It probably could do it, at a
stretch. Or not ?


Not a chance. Don't even think about it.

Here is the camera Olympus Stylus Tough 8000, which is rated JIS grade
8. This means that it can be continiously immersed into the water at
the conditions more severe than the camera above, JIS grade 7. The
description of Olympus says that the camera is waterproofed up to the
depth 33 ft, or 10 m,
http://www.digicamera.com/reviews/olympus_stylus_8000/
This is what I need !


Probably. I have the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW. It's shock and waterproof to
the depths you're talking about. It's a 10.1 mp camera with some very nice
featues both for underwater and land use. I particularly like it's panorama
feature and its setting specifically for balancing colors underwater.

On the whole, I'd prefer Ricoh G600 because of its better image
quality, if it was waterproof enough.


If you're a good enough photographer to tell the difference, you're good
enough to buy a high end camera.

Lee


  #3  
Old January 31st 09, 03:00 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.scuba
Lee Bell[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2
Default camera for diving ?

I was thinking about an inexpensive camera. I did a search on
dpreview, and found Ricoh G600, which was watreproofed according to
JIS grade 7. This means that the camera can stand 30 minutes at a
depth of 1 m, http://www.opticsplanet.net/water-proof.html . Perhaps,
it could withstand larger depth ? It probably could do it, at a
stretch. Or not ?


What this means in real world is that you can probably take the camera
out in the rain... If you're lucky, maybe even a heavy rainstorm...


Correct

Here is the camera Olympus Stylus Tough 8000, which is rated JIS grade
8. This means that it can be continiously immersed into the water at
the conditions more severe than the camera above, JIS grade 7. The
description of Olympus says that the camera is waterproofed up to the
depth 33 ft, or 10 m,
http://www.digicamera.com/reviews/olympus_stylus_8000/ . This is what
I need !


Which means that you can take it in the bathtub with you...


I don't know about the Tough 8000, but my Olympus Stylus 1050 SW is
specifically designed for snorkeling. It's particularly good for taking
underwater shots of those bathing beauties you're so fond of watching in
North Florida springs.

If you are only going to be taking a few photos, you might want to
consider an older film camera and housing... Some underwater
photographers are switching over from film to digital and you can
sometimes get really good deals on the old cameras and housings...


I really, really, really recommend against a film camera for someone just
starting underwater photography. For the first year or so, the ration
between keeper and garbage pictures is quite low. Developing and printing
are not cheap. The high cost for a low return has turned many a photographer
away from taking underwater shots. With digital, the shots you don't like,
don't cost you anything.

If you're willing to settle for the point-and-shoot type of digital
cameras, your best bet is to just look for housings that are acceptable
in price and then buy the camera that goes with it... Otherwise, you
might get a camera that no one makes a housing for or if they do, it is
overly expensive...


A pretty good idea, actually. In most cases, the housing will be good to
greater depths than snorkeling cameras like mine. Those that may consider
diving one day should consider this option carefully. The downside is that
the combination of camera and housing, even for the point and shoot models,
is likely to be more than the better quality waterproof options. If all
you're going to do is snorkel, you get more bang for your buck with a
snorkeling camera.

As far as megapixels go, you don't necessarily need 10+mp unless you are
going to be doing significant cropping or enlarging the photos to poster
size or better... If you are just going to post them on a web page, even
a 2mp camera will produce images larger than most monitor resolutions...


Correct.

Lee


  #4  
Old January 31st 09, 03:24 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.scuba
Dan Bracuk
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 6
Default camera for diving ?

"Lee Bell" pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:

:I really, really, really recommend against a film camera for someone just
:starting underwater photography. For the first year or so, the ration
:between keeper and garbage pictures is quite low. Developing and printing
:are not cheap. The high cost for a low return has turned many a photographer
:away from taking underwater shots. With digital, the shots you don't like,
:don't cost you anything.

Two other reasons.

The back display makes getting good shots so much easier because you
don't need to put the camera against your mask to take a photo.

Digital cameras need less light than film cameras making external
strobes less necessary.

Dan Bracuk
Never use a big word when a diminutive one will do.
  #5  
Old January 31st 09, 04:25 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.scuba
Tony Cooper
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 4,748
Default camera for diving ?

On Sat, 31 Jan 2009 04:35:44 -0800 (PST), Antonio Huerta
wrote:


I was thinking about an inexpensive camera. I did a search on
dpreview, and found Ricoh G600, which was watreproofed according to
JIS grade 7. This means that the camera can stand 30 minutes at a
depth of 1 m, http://www.opticsplanet.net/water-proof.html . Perhaps,
it could withstand larger depth ? It probably could do it, at a
stretch. Or not ?


