Hi all,
I am thinking of buying an underwatercamera. We are snorkelers, took pictures with deposit camera last year, was fun, but we might want something a little better.
But, we don't want to spend a lot of money.
There are several options: buy a second hand camera (lots are offered, for many people switch to digital), or buy a cheap simple new camera.
Options are for instance: sealife reefmaster RC or sportdive (new), minolta vectis weathermatic zoom (second hand), Epoque ET 100 plus (second hand).
Anyone willing to think with me? Suggestions? What to look at carefully when buying a second hand camera?
Thanks in advance!

The day before leaving for our honeymoon in St. John, my wife and I bought a Sea & Sea MX10 with strobe. We spent most of our time snorkeling. The pictures came out good, for the most part. I also had a disposable UW camera and even those shorts were better than expected. Unknown to us, our friends had gotten us a Reefmaster camera as a wedding gift. (We didn’t open gifts until we got back.) We took both cameras to Bonaire last September and have some decent UW shots. (At least they satisfied us.) Both of us have a bit of photography experience.

In Bonaire, we shot 23 rolls of film over 10 days of diving. I found out that the quick-view 'cross' sight on top of the Reefmaster was seriously off-target—shooting higher than what’s in the viewfinder. (I have a lot of pictures of the top of my wife’s head, some just bubbles.) I should have used the regular viewfinder, although it’s awkward with a mask. I liked the flexible strobe arm on the Reefmaster better than the MX10, and the camera is a bit simpler to operate. The macro lenses fell off easily (keep them on a tether), but I did get some good shots of anemonies and upside-down jellies. I didn’t like having to open the case and turn the camera on just before a dive. You can take the camera out of the housing and carry it around while sightseeing, but it feels very small and fragile.

The MX10 is more expensive, but it gives you some exposure control and a better viewfinder plus takes great surface shots. You can turn it off and on in the water. The macro lenses attach with a secure bayonet mount. Unlike the Reefmaster, the MX10 requires O-ring maintenance, but my wife doesn’t seem to mind.

If you’re just snorkeling, you may not need a strobe, although a strobe arm makes it easier to handle a camera. We found snorkeling on Bonaire frustrating, because you’re just too far from the good stuff at reef level.

There are some good digital cameras from Olympus and Canon with factory UW housings. It’s more of an investment, but a good digital (4 megapixel or higher) will do double duty for any surface photography as well. Impressed by Jake Richter’s photos on this site, I just bought an Olympus C-5050 and UW housing for our next trip.

Ron
Check out my December trip report that I just posted some pictures on. I have the MX10 and a digital camera. I don't know a lot about photography but I am able now to get quite a few decent shots. I only snorkel and Bonaire is full of life in the shallows. You just have to know where to look. I have seen as much, if not more than any diver on this board. I can only dive down about 10 to 15 feet so all my pictures are in 15 feet or less of water. Actually, a lot of them are almost up to the shore! You might like to do a guided snorkel with Renee Snorkeltrips. She is fantastic! I find a lot of great stuff on my own, but I have to admit that she has shown me all the really good stuff.