New Camera

[kath2407]

Having just been told that the insurance will pay out on the camera that I left on the Persier, I'm now faced with the decision of finding a new one.

There is a story to this. Basically, I'd had the camera for about 3 years without event. Then in July in Scapa I flooded it. Careless error, I will blame myself. My camera isn't made any more but I managed to get a replacement camera off ebay for less than £50. Which I then left on the Persier!

I feel that some divine intervnetion is telling me that I need a new camera so I've narrowed it down to 3 options. I didn't have white balance on my old one and managed reasonably well so I think it would be "nice" but there are other things to think about (see the flooding comments!!)

So the options are

1) Fuji FX40 – Special offer package £200 for camera and housing. 8.3mp. Custom white balance. Takes SD cards (which I have many of!) Spare battery is £25.

2) Olympus 850 - £330 for camera and housing. Camera is depth rated to 3m, therefore meaning if it leaks and I can get it out of the water quick it may survive! Only takes xD cards (available from Amazon at about £5 each). Spare battery is £39. Does NOT have custom white balance but does have 3 underwater modes. 8 mp

3) Olympus 1030 - £340 for camera and housing. Camera is depth rated to 10m allowing a more catastrophic leak before it will die! Again only takes xD cards. Spare battery is £35. (but £6.97 on Amazon). 10mp. No custom white balance but 4 underwater modes.

The floor is now open for comments!

K XX

[Richard Whitcombe]

My opinion...None of those. Get one that does RAW mode. Its absolutely essential for underwater and far more important than manual white balancing.
Consider a Canon G9 which does all of that native or maybe another canon with the chdk hack. These will take SD as well.

[barteh]

as above, Canon G9 or the lxus 980 IS (i think 980 is the most recent one).

They are retailing for about £399 inc the underwater housing in the UK. I bought my lxus off an ebay shop in hong kong for £250, bargin :)

[kath2407]

Looking at Cameras Underwater the G9 is out of budget range!!!!! Looking at around £350 (given that I bought a new torch to treat myself becuase I got my replacement camera off fleabay)!!

I'm not a massive "photoshopper" all my photographs are "point shoot and hope for the best"!!!!

Thanks for the comments tho!

K XX

[Richard Whitcombe]

In which case consider a G7 or powershot A series or similar with the chdk hack. That'll give you a cheap camera that can do RAW. Better for point and shoot as you dont need to constantly screw with manual white balance.

[ChristianG]

Looking at Cameras Underwater the G9 is out of budget range!!!!! Looking at around £350

I'm not a massive "photoshopper" all my photographs are "point shoot and hope for the best"!!!!
That actually makes it more difficult - not easier.

Given that you are not (particularly) interested in Raw, White Balance becomes important even though I don't particularly like the concept, in fact I don't really like it at all, because it's severely limited.

Several baby Canons, G9 (AIUI soon to be superseded), do raw and are within your price range (I couldn't be bothered to go and look - that's your job) but not many others, I stand to be corrected, are the same. I'm quite happy to critique any camera you come up with, but you need to come up with it.

Raw is the name of the game, followed by wide angle and, probably, preceded by pixel count (http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/forums/underwater-video-photography/64746-pixels.html?highlight=pixels).

Pixels are not pixels.

[Mark]

I'm not a massive "photoshopper" all my photographs are "point shoot and hope for the best"!!!!



Ah, but you see, changing the white balance of a RAW file in photoshop (or any other RAW converter) is much simpler than setting it correctly in camera to begin with. ;)

It's just a matter of moving a slider across 'till you're happy with how it looks...

:)

[kath2407]

Looking at Cameras Underwater the G9 is out of budget range!!!!! Looking at around £350

Clarification - I've been looking at packages for camera and housing at around the £350 mark!

K XX

[Richard Whitcombe]

Canon G7 = £220 and housing £120. Its in budget.

Put chdk on it and you have RAW.

[ChristianG]

Canon G7 = £220 and housing £120. Its in budget.

Put chdk on it and you have RAW.
Good one. Although I only know of the G1-7 cameras and then the G9. Typo perhaps?

Edit/: Ooops, silly me, I need new spectacles. :\Edit

Qualification: out of date camera and the in current (G9) version is likely to to go "out of date" real soon now.

There is nothing really wrong with "out of date", too many people seem to think that the latest is also the best. We don't seem to understand, nowadays, that is not the case, that in the days of film cameras we stuck by them for, quite literally, decades sometimes. I know I did.

Digitals, even P&Ss, are today quite capable of doing the job - and for some considerable time - as long as we are careful, especially, of pixel count.

[Richard Whitcombe]

G7 when i tried had less noise per same iso than the G9 (mainly due to the lower resolution) so arguably its better than that. Ive played with a G9 recently and not impressed with anything over 100 iso.

[mcroson]

The G9 is a great camera may be a bit more that you want to pay but try http://www.digitalrev.com/en/canon-powershot-g9-and-canon-waterproof-case-wp-dc21-3720.html?category_id=0&search_string=g9&search_category_id=0 these only 395 inc del with housing great price

[petey4561]

Hi Kath (and all!)
Reading previous posts on this topic this suggestion may go down like a lead balloon but hey! :D

I recently started using a Finepix F50fd, I bought this as a package from divers warehouse in bradford (www.diverswarehouse.co.uk - towards the bottom of the grid of products is a link to the cameras they have!)

It doesnt do RAW images or much of what the other more expensive ones do but it works great for me as a point and shoot (keep reading....!) - not sure how much of an issue this is for you?

I'm fairly sure it does have a manual white balance but you seem to want it for the same sort of purpose I wanted one - take it out the pocket point take picture put away!!? if so then this one takes good quality pics without messing around with a whole load of settings under there! - will be happy to e-mail you a few examples if you want to have a look? PM me with your e-mail address if you want me to

P.S it costs £270 from divers warehouse - I'm sure if you ask nicely they will knock some off for you - they tend to with me if im spending that amount or more!! :o

Hope that helps?

Pete

[IainC]

One thing worth checking whatever camera you plan ot buy is if there is a inon base for it..

Ih it does then macro and wide angle lenses are future options, if not, then you've more or less ruled them out..

After a couple of yeasrs with my point and shoot camera I am really wishin I had known about this when I got it.

Iain.