Originally Posted by rhayes

Originally Posted by jjswee

Hey Russ - I am going to Hawaii and getting an XTi cause of that trip too!

Awesome! I bet that is a fairly common practice... Going to Hawaii, buy a camera first.

Since this thread has a little bit of traction, and the subject of Hawaii has been breached, I was looking at this product "Aquapac"... and considering whether I should really put my brand new camera into this thing that looks like a fancy zip-lock bag and take it under-water. It would be such a killjoy to destroy a camera on it's first outing.

3 questions...

• Would YOU trust YOUR camera in one of these
• Have you ever used one?
• Is there a better (safer) one?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...e_for_SLR.html

Russ,

Toss that in a new thread, more people will see it that way.

Thread split out for new subject....

M

Good call, Mark... I would have done it but didn't have the power... :P

Russ, hopefully someone will see this with some experience and give you some advice... I'd really be in no place to say either way on it.

Ahhh the "bag" housings. I've heard some uncomplimentary things about them. Not that they leak, but that they are just a serious pita to deal with.

Unless you're really willing to go "big" with a multi thousand dollar housing + strobes, I'd suggest something like

http://www.sealife-cameras.com/cameras/dc600.html
or
http://www.seaandsea.com/

Or your favorite PS camera + a cheap housing.

A small PS camera is worth having anyways and a whole rig camera+housing+ strobe will be less than a descent SLR housing alone (Or even the cost of a single SLR worthy strobe)

Listen to Geekybiker,

Just making your Rebel waterproof is the easy step. The extremely difficult part is getting decent lighting. Below about 3' of depth the water just soaks up all the light. Colors are muted and your exposures become painfully long. With qualified underwater strobes however, you might stand a chance.

But until then go for a P&S with the appropriate housing.

Not to mention if your housing floods with a PS camera you're out maybe 200-300 bucks most likely. You flood a SLR and your probably out close to a thousand minimum.

The camera I linked to are designed for underwater use though. Their housing have wide angle kits that are really useful underwater, plus they are designed with the strobes in mind, etc.

What are you looking at doing with the waterproof housing?

I have an aquapaq for my P&S. Even there it's a pita, but I use it when the camera will be getting very wet, so I don't have to worry about it... If you want to get diving/snorkeling shots, get a waterproof disposable film job and use it. The pictures will suck, but they will suck from you DSLR anyway (as tardy mentioned, LIGHTING is a bitch underwater)...

CNs:Get the bag if you're using the DSLR in a wet environment, but not underwater. If underwater be prepared to spend THOUSANDS or get crappy shots, so embrace crappy with a disposable film job.

also, consider one of these:
http://www.goprocamera.com/index3.htm

Originally Posted by jacobsen1

If you want to get diving/snorkeling shots, get a waterproof disposable film job and use it. The pictures will suck, but they will suck from you DSLR anyway (as tardy mentioned, LIGHTING is a bitch underwater)...

CNs:Get the bag if you're using the DSLR in a wet environment, but not underwater. If underwater be prepared to spend THOUSANDS or get crappy shots, so embrace crappy with a disposable film job.

I dont think the film camera is a good idea. I tried that first. Not only did the pictures suck, but you were limited to 36 exposures, couldn't see what you were doing (or not donig) and it really adds up quickly if you shoot much film.

For $280 he can get a fuji f40 and the underwater case for it on amazon.... You'll still get mostly crappy pictures until you get a strobe, but at least the experience will be enjoyable. Something the cheap film camera wasn't

I'm saying the disposable cameras. Like <$20 at CVS. Also, most people who want to shoot on vacation probably won't need more than 36 exposures in the water...

But that's why I asked what exactly he wanted to accomplish here, because w/o knowing that, there are way too many options.