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Camera for diving and travelling

Started Jul 27, 2018 | Questions thread
PHXAZCRAIG
PHXAZCRAIG Forum Pro • Posts: 19,651
Re: Camera for diving and travelling

I'd go with a compact camera with housing.   Interchangeable lens options are expensive, and bulky.   In the past I've used a series of Canon point-n-shoots (SD630, SD870is, s95, s120).   All have been very good for the price, running $400-500 for the camera and new Canon dive housing.   Unfortunately that class of camera has mostly disappeared - but I bet you could find great deals on the used market.

I went from the Canons to a Sony RX100 II, with Nauticam housing and dual strobes.   Added a focus light and some wet lenses, and I was at $5000.

Used it a year, and while the strobes made a world of difference in the shots I was getting, the autofocus wasn't much different from the point-n-shoots.   Still, these types of cameras have improved autofocus in every revision, and the new ones may be fine.

I went on to a $10,000 DSLR rig, which is truly an effort to bring on trips.

Anyway, I'd recommend something from Canon, with matching Canon housing.   The housings are good (look like Meikon products) and rated to 130 feet.   As far as USING the cameras underwater, I have been much happier with the Canons than the Sony - Sony menus are a mess, the menu print is very small, you have to dive through menus to change stuff, etc.   Canon is simply much easier to use.

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Phoenix Arizona Craig
www.cjcphoto.net

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