By Susan Brown (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Monday, June 30, 2008 - 9:27 pm: |
Hi there I have been reading on this site for a week or so now, my husband and I are in the planning stages of our first trip to Bonaire in feb. We are avid snorklers and have been to several caribbean islands and to Belize last feb. I want to purchase a decent underwater camera, but I am hoping to get some advice here first. We have only used those disposables and I really want to get into it more. I have a digital canon that I love and I believe they have a housing unit for it but I am a little skeptical about leaking and ruining the camera, any suggestions? Thanks Sue
|
By Cecil (Supreme BonaireTalker - Post #6571) on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 - 8:27 am: |
First off welcome to BT, Susan. If you are a snorkeler there are several small waterproof digital. Olympus, and Pentax all make cameras that work to 10' without a housing.
|
By April (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #238) on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 - 3:26 pm: |
Hi Susan, welcome to BT.
|
By Ron Edison (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #141) on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 - 10:57 pm: |
We also have a Canon SD750 and are very pleased with it. The Canon housing was only $130 on Amazon.com. Canon has housings for most of their SD and Digital Elph models at very reasonable prices so odds are they have one to fit the model you already have. Olympus also makes housings for most of their models--I have an old 5050 and the Oly housing was around $160, again on Amazon. Leaking should not be much of an issue, especially if you limit yourself to snorkel depths--just follow the instructions for care and maintenance. The Canon and Olympus housings we have are rated to 130 feet.
|
By Andy & Dave Bartlett (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1035) on Wednesday, July 2, 2008 - 12:21 am: |
We both have Olympus U/W cameras, I have a 3030 and Dave has an 8080. We both like them a lot. Just recently got a Bonica U/W Video camera but have not used it yet, am looking forward to doing that in Aug.
|
By Kimberly (BonaireTalker - Post #16) on Sunday, July 6, 2008 - 12:30 pm: |
I have a Canon A570IS with the Canon Underwater housing (WP-DC12). I've used it on 2 dive trips now + snorkels. I've been very happy with the pics. I haven't had any trouble with the housing leaking, but I pay very close attention when applying the silicon grease to make sure there is no loose dirt, etc. on the O-ring or case. I also put a silica pack inside the housing to help with fogging, but that's rarely a problem- only occasionally with changes in temps on the surface after a deeper dive. The camera also takes video, so that's a plus. I just purchased an 8gb card to allow for more video/pics during dives. I added a Fantasea Nano Cool Flash strobe to it in February. Works for what I need it to for now. Also added Canon weights to the housing to make it a little less positive. IMO the set up is pretty economical for the results you get. Look at prices at B&H or Adorama.
|
By Dr. Director (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #452) on Sunday, July 6, 2008 - 3:47 pm: |
Kimberly expressed it very well, including the silica gel pack.
|
By Clemens (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Sunday, August 3, 2008 - 5:58 am: |
Hi Susan,
|
By Bob Eiceman (BonaireTalker - Post #46) on Monday, September 15, 2008 - 2:55 pm: |
Hi Susan,
|
By Denise Ryan (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Saturday, October 4, 2008 - 9:58 am: |
I'm heading to Bonaire for my first trip on Oct. 18 - I can hardly wait! I just bought an Olympus Stylus 770 for the trip. It will likely take you farther than the Olympus 1030 or 850 because you can take it to 33ft deep. I am guessing that I'll be totally addicted and want to learn how to dive - so why not get a camera that can go deeper?
|
By Bob Eiceman (BonaireTalker - Post #48) on Saturday, October 4, 2008 - 5:18 pm: |
Hi Denise, Hope you have a great trip! The Olympus 1030 and the 770 both are rated to 33 feet. As stated in my previous thread, unless you buy the additional u/w housing make sure you do not keep the camera submerged for more than one hour. Keep it above water for at least 30 minutes before submerging it again. Olympus techs told me it has to do with the type of seals used.
|
By Denise Ryan (BonaireTalker - Post #11) on Saturday, October 4, 2008 - 11:13 pm: |
Thanks Bob! I didn't realize that. I suppose keeping the camera in a watertight container until I want to use it on my snorkel will extend the time I can keep it out in the water with me. Thanks so much for the tip!
|
By Bea and Marvin Jones (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #156) on Sunday, October 5, 2008 - 3:37 pm: |
You probably want to dive with a camera _other_ than your land camera. You _will_ flood the camera case someday. If you don't, it's because you are not diving enough. I freedive with a Nikon CoolPix 2000 (an older, 2MP camera now) and I use it in an IkeLite underwater housing. About 3-4 years ago in Anguilla -- when travelling with a Kodak land camera and just the 1 Nikon dive camera -- I flooded the underwater housing at some point shortly after entry. That was Day 3 into a 3-week visit to the island. You can well imagine how I felt after THAT!
|
By Cheryl O (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Monday, October 6, 2008 - 2:56 pm: |
Hi Sue,
|
Visit: The Bonaire WebCams - Current Bonaire images and weather!
The Bonaire Insider - the latest tourism news about Bonaire
The Bonaire Information Site, InfoBonaire
Search Bonaire - Search top Bonaire Web sites