Camera dedicated vs enclosure

David Inada <dinada1@comcast.net> pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:
:I am thinking about getting a new underwater camera. I currently have a
:Nikonos IV with strobe and close-up kit, which I bought from a friend
:years ago. My wife [my current dive buddy] does not like it because it
:is big/cumbersome and I don't like it because I can't see my results
:until the film is developed and the costs of development. The quality of
:the shots has always been pretty good. I currently have a Kodak
:EasyShare Z740 digital camera and I can't find an enclosure for it.
:
:My assumption is that going with something like the SeaLife Reefmaster
:DC500 would be better than getting another digital camera and an
:enclosure? I assume that a dedicated uw camera is better than a
:camera/enclosure? I want to keep my budget to around $500 but can
:stretch that some if need be.
:
:I also assume that getting the external flash would be a good idea if I
:want to shoot close up shots. Otherwise it is not necessary?

SeaLife Reefmasters are digital cameras inside housings. It is Sea
and Sea that makes the dedicated underwater cameras.

I have a Sealife up for auction on e-bay right now. It's the 1.3
megapixel model, you probably don't want it. I replaced it with a
Sony 4.1 megapixel cybershot, with a Sony housing, and no strobe. I
don't take photos at night, but I have taken some under ledges, in
shadows, and so forth, and have always had enough light.

What you might want to do is to sell your Kodak and get a new camera
and housing. Companies that make housings for their cameras include
Nikon, Sony, Canon, and Olympus.



Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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David Inada <dinada1@comcast.net> pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:
:I am thinking about getting a new underwater camera. I currently have a
:Nikonos IV with strobe and close-up kit, which I bought from a friend
:years ago. My wife [my current dive buddy] does not like it because it
:is big/cumbersome and I don't like it because I can't see my results
:until the film is developed and the costs of development. The quality of
:the shots has always been pretty good. I currently have a Kodak
:EasyShare Z740 digital camera and I can't find an enclosure for it.
:
:My assumption is that going with something like the SeaLife Reefmaster
:DC500 would be better than getting another digital camera and an
:enclosure? I assume that a dedicated uw camera is better than a
:camera/enclosure? I want to keep my budget to around $500 but can
:stretch that some if need be.
:
:I also assume that getting the external flash would be a good idea if I
:want to shoot close up shots. Otherwise it is not necessary?

SeaLife Reefmasters are digital cameras inside housings. It is Sea
and Sea that makes the dedicated underwater cameras.

I have a Sealife up for auction on e-bay right now. It's the 1.3
megapixel model, you probably don't want it. I replaced it with a
Sony 4.1 megapixel cybershot, with a Sony housing, and no strobe. I
don't take photos at night, but I have taken some under ledges, in
shadows, and so forth, and have always had enough light.

What you might want to do is to sell your Kodak and get a new camera
and housing. Companies that make housings for their cameras include
Nikon, Sony, Canon, and Olympus.



Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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"David Inada" wrote

> My assumption is that going with something like the SeaLife Reefmaster
> DC500 would be better than getting another digital camera and an
> enclosure?

Depends on the camera and what you plan to do with it. Housed systems are
usually more versatile.

> I assume that a dedicated uw camera is better than a camera/enclosure?

See above.

> I want to keep my budget to around $500 but can stretch that some if need
> be.

You've just eliminated most quality housed cameras.

> I also assume that getting the external flash would be a good idea if I
> want to shoot close up shots. Otherwise it is not necessary?

Opinions vary. Most of us believe a strobe is essential for almost all
underwater photography. It's the only way to se true colors. Dan Bracuk
will show you nice pictures taken without a separate strobe, and they really
are nice, but they weren't taken without a strobe, just without an external
one.

Your choice of camera largely depends on what you want to do with it. If
you're looking for the equivalent of snapshots, buy the equivalent of a
shapshot camera. If you plan on taking publication quality photos, even if
you never expect any to be published, get ready to spend more money, a lot
more money.

Lee

"David Inada" wrote

> My assumption is that going with something like the SeaLife Reefmaster
> DC500 would be better than getting another digital camera and an
> enclosure?

Depends on the camera and what you plan to do with it. Housed systems are
usually more versatile.

> I assume that a dedicated uw camera is better than a camera/enclosure?

See above.

> I want to keep my budget to around $500 but can stretch that some if need
> be.

You've just eliminated most quality housed cameras.

