Underwater camera SLR or not - maldives

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I'm off to the maldives soon for my honeymoon and will be doing lots of snorkelling and scuba. I'm after an underwater camera. I currently have a canon 400D SLR, flash and lens - has anyone used an SLR cover
The Ewa-marine U-AX is ~£225 on http://www.camerasunderwater.co.uk/ and is rated to a depth of 20m.

I'm a bit concerned though as it looks like a thick plastic bag and the pressure at 20m is a fair wack. If it fails then it will be costly (lens,camera and flash would add up to the best part of £1000)

Not interested in the cheap underwater ones and ideally I want a seperate flash/torch as i've found previous underwater shots fairly dark.

Would I be better off getting a dedicated underwater camera or a compact and case?
Anyone got any recommendations/experience?


Thanks,
 
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Well I needed a new smaller camera so got the canon s90. I got an ikelite case, external flash/strobe and couldn't fault it. It cost a fair bit all in but I got some great pics. I'll put them up later this week if anyones interested.
 
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Yer that would be great thanks, I'm going on holiday in a little under 2 months to Australia and Malaysia and have been pondering about underwater camera options. Looking forward to the results.
 

Fel

Fel

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6-7 years ago I dived with a pro motorsport photographer in Sharm who took a similar plastic bag housing down with him and 10 minutes later came up with a very soggy DSLR. Given the cost of DSLRs at the time he seemed to take it quite well :S

Maybe the technology has improved since, but I think you need to be very meticulous when sealing them - no sand or rogue hairs.

My temptation would be to go for compact with housing and external light source - that way it will be less of a chore to take it on every dive and you will be less worried about ruining the camera, lens and flash.

But speak to CamerasUnderwater - I think they are pretty much the experts and can tell you the pro's and cons.

I used to like taking my sony cybershot and housing (bought when returning from the Maldives) - i could fit it in my BCD pocket but this was at the expense of no external lighting. Camera died after lending to a mate - but I have kept the case because it did not feel right to throw it away.

Hope you enjoy the Maldives - we never saw the Mantas we went to see but we did manage to snorkel with a whale shark. Also had our best ever dive - just me and my wife being swept along a reef at night just us a the fish - brilliant.
 

Fel

Fel

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... oh and i think i would need some very strong persuading to take my D90 down in one of those bags, but forking out £1,500 for a housing is just scary.
 
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You wont be able to get any decent shots at 20m without a strobe. I would spend the money on one of these 'adventure' cameras that are rated to a similar depth and shoot in the shallows.

I got some decent results with a rented fuji compact while in Dahab down to about 10m but after that it was just too blue. I also got some great results with a 30 quid compact from a supermarket while snorkelling.

I really wouldn't risk your SLR without serious protection.
 
Soldato
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You wont be able to get any decent shots at 20m without a strobe. I would spend the money on one of these 'adventure' cameras that are rated to a similar depth and shoot in the shallows.

I got some decent results with a rented fuji compact while in Dahab down to about 10m but after that it was just too blue. I also got some great results with a 30 quid compact from a supermarket while snorkelling.

I really wouldn't risk your SLR without serious protection.


Manual white balalance!

I use an old fuji f31 with external strobe. I can get good colours upto 25+ meters. Then the camera won't pickup the manual white.


Examples from last years trip.
http://ccgi.theblue.plus.com/cpg1414/thumbnails.php?album=48

normal_image035.jpg



On the plactic bag housing... Nah! 20 meters isn't massivly deep and i'd not risk mine at 3 bar pressure. A camera is a big air space inside.
 
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