I've noticed some incredible pictures on this site- I'm sure in no small part due to the photographer, but a nice camera can't hurt.

I'm looking for a nice digital camera that I can buy underwater housing for. My main uses will be pictures of people, cars of course, maybe some panoramic shots and for underwater as well. I would like something that is easy to use and also is small enough to fit in my purse.

What kinds of specifications should I look for like pixels, zoom, etc.? There is a plethora of options out there.... I am completely overwhelmed.

Thank you for your input!!

 

First thing to be aware of is the underwater housing can be as expensive or more expensive than the camera itself. So basically, pick your camera price and double it! That said, if you're just looking for something pocketable, I'd look at the Canon S series (S40, S45, S50, etc.) They're really quite nice for a little camera. I believe there may be an underwater housing option for the Canon A series (A70, A75, etc.) as well, though I'm not positive. The A series has really come a long way, and is great for the money. Now if you wanted to take some serious pictures, look no further than the Canon 20D -- or pick up a used Canon 10D (~$800 these days). You'll need a lens (or three) and the housing's over $1k, but you get what you pay for!

 

underwater housings will be your limitation.

canon, minolta makes housings for some of their cams.

3~5megapixel is more than enough for 8x10.

please check dpreview.com for comparisons.

oh and stay away from sony and their memory stick.

 

DP Review

Canon makes some great cameras in general. I have the Canon G5 and it's good but the G6 (newer model) is getting good reviews. It's not tiny though but check it out. It's reasonably priced but has a lot of features that more expensive camera would offer.

Also, check out their powershot series too which are slim, high quality and affordable. Take a look at the reviews and sample shots from each camera. That'll help you figure out what you like.

 

canon a85

 

Kristin - I could go on for days if you care to listen... Samy's on Fairfax, South of 3rd, is one of the best camera shops in the country, btw. Definitely take advantage of them (www.samys.com - and they have easy parking ).

What price range are you looking at? The pictures that make your jaw drop are usually taken with good glass. Great photographers and bad optics don't produce great results most of the time.

How often do you think you'll use your camera underwater? I'd bet that you can rent a great underwater setup from Samy's, save money (depending on frequency of dives) by focusing on a standard camera, and get better results both above and below water.

Another option opening up is to buy a better camera that is not new. Digital cameras lose value by the nanosecond. You can now pickup some great featured, perfect condition-glass cameras in the secondhand market.

This is trouble. Pixel count helps for making larger prints, but it is not a determinant of quality. You'd be amazed at how bad some high-megapixel cameras actually are in a controlled studio environment. Zoom is not that important in a camera, but on a fixed lens camera you'll want something with at least 2x-3x optical zoom.

I shoot professionally with a 4mp Canon G2. It's a superb camera, but 4mp is a bit smaller than I'd like these days. It's around $300 on eBay.

Here's some pictures:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=m...lbum&album=8575


And ditto on DPreview.com, although there are so many cameras now that it's not a whole lot of help when you're just starting to look.

Edit: that shot's not particularly great, but it's hard on the camera. I was trying to show good tonal range in low light, even exposure, and the glass-like water. Many digital cameras will mess up that shot severely, if they'll even allow you to keep the shutter open that long.

 

flitcroft, that's a nice shot nonetheless. It's the Getty Center right?

Agree with your comments too and Samys is a great brick and mortar (not the cheapest but I think they'll price match). Low "noise" is one of the biggest reasons in factoring in which camera to buy in terms of clear, non-grainy, shots. That's usually the first place i start looking.

So ready to buy a Canon 20D but I'll wait a bit until the new Nikon comes out (whenever that'll be to compete and drop prices).

 

Just clicked on your album link and realized it is the Getty. Great shots!

I have a reverse day shot of this...

 

is this really a good camera? i really want it, but ive heard the zoom isnt too good... and yada yada

 

My brother and I have had tons of canon cameras ranging from the S400 to the D10. I've also had sonys. I think after thousands of dollars I'm going to make the switch to Nikon after talking to several people. From what I hear the have better lightmeters and the focus is superior to Canon. With a canon you seem to never know what it is focusing on, bad for me since my printer can print up to A3 sizes and small mistakes are just magnified. BTW my sony takes terrible pictures, not so far as resolution, but I always have to fix the contrast and color with photoshop.

Sam