> I also assume that getting the external flash would be a good idea if I
> want to shoot close up shots. Otherwise it is not necessary?

Opinions vary. Most of us believe a strobe is essential for almost all
underwater photography. It's the only way to se true colors. Dan Bracuk
will show you nice pictures taken without a separate strobe, and they really
are nice, but they weren't taken without a strobe, just without an external
one.

Your choice of camera largely depends on what you want to do with it. If
you're looking for the equivalent of snapshots, buy the equivalent of a
shapshot camera. If you plan on taking publication quality photos, even if
you never expect any to be published, get ready to spend more money, a lot
more money.

Lee

"Lee Bell" <pleebell2@bellsouth.net> pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:
:Opinions vary. Most of us believe a strobe is essential for almost all
:underwater photography. It's the only way to se true colors. Dan Bracuk
:will show you nice pictures taken without a separate strobe, and they really
:are nice, but they weren't taken without a strobe, just without an external
:one.

On the topic of semantics, why is it that land cameras have flashes
and underwater cameras have strobes?

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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"Lee Bell" <pleebell2@bellsouth.net> pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:
:Opinions vary. Most of us believe a strobe is essential for almost all
:underwater photography. It's the only way to se true colors. Dan Bracuk
:will show you nice pictures taken without a separate strobe, and they really
:are nice, but they weren't taken without a strobe, just without an external
:one.

On the topic of semantics, why is it that land cameras have flashes
and underwater cameras have strobes?

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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"Dan Bracuk" wrote

> "Lee Bell" <pleebell2@bellsouth.net> pounded away at his keyboard
> resulting in:
> :Opinions vary. Most of us believe a strobe is essential for almost all
> :underwater photography. It's the only way to se true colors. Dan Bracuk
> :will show you nice pictures taken without a separate strobe, and they
> really
> :are nice, but they weren't taken without a strobe, just without an
> external
> :one.

> On the topic of semantics, why is it that land cameras have flashes
> and underwater cameras have strobes?

Good question. I consider the terms are interchangeable, which is probably
part of the problem. If I were to try to define the difference, I think I'd
say that a flash consumes the light producing element produces all the light
it can in a single destructive use. A strobe produces varying amounts and
duration of light depending on the controlling system. In this context,
pretty much everything in use these days is a strobe.

Then again, I could be wrong.

Lee

"Dan Bracuk" wrote

> "Lee Bell" <pleebell2@bellsouth.net> pounded away at his keyboard
> resulting in:
> :Opinions vary. Most of us believe a strobe is essential for almost all
> :underwater photography. It's the only way to se true colors. Dan Bracuk
> :will show you nice pictures taken without a separate strobe, and they
> really
> :are nice, but they weren't taken without a strobe, just without an
> external
> :one.

> On the topic of semantics, why is it that land cameras have flashes
> and underwater cameras have strobes?

Good question. I consider the terms are interchangeable, which is probably
part of the problem. If I were to try to define the difference, I think I'd
say that a flash consumes the light producing element produces all the light
it can in a single destructive use. A strobe produces varying amounts and
duration of light depending on the controlling system. In this context,
pretty much everything in use these days is a strobe.

Then again, I could be wrong.

Lee

"Lee Bell" <pleebell2@bellsouth.net> pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:

:Good question. I consider the terms are interchangeable, which is probably
art of the problem. If I were to try to define the difference, I think I'd
:say that a flash consumes the light producing element produces all the light
:it can in a single destructive use. A strobe produces varying amounts and
:duration of light depending on the controlling system. In this context,
retty much everything in use these days is a strobe.

Before I started diving, a flash was a light on a camera, and a strobe
was a light that kept going on and off very quickly.

Back to diving, what do they call those really annoying lights that
keep going on and off very quickly?

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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"Lee Bell" <pleebell2@bellsouth.net> pounded away at his keyboard
resulting in:

:Good question. I consider the terms are interchangeable, which is probably
art of the problem. If I were to try to define the difference, I think I'd
:say that a flash consumes the light producing element produces all the light
:it can in a single destructive use. A strobe produces varying amounts and
:duration of light depending on the controlling system. In this context,
retty much everything in use these days is a strobe.

Before I started diving, a flash was a light on a camera, and a strobe
was a light that kept going on and off very quickly.

Back to diving, what do they call those really annoying lights that
keep going on and off very quickly?

Dan Bracuk
If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure.

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