mid range ($) apsc camera and housing

Mike Gerstner wrote:

for a friends birthday. Decent DR with decent video capabilities. In housing zoom lens (15-30mm?). Looking for a camera and a compatible housing and additional port if necessary.

Price $2/2.5K

The Pany LX 100 II with a housing looks good, but just trying to find something with a little larger sensor and the benefits that go along with that (resolution, DR, lower noise, etc.) .

As Craig notes, it's easy to spend a ton of money here, and for a newer diver, probably not productively.   If you go to ILC for a bigger sensor, you're probably blowing past on budget.   However, there is a lot of used gear potential in the 1-2k range.

The complexity is still an issue, however.   Compact cameras are great in that you're covered on lenses, and the port should cover most cases.  Can choose to spend a little (or lot) on a dome port, but don't need to up front.

I think the LX100 II would be a pretty good choice in new.   4/3rds sensor is more than enough for a new photographer, and its range and video capability are strong.   It might be slightly weak on the macro front.  (FTR, I happily continue to use a 4/3rds ILC - smaller lenses and ports travel more readily)  But still fairly compact in the water.   A < 100 dive person is not a good match for Craig's FF rig and twin strobes.   Lot of drag, lot of weight.

Pragmatically, the 1" sensors would also do just fine, and a lot of divers cut their teeth with a gopro.   Since they added stablization, big reduction in vomit cam video.

My wife has the Canon G7X II and a Nauticam housing, one strobe.   She had two ports - the standard flat, and a mini bubble one ($250?)  that opens it up enough to do white sharks from a cage type wide angle.   To go to WA inches from coral requires going to the more expensive true domes.

Nauticam isn't cheap, but quite sturdy, and the vacuum system greatly reduces chance of flooding due to careless closures.

Last generation (or two) compact housing used market can be esp good.   You shouldn't over invest on a gift for the first timer.   She will need some experience to decide which design choices are best for her.   Second purchase will be closer to the mark.