There is no appreciable difference of effect of immersing a camera in
water that is 1 meter deep compared to the maximum depth that a
snorkler will use it. The seals will remain water-tight at the depths
a snorkler reaches if the seals remain water-tight at all. That's the
normal snorkler, not a free-diver.

All the tests reveal is that the camera remained water-tight at given
depths and times in the testing protocol.

My dive camera is film, but if I was purchasing a digital I would
purchase a standard digital and a separate underwater housing. The
long-term effects of using a camera in water is in the corrosion that
results from inadequate rinsing and drying. The underwater housings
are easier to rinse and dry, and are less affected by corrosion. A
good underwater housing will out-last the camera.



--
Tony Cooper - Orlando, Florida
  #6  
Old January 31st 09, 05:32 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.scuba
Fred Lotte
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 11
Default camera for diving ?

In article

m,
Antonio Huerta wrote:

I am planning on snorkelling. As such, I am
looking at the depth of diving of up to 3 m, and a range of camera of
1-5 m (greater if possible).


You may be able to rent a camera to see if you really want to get
into underwater photography.

When I was first certified for SCUBA, I rented an Instamatic
(equivalent to a P&S) from my instructor. My buddy and I used it
on a vacation in the Florida Keys where we learned that flash
bulbs float really good, don't go off about 2/3's of the time and
have to be about 3 feet from the camera in order to not
illuminate all the stuff floating in the water.

For the next vacation, I bought an Ikelite housing for my F2 and
strobe which I used for about 20 years taking many hundreds of
shots underwater at depths up to 140 ft.

--
Fred Lotte

  #7  
Old January 31st 09, 08:03 PM posted to rec.photo.digital,rec.scuba
Paul Furman
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Posts: 7,367
Default camera for diving ?

I think you'll find wide angle is valuable for underwater:

Lee Bell wrote:
I was thinking about an inexpensive camera. I did a search on
dpreview, and found Ricoh G600,


28-140mm equivalent lens
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0804/08042201ricohg600.asp


which was watreproofed according to
JIS grade 7. This means that the camera can stand 30 minutes at a
depth of 1 m, http://www.opticsplanet.net/water-proof.html . Perhaps,
it could withstand larger depth ? It probably could do it, at a
stretch. Or not ?

What this means in real world is that you can probably take the camera
out in the rain... If you're lucky, maybe even a heavy rainstorm...


Correct

Here is the camera Olympus Stylus Tough 8000,


38-114mm equivalent lens

which is rated JIS grade
8. This means that it can be continiously immersed into the water at
the conditions more severe than the camera above, JIS grade 7. The
description of Olympus says that the camera is waterproofed up to the
depth 33 ft, or 10 m,
http://www.digicamera.com/reviews/olympus_stylus_8000/ . This is what
I need !

Which means that you can take it in the bathtub with you...


I don't know about the Tough 8000, but my Olympus Stylus 1050 SW is
specifically designed for snorkeling. It's particularly good for taking
underwater shots of those bathing beauties you're so fond of watching in
North Florida springs.

If you are only going to be taking a few photos, you might want to
consider an older film camera and housing... Some underwater
photographers are switching over from film to digital and you can
sometimes get really good deals on the old cameras and housings...


I really, really, really recommend against a film camera for someone just
starting underwater photography. For the first year or so, the ration
between keeper and garbage pictures is quite low. Developing and printing
are not cheap. The high cost for a low return has turned many a photographer
away from taking underwater shots. With digital, the shots you don't like,
don't cost you anything.

If you're willing to settle for the point-and-shoot type of digital
cameras, your best bet is to just look for housings that are acceptable
in price and then buy the camera that goes with it... Otherwise, you
might get a camera that no one makes a housing for or if they do, it is
overly expensive...


A pretty good idea, actually. In most cases, the housing will be good to
greater depths than snorkeling cameras like mine. Those that may consider
diving one day should consider this option carefully. The downside is that
the combination of camera and housing, even for the point and shoot models,
is likely to be more than the better quality waterproof options. If all
you're going to do is snorkel, you get more bang for your buck with a
snorkeling camera.

As far as megapixels go, you don't necessarily need 10+mp unless you are
going to be doing significant cropping or enlarging the photos to poster
size or better... If you are just going to post them on a web page, even
a 2mp camera will produce images larger than most monitor resolutions...


Correct.

Lee




--
Paul Furman
www.edgehill.net
www.baynatives.com

all google groups messages filtered due to spam
 




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