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Question

Dive/Snorkel Holiday Cam pick???

Sep 20, 2011 1:03AM PDT

We are treating ourselves to a special Caribbean holiday this winter. The location offers a lot of snorkeling and diving from the shore, so we need a camera we can take along and take into the water (can't leave valuables on the beach or in the vehicle).

We are thinking of:
Canon PowerShot S95 (needs underwater case)

or

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX10 (waterproof to 15')

Advice on whether we are on the right track, or if there are other options we should consider very welcome!

Looking for:
can take in water/case available
shoots in underwater mode (corrects colour)
prefer HD video
superior point and shoot for holiday pix on land

Thanks everyone!
the Wilsons

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Diving or snorkeling travel camera
Sep 20, 2011 3:35AM PDT

I definitely will vote for the Canon S95. I recently did a shore dive at Kauai's Tunnels Beach, the Canon S95 did pretty well. We were diving through a lot of caverns and tight dark places. The depth range for these diving photos range from about 40 feet to 70 feet below. Visibility was about 40 feet, the water was somewhat murky that day due to weather condition. Even under these conditions, the photos turn out okay.
I have the Canon S95, the Canon underwater case, and if you want to take some macros, then can get the Sea and Sea YS-01 strobe plus the Grip-stay S tray (there is an extra joint that can be added to the stroke support, gives you some flexibility to angle the strobe). I use the strobe for the shrimp photo.

Here are the sample photos of my last dive:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hjfok/6151676485/
Here is the underwater strobe if you are interested.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/666300-REG/Sea_Sea_SS_70025_YS_01_Strobe_w_Grip_Stay.html

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Answer
Waterproof camera
Sep 20, 2011 4:10AM PDT

Waterproof camera that does not need waterproof casing generally has lower quality image quality. In addition, they are meant for pool, rain, snorkeling on the surface. You cannot do scuba diving with these cameras, 15 feet is not an adequate depth for diving. Even if you dive down snorkeling, you need to be careful as you can easily get close or exceeds 15 feet. My dive computer can tell me how deep I go, but it is hard when you are snorkeling.

The Canon S95 has much better image quality and performance overall, and is a good camera for traveling on land and even under water with the casing. When you go to the beach, you do not take out the camera until you go back to your hotel and soak the case in water to clean out all the sand and debri before opening it up to retrieve the camera. And remember to apply sealant and test the case in a bucket or bathtub to make sure there is no leak the day before you snorkel or dive.

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Underwater HD
Sep 20, 2011 9:36AM PDT

Thankyou for those answers! I am looking at the Ikelite case for the Canon S95...makes for a bit of a pricey package, but I would love to film us underwater!

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Ikelite
Sep 20, 2011 11:16AM PDT

Ikelite has good housings. But if you are going to spend more on higher quality products, then you can think about this option:
Get a Canon G12, Ikelite housing and Ikelite strobe (DS 160, etc), then you can get true TTL flash underwater. The Canon S95 cannot do TTL flash photography.

But if you stay with the Canon S95, then the manufacturer underwater case is actually quite descent and costs half as much as Ikelite. After the beach, you can go clubbing and slip this little camera in your pocket.