andy_cha Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Enybody has used the Sea & Sea DX-8000G, 8.24 Megapixel, 3X Optical Zoom Plus? I am looking at underwater set around this price range (below 1,500. Any recommendations?Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_deratzian Posted October 6, 2006 Share Posted October 6, 2006 Generally speaking, the Sea & Sea cameras are very good, and much better than the digital camera/housing packages from SeaLife. That being said, you may be able to meet your price objective by selecting a digital camera that you would be really happy with, and then buying a housing for it. Check out the ikelite web site www.ikelite.com for a list of cameras that they make housings for. The average $300-500, which leaves a lot for a better camera. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrewdawsongallery Posted October 11, 2006 Share Posted October 11, 2006 Hey Andy-- I looked at the specs on the 8000G and I have a couple of thoughts. First, for the price range you're looking at, you need to be realistic about what your results will be. If you're looking for decent snapshots you'll do fine; if you're hoping for publication quality, it really isn't going to happen with that camera. To be more specific: the 8000G uses a basic zoom lens plus an wide converter, which is a common solution for many people using digicams underwater. The optical quality will probably be OK, but not up to DSLR + prime lens caliber. The bigger problem will be the on-camera flash, which will cause huge amounts of backscatter. Sea & Sea probably has a way to rig off camera flash, but that will add to your expense. I agree with David on looking for a decent digicam first, then find a housing for it, such as the Ikelite line, which covers almost all of them. I wrote a couple of articles on u/w for photo,net if you wanna read up more: <a href="http://www.photo.net/learn/underwater/uw2/general" >UW Guide</a> or <a href="http://www.photo.net/learn/underwater/uw2/housings.html" >UW Housings</ a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueviews Posted October 14, 2006 Share Posted October 14, 2006 A lot depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Almost certainly you will need an off camera strobe if you want anything more than snapshots. The Sea and Sea is fully capable of using an external strobe and the results can be quite good. For the same money you could get any small Canon/Nikon P&S and put it into one of their housings and get a good external strobe. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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