Underwater Camera Advice, Please: My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy...

twillsol Loc: St. Louis, MO

My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy, but would like to know what other options he has.

All suggestions welcome and thank you.

Yes, we did google it, but would like advice from other Hoggers.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

twillsol wrote:

My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy, but would like to know what other options he has.

All suggestions welcome and thank you.

Yes, we did google it, but would like advice from other Hoggers.

without getting into expensive housings for DSLR's the AW1 is a great option.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

GoPro

amehta Loc: Boston

twillsol wrote:

My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy, but would like to know what other options he has.

All suggestions welcome and thank you.

Yes, we did google it, but would like advice from other Hoggers.

Last summer I went snorkeling/diving and got a Sony RX-100 and an Ikelite housing, which I think is the best system I could get for $1000. The AW1 came out a month later, naturally. The AW1 with the 11-27mm lens is about $800. The overall image quality of the RX-100 is slightly better, I believe, though both have the same size sensor (1" / CX). I'm not sure what I would do today, but I think those would be the two options I would be deciding between.

Here is one representative image. For once, the underwater shot is useful. :-)

(Download)

amehta Loc: Boston

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

GoPro

A friend recommended the GoPro, and I looked at it very seriously. In the end, though, the fixed focal length ultra wide angle lens was a deterrent, as well as the basic philosophy of the GoPro: show the action from "my" perspective. I really wanted the picture which would show the fish and coral in their world.

wteffey Loc: Ocala, FL USA

For a recent trip to the Carribean, I went to ebay and found an 8mp Canon powershot S80, with Canon underwater case, extra batteries, charger and misc stuff for $80.00. New, the outfit probably sold for nearly $800. Seems like no one wants an old Camera with "only" 8mp, but it made a fine rig for under water, and actually goes with me on all my boating trips.

br3kes Loc: Tarentum PA

twillsol wrote:

My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy, but would like to know what other options he has.

All suggestions welcome and thank you.

Yes, we did google it, but would like advice from other Hoggers.

I've had the aw100 for a few years and just lost it in the sea...my next one will be the aw110 (not the aw120).

(Download)

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

twillsol wrote:

My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy, but would like to know what other options he has.

All suggestions welcome and thank you.

Yes, we did google it, but would like advice from other Hoggers.

Unless he has money to spare, and he intends to get a lot of dry-land use out of that camera, there are good alternatives. I got an AW100 last year, and I like it.

I doubt that his pictures would be $450 better than the Nikon AW110. A refurb would cost even less.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-COOLPIX-Waterproof-Digital-Camera/dp/B00B7N997O

There are lots of post processing options for underwater pictures.

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

twillsol wrote:

My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy, but would like to know what other options he has.

All suggestions welcome and thank you.

Yes, we did google it, but would like advice from other Hoggers.

When we were in Jamaica a few years ago, my Olympus Tough was the most popular camera among our group: I didn't go snorkling myself, but many of the others in our group did, and came to borrow it as it was the only waterproof camera there. Some of the photos they showed me afterwards, were outstanding.
(I did make everyone that used the camera, use their own SD card!!)

skiman Loc: Ventura, CA

jerryc41 wrote:

Unless he has money to spare, and he intends to get a lot of dry-land use out of that camera, there are good alternatives. I got an AW100 last year, and I like it.

I doubt that his pictures would be $450 better than the Nikon AW110. A refurb would cost even less.

http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-COOLPIX-Waterproof-Digital-Camera/dp/B00B7N997O

There are lots of post processing options for underwater pictures.

I got my AW110 for $260 new at Costco last October, and as Jerry said refurbished at about $169, and the pictures will not be $500 inferior.

br3kes Loc: Tarentum PA

You can get the aw110 for less then $300.00 new. They are nice cameras and you don't have to play with the housings.

sr71 Loc: In Col. Juan Seguin Land

Here is a review of the oly tg-3 and suggest it.... or should say recommend it....

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2014/05/17/new-orleans-for-fun-photos-and-ghosts-with-olympus-tg-3-and-e-m10/

twillsol wrote:

My friend is going to Florida in a few weeks and wants to do some snorkeling with a camera. He is looking at the Nikon AW1 because he is a Nikon guy, but would like to know what other options he has.

All suggestions welcome and thank you.

Yes, we did google it, but would like advice from other Hoggers.

bigshot Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

GoPro

Another possibility is the Garmin VIRB Elite, . It has digital zoom. The dive case corrects for underwater lighting.

br3kes Loc: Tarentum PA

Did I read wrong? I thought they were looking for an underwater camera? Correct me if I'm wrong, please.

delraypiper Loc: Delray Beach, FL

Check out sealife. I've used a 1400 for a lot of photos. It, however had a separate housing. The sealife reefmaster mini is self contained and will go a lot deeper than you are going to go with out SCUBA.

Check our their site.

John D