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Waterproof digital camera question


cruisnfool

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We just bought this camera too for the same reasons you did. Please let me know how the pictures turn out. I took some just playing with the camera and they seemed decent but I haven't put them on my computer yet. We just recently bought a smaller Canon camera to use because I have a SLR Nikon digital and sometimes its not convenient to use although I love that camera. But the Canon didn't have an underwater housing.

 

I will post some pics when we get back in about a month. Since haven't taken it out of the box yet (I actually haven't given him the camera yet as the gift), did you find it easy to use?

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Check with Canon, many of their cameras do have an underwar case available.

 

 

I checked their website and that is where I found that they don't have one for our camera. I only found the bags but they say only to 15ft which won't do many any good at 80ft.

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FI took the disposable down to 100 feet and he said that he couldn't take pictures and the plastic was bending in - like it was going to implode. Yeah, I don't think it would implode at 30 feet, but probably at 100 feet. Though we know its not recommend for very that kind of depth, but he took it anyways.

Uhm, at a 100 feet it is over 4 atmospheres of pressure. That is what I would call really deep. I'd never expect someone to take a disposable camera to that sort of depth.

 

For visible colours you have Roy G. Biv (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). When taking pictures underwater you lose the colours from the left. The deeper you go the more colour correction is needed. At 100 feet, without a good set of strobes your camera is not going to catch a lot.

 

Basically, there is no point in taking a disposable to that depth. Even if it did take a picture, the picture wouldn't turn out very well.

 

Another way to look at it, if you have a bicycle tire rated for 50 PSI. You might get away with putting 100 PSI in it but it will definitely pop with 200 PSI in it. Every 33 feet down increases the pressure to another atmosphere. Above water is 1 ATA, 33 feet is 2 ATA, 66 feet is 3 ATA and 99 feet is 4 ATA.

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I will post some pics when we get back in about a month. Since haven't taken it out of the box yet (I actually haven't given him the camera yet as the gift), did you find it easy to use?

 

 

Very easy!! The zoom is really nice as you just hit the button and it zooms in 2X then again and 3X, etc. I'll try and remember to take some of the pics off of it tonight and post.

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I purchased an Aquapak which is very similar to the Dicpac you show. The Aquapak is great because it can go 15' and the camera while inside the pack will float. I was wondering if you Dicpac actually has a spot where the lense will fit, the Aquapak does not, just a clear bag.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Alice

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When we were in Bonaire in January, we saw a woman snorkelling with an underwater digital video camera. We bought one when we got home. It's good to 10 feet, 6 MP, the name is Sanyo Xacti E1. We're looking forward to using it on our next snorkelling trip and my boyfriend will use it when he is windsurfing - doesn't matter if it gets wet! It takes stills and video at the same time.

 

Sharon in Raynham, MA

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I just bought a Canon SD1000 and the WP-DC13 housing which is made for it. This was my first attempt at UW photography and I think, for the money, this is a decent camera. The one issue I should mention is that the glass (or plastic) in front of the lens on the housing is apparently two layers. After the my second day of diving, there was some water / condensation in between these two layers that rendered the housing useless for the rest of the trip which was a real bummer. The housing didn't leak so there was no damage to the camera, just the pictures.

 

If you want to see the pictures I took you can see them here:

 

Curacao

 

and here:

 

Aruba

 

Note, that I have only done some minimal photoshop touchup work on a couple of these so far as I'm still learning about that process.

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Thinking about buying one.

 

So far have seen Pntax & Olympus.....both $300 range

 

Anyone have experience and or suggestions

Thanks...in advance

 

FYI Canon does not warranty their underwater housings.

I like their cameras, but husband used it the 1st time (he has had several uw cameras and he tested it before diving) and the housing flooded at 45ft. We were out a camera and unsure of the housing.

Olympus has a new camera that has seals (just in case there is a leak, and you don't need the housing to snorkel with it)and a seperate housing.

Good luck

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Here are the pictures I took on our recent cruise last week. Dive sites were in GT and the Bahamas.

