Freshwater Photography

I have done film photography for a number of years with a rebel. I am know thinking of buying a 20D but I would like to do underwater photography of freshwater semi-professionaly.

I will be freediving so I need something I can descent with and accent with easier but also use for scuba (past 120 feet) in a few years.

What can people suggest for bodies, lighting etc. What kind of costs am I looking at?

Hi,

If you already have Canon lenses, then a Canon body is a good idea. One other lens you may want is the digital wideangle 10-22 by Canon or the Canon mount Sigma 10-20.

As for housings, Ikelite is the most affordable and a good start.

HTH

James

I forgot to mention that the lakes I dive in get dark rather fast.

Have you ever tried free diving and carrying a housed/strobed SLR ??

Let alone SCUBA diving with one ? Forget free diving with one !! You "Might" be able to freedive w/ a P&S in a minimal housing as long as you're shooting available light (depth dependant); but there is no way you're going to be able to free dive w/a housed SLR + dual strobes for conditions that "get dark really fast"

Here's a collection of Freshwater images all shot at 10 -20' in clear water from last July. Most would have been impossible freediving w/ an SLR.

What a P&S? I have never tryed to dive with a camera as I never have had one. How much resistance does it add?

P&S is point and shoot (non-SLR) camera. Obviously much smaller. I would agree with dave. I've never used an SLR underwater but i've seen lots of people with them. The rigs get rather big pretty fast. I wouldn't want to try to free dive with it. Plus P&S cameras have the screen on the back to frame the pic while you need to use the viewfinder for an SLR...seems like that might be tricky in the limited down time freediving.