Cheap Underwater Camera

In article <TCSXc.574$8d1.542@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.ne t>, Von
Fourche <monaco8292@hotmail.com> wrote:

€ I'm going to do two dives in Cozumel in a few weeks during a cruise. I
€ don't have an underwater camera but I'm wanting to take some pics. My scuba
€ instructor showed me an underwater camera he sells. It's around $45.00 and
€ takes regular film. I guess it's kind of like a Kodak but it's reusable and
€ made for underwater use.
€
€ Has anybody here ever used one of these cameras before? What kind of
€ picture quality can I expect get from it? I know I could probably get a
€ case for my fancy land use digital camera, but time is running out, and I
€ don't really what to spend that much money, or time right now. If that
€ $45.00 camera can take decent quality pictures then I might get it. Picture
€ quality doesn't need to be great, I just want to take some diving photos to
€ show my family and friends.
€


I appreciate your excitement, but I recommend you skip the underwater
photography for a little while. In order to be a good underwater
photographer, you first need to be a decent diver. Trying to learn
underwater photography while you're still learning to dive (and please
don't think you'll have learned to dive by the time you get certified)
is a good way not to learn either. If you take a cheapo camera with you
on your initial post certification dives, you're going to be a really
lousy diver taking really crappy photos (believe me, your family and
friends don't want to see blurry photos of little tiny things you have
to tell them are fish). Better to focus on the diving and learning to
be a good diver at first. There'll be lots of opportunities to do
photography after you've got a few dives under your belt.

And I'm starting to wonder about your instructor. He's beginning to
sound like a typical dive shop monkey that pushes crap gear on his
unsuspecting students (especially SpareAir).

Alan

"Alan Street" <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote in message
news:270820042057017155%agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com ...
> In article <TCSXc.574$8d1.542@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.ne t>, Von
> Fourche <monaco8292@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> ? I'm going to do two dives in Cozumel in a few weeks during a cruise.
I
> ? don't have an underwater camera but I'm wanting to take some pics. My
scuba
> ? instructor showed me an underwater camera he sells. It's around $45.00
and
> ? takes regular film. I guess it's kind of like a Kodak but it's reusable
and
> ? made for underwater use.
> ?
> ? Has anybody here ever used one of these cameras before? What kind
of
> ? picture quality can I expect get from it? I know I could probably get a
> ? case for my fancy land use digital camera, but time is running out, and
I
> ? don't really what to spend that much money, or time right now. If that
> ? $45.00 camera can take decent quality pictures then I might get it.
Picture
> ? quality doesn't need to be great, I just want to take some diving photos
to
> ? show my family and friends.
> ?
>
>
> I appreciate your excitement, but I recommend you skip the underwater
> photography for a little while. In order to be a good underwater
> photographer, you first need to be a decent diver. Trying to learn
> underwater photography while you're still learning to dive (and please
> don't think you'll have learned to dive by the time you get certified)
> is a good way not to learn either. If you take a cheapo camera with you
> on your initial post certification dives, you're going to be a really
> lousy diver taking really crappy photos (believe me, your family and
> friends don't want to see blurry photos of little tiny things you have
> to tell them are fish). Better to focus on the diving and learning to
> be a good diver at first. There'll be lots of opportunities to do
> photography after you've got a few dives under your belt.

I have to disagree with your judgement here, Alan. The stated objective is
not to take "great"
pictures, so being a "good underwater photographer" is not required. A first
dive trip is a truly
unique experience, and it would be a shame to complete it without having any
photographs to
show. And my experience has been that non-diving friends and family are
absolutely fascinated
by underwater photos, crappy, blurry, and all. Diving friends, enlightened
ones, anyway, seem
to see through the quality of the photos to the thrill of the experience.

I recommend the underwater capable disposable cameras. I used one during my
first dive trip last
fall, and actually got some decent snapshots. Not spectacular, and the ones
taken on the Spiegel
Grove are barely recognisable, but I am very glad I took them.

I don't know what your first dive trip was like, but, after the check-dives,
there was plenty of
floating-around-making-bubbles time, and the camera was simple, and small,
enough to stay out
of the way, but handy when wanted.

> And I'm starting to wonder about your instructor. He's beginning to
> sound like a typical dive shop monkey that pushes crap gear on his
> unsuspecting students (especially SpareAir).
>
> Alan

On Sat, 28 Aug 2004 20:17:48 +0000, john.riedel wrote:

>
> "Alan Street" <agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:270820042057017155%agstreet@nonono_san.rr.com ...
>> In article <TCSXc.574$8d1.542@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.ne t>, Von
>> Fourche <monaco8292@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> ? I'm going to do two dives in Cozumel in a few weeks during a cruise.
> I
>> ? don't have an underwater camera but I'm wanting to take some pics.

>>
>> I appreciate your excitement, but I recommend you skip the underwater
>> photography for a little while.
>
> I have to disagree with your judgement here, Alan. The stated objective is
> not to take "great"
> pictures, so being a "good underwater photographer" is not required. A first
> dive trip is a truly
> unique experience, and it would be a shame to complete it without having any
> photographs to
> show.

Have a look at http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/a35aqs.html .

Try this link for the Vivitar Underwater Cruise camera.


Only £17.99 plus postage, and has a built in flash!

