zuzanne Loc: Crawfordville, FL

Need to pick up 2 or 3 of those one time use underwater cameras for our Manta Night Snorkel Trip in Hawaii, and some day time snorkeling trips. Can some one please tell me which one is better. Do any of them have the memory card or do you have to take to Walgreens or CVC to have developed?

Suzanne

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Consider a waterproof housing for your present camera. Available on-line, at dive shops or REI.

zuzanne Loc: Crawfordville, FL

I don't want to put my Canon T3i in a housing. Just want to shoot few tropical fish shots and the Manta Rays for some momento photos.

Suzanne

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

The disposable underwater digital cameras, if you have ever used one, tend to disappoint. They just don't compare to current generation of point & shoot water proof & shock proof cameras.

You will be happier with the images, and flexibility from a water proof point & shoot camera. Plus you have HD video at the flick of a switch.

They have better exposure controls, auto focus, flash, higher quality images, an LCD viewscreen, image stabilization, GPS tracking and most of the newer ones also have video. And they work just great on land. Plus they are quite rugged and can be dropped. Most are good for the first 30 feet, which is about as deep as most vacationing snorklers go.

In my opinion the best for the money right now is the new Canon PowerShot D20. It has it all with IS, 28mm wide angle lens, 12 MP, low light sensitivity, the list goes on. Also great for above ground. Currently selling for $329.

Check it out on B&H:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/842880-REG/Canon_6145B001_PowerShot_D20_Digital_Camera.html

woodsmitty Loc: Bruderheim, Alberta Canada

Consider a Kodak playsport camcorder. They run about $79.00 Canadian and are water proof to about 10 feet under the surface without any special housing and have settings for exposure compensation in under water shots. Just another option to consider.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Google underwater cameras, and look for reviews.

JoeB Loc: Mohawk Valley, NY

Suzanne:

I have made several trips to Hawaii, with my last just a couple of weeks ago. I have used the "one time use" underwater cameras in the past and have be very disappointed in the resulting pictures. I do not remember if it had a memory card or not, i don't believe that it did. But, the big problem that I saw was it had no way to control the white balance, as a result the pictures under water cam out very green. I do both SCUBA dive and snorkel and this last trip I SNUBA dived with my grandson. I brought along two underwater cameras, one is made by a company called SeaLife, I use this when SCUBA diving, it is good to 200ft and has the capabilities of setting the white balance for the type of water you are diving in, it also has an external flash. The second camera actually belongs to my wife, it is a Nikon Coolpix AW100, she really loves this camera. it is water proof to 33ft, shock proof, dust proof, is 16MP, will take HD movies with sound underwater and has the ability to make scene selections as to "snorkeling" on the surface or at greater depths. I have a Nikon D300S, but on the beach I used my wife's camera more often as I did not have to worry about the salt and sand, plus we could take it in the water while swimming. Right now Nikon has a special, the AW100 is normally $349.95 but they have taken $50.00 off so it is $299.95. I am not sure about the Canon water camera, I am sure that it is very good also. I have seen the Manta Ray dives which are at night, I would think you would have a better chance of getting video of them then still shots as they are in constant motion. I hope this information has been helpful. I know you will enjoy your trip.

Aloha
JoeB

GH2man Loc: Portland Oregon

It can be hard getting enough light in the day time. I would think shooting underwater at night with a disposable camera could be darn near impossible.

darkmanCANADA Loc: Calgary, AB Canada

Snap Sights is a good one

$22 for the film version: http://www.amazon.com/Snap-Sights-Flash-Waterproof-Camera/dp/B000HAMY84

$35 for the digital version: http://www.amazon.com/Intova-Digital-Sports-Utility-Camera/dp/B002MCAF40/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1338826217&sr=1-1

The film version is nice because you can refill it with regular film later. I have used some C41 black & white film for some lomo photography and it takes nice pictures outside if you have lots of light. For B/W I would use either of these films:

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/bw400cn/main2.jhtml?pq-path=13402

http://www.ilfordphoto.com/products/product.asp?n=11

or use any 400 cheapo color film that you can find at Wally World any pharmacy.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

OR, if you don't mind film, check the good used camera sites for a Nikonos.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Why not?

zuzanne Loc: Crawfordville, FL

Because I don't trust the housings. Took new Canon A95 to Aruba few years back. Bought new housing from Canon. There was a hairline fraction that you could not see in the housing. First dive, housing leaked ruined camera and memory card. Camera shop could not even recover the photos off the memory card. Salt water fried both camera and card. Camera was replaced but you can never replace the photos. So my new T3i won't be going into a housing. You know the old adage, "once bitten, twice shy."

Suzanne

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

You had one bad experience and, with all due respect to Canon, not with the best housing. The odds of that happening again with an Ikelite or Ewa-Marine housing are astronomical. Give it a try; you won't be disappointed.