 

Canon A570 IS with Canon uw housing, no strobes

 

 

 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=5moo5hv.bhakem1n&Uy=x6x4ke&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0&UV=988213831384_129788740603&localeid=en_US

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I purchased an Aquapak which is very similar to the Dicpac you show. The Aquapak is great because it can go 15' and the camera while inside the pack will float. I was wondering if you Dicpac actually has a spot where the lense will fit, the Aquapak does not, just a clear bag.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Alice

Yes, it does, although at least with my particular camera, it's not a snug fit, so unless you modify it somehow, you have to pay attention and be careful not to let the edge of the lens housing ring obstruct the lens (see the black area in the upper left corner of this pic):

dscn2880pr4.th.jpg

I've been happy with my DiCaPac the last few years, but you have to test it carefully for leaks when you get it, be careful to seal it properly on each use, and take care to not let it get punctured on sharp coral, etc.

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Hi I jusr bought a cannon Power Shot SD750. I do not do much in terms of underwater photos, but I want to take pictures while on the cruise and in the water. I have seen 2 types of enclosures for the cannon. Which one is better? There is a huge price difference. Please any feedback is great!!

 

41AMOHFnU3L._SL500_AA280_.jpg

51-iDh9a7EL._SL500_AA280_.jpg

 

I'd say the Canon hard enclosure is undoubtedly better, but as you say the price difference is significant.

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Hi all thanks for the reply's. I am looking for something that will help protect my camera while snorkiling. We may try to snuba but I do not think they go down very far. I know I can take a disposible down but I think the digital would still take better pictures.

 

I still can not make up my mind if I should get the Aquapack or the Dicapac. If you had to choose between these 2 and a diposible what would you do??

 

Thanks

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I have a tiny Canon SD1000 and purchased the underwater housing for it before my recent cruise. I both both online for about $130 and $160, respectively. I was very happy with the pictures it took snorkeling and diving without a strobe.

IMG_0692_edited.jpg

 

IMG_0282.jpg

 

IMG_0673_edited.jpg

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I will add that using the underwater housing was a little scary for me to use, even though I had zero problems with it. I felt like I had to be very careful about not getting anything (e.g., sand, hair) caught in the seal, as the manual said this would cause it to leak. Given that they don't guarantee it, I was glad I'd paid an extra $30 when I bought the camera for a 2-yr warranty covering accidental damage. Still it's nice to have a compact digital to use on land and still be able to take decent photos and videos underwater...

 

Cruisin 07, how did you get those fish to pose for you?! The fish I tried to photograph wouldn't hold still long enough! :) Nice photos!!!

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I just bought a Vivitar Vivicam 6200. It's a 6 megapixel but I think I'll bring my regular digital as well, I haven't really tried this one to know if it will do what I want it to do. I paid $90 with shipping and it has an internal memory but is expandable with sandisk. The cost will hopefully offset the disposables we typically use and allow me to crop and save them online with the added cost of a disk after developing.

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Another vote for the Canon SD1000 w/underwater case. We took it snorkelling and it worked great. Floated on a wrist strap until I needed it. Also shoots great videos at 640x480, so get a big memory card. You can get 8Gb for $50 or less these days. As someone said earlier, I too appreciate having a tiny camera I can stick in a pocket or belt holder while on land and also take it diving.

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Flash/no flash - flash with the diffuser?

 

Unless it's a really, really clear day and good vis the internal flash with/or without the diffuser is pretty much worthless. The flash is too close to the lense causing major backscatter (those white blobs all over the picture). If you don't have a strobe you're better off going without the flash (with underwater setting or manual white balance) and adjusting in photo software to minimize the blue (this from years of experience before I broke down and bought a strobe, what a different).

 

Randall

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..... before I broke down and bought a strobe, what a different).

 

Randall

What strobe did you get?

 

I just got an Inon Z240 to use with my Olympus C5050. I'm taking it with me to Fiji next month.:D

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