Not a single use camera but a proper 35mm compact camera in a housing rated
for 15m / 45ft (although a mate who bought one had it down to nearly double
that depth and it did not leak, but the controls got a bit tight).

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/prod...oducts_id=7916

"Von Fourche" <monaco8292@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:TCSXc.574$8d1.542@newsread2.news.pas.earthlin k.net...
>
>
> I'm going to do two dives in Cozumel in a few weeks during a cruise.
I
> don't have an underwater camera but I'm wanting to take some pics. My
scuba
> instructor showed me an underwater camera he sells. It's around $45.00
and
> takes regular film. I guess it's kind of like a Kodak but it's reusable
and
> made for underwater use.
>
> Has anybody here ever used one of these cameras before? What kind of
> picture quality can I expect get from it? I know I could probably get a
> case for my fancy land use digital camera, but time is running out, and I
> don't really what to spend that much money, or time right now. If that
> $45.00 camera can take decent quality pictures then I might get it.
Picture
> quality doesn't need to be great, I just want to take some diving photos
to
> show my family and friends.
>
> Thanks!

I purchased a "semi-disposable" 35mm camera in a housing at a scuba shop
near where I do most of my diving for about $25. They had a version for
$17, but it didn't include a flash. I bought it because my wife and I got
certified at the same time and we wanted pictures of ourselves underwater.
I've gotten some interesting pictures of "other stuff", and the quality is
okay (by my standards). If there is a decent amount of particulate matter
in the water, the flash can cause problems, but other than that, it works
fine. I'd offer to get you one (I can probably get it and ship it cheaper
than $45), but I'm not sure when I'll be going back to the place. I'll
check it out and see if I can find out who made it. You might be able to
find it on the internet fairly cheap.

Try this link for the Vivitar Underwater Cruise camera.

Only £17.99 plus postage in the UK, but you may get it cheaper in the US
(probably $17.99), and has a built in flash!

Not a single use camera but a proper 35mm compact camera in a housing rated
for 15m / 45ft (although a mate who bought one had it down to nearly double
that depth in the red sea and it did not leak, but the controls got a bit
tight).

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/prod...oducts_id=7916

"TonyH" <tony@samesamediving.com> wrote in message
news:cgvv8d$kq$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> Try this link for the Vivitar Underwater Cruise camera.
(snip)

I don't suppose it has occurred to anyone that since VonF has only just
finished his certification and hasn't ever been any deeper than 30 or so
feet, that he shouldn't be trying to take pictures at this juncture.

He's going to be having an interesting enough time as it is.

In article <x4UYc.275465$J06.62068@pd7tw2no>, chilly
<slarson@shaw.canada> wrote:

€ "TonyH" <tony@samesamediving.com> wrote in message
€ news:cgvv8d$kq$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
€ > Try this link for the Vivitar Underwater Cruise camera.
€ (snip)
€
€ I don't suppose it has occurred to anyone that since VonF has only just
€ finished his certification and hasn't ever been any deeper than 30 or so
€ feet, that he shouldn't be trying to take pictures at this juncture.

It occured to me, and I wrote words to that effect a few days ago. I
expect they were ignored, so your reminder is timely

shameless self promotion - for some reason my newsreader can't get to
rec.scuba.marketplace

For Sale (not an auction)

Nikonos IV-A body with W-35mm f2.5 and LW-28mm f2.8 lenses.

Includes front & rear lens caps, lens shades, filters for both color &
B&W underwater color correction, PC flash sync adapter, frame finder, 3
sets of o-rings (one set installed, 2 extra, with lub), and all manuals.

Sorry, no boxes for camera & lenses.

All in very good to excellent condition, never flooded, recently CLA.

Forgot to include image links, sorry -

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...nikonosall.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...nos2lenses.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...lensfilter.jpg


$500 for all, includes shipping & insurance in USA. Terms: cash,
personal check or money order. Equipment ships the next business day
following receipt of payment.

eBay id = digicam with 100% positive rating.

Pete in Oklahoma City

pk73107@hotmail.com





"Von Fourche" <monaco8292@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:TCSXc.574$8d1.542@newsread2.news.pas.earthlin k.net...
>
>
> I'm going to do two dives in Cozumel in a few weeks during a cruise.
I
> don't have an underwater camera but I'm wanting to take some pics. My
scuba
> instructor showed me an underwater camera he sells. It's around $45.00
and
> takes regular film. I guess it's kind of like a Kodak but it's reusable
and
> made for underwater use.
>
> Has anybody here ever used one of these cameras before? What kind of
> picture quality can I expect get from it? I know I could probably get a
> case for my fancy land use digital camera, but time is running out, and I
> don't really what to spend that much money, or time right now. If that
> $45.00 camera can take decent quality pictures then I might get it.
Picture
> quality doesn't need to be great, I just want to take some diving photos
to
> show my family and friends.
>
> Thanks!
>
>

"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:x4UYc.275465$J06.62068@pd7tw2no...
>
> "TonyH" <tony@samesamediving.com> wrote in message
> news:cgvv8d$kq$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> > Try this link for the Vivitar Underwater Cruise camera.
> (snip)
>
> I don't suppose it has occurred to anyone that since VonF has only just
> finished his certification and hasn't ever been any deeper than 30 or so
> feet, that he shouldn't be trying to take pictures at this juncture.
>
> He's going to be having an interesting enough time as it is.

Sure it has. IIRC, HH (or someone else) already mentioned that.