Help with equipment purchase

Maybe you can help me. I am looking for a good UW digital camera mainly to take macro pictures (pygmy seahorses, harlequin ghostpipe fish, nudibranchs, etc.) which has a very short reaction time between focussing and actually registering the picture, which focusses properly (movement control in portrait mode with macro function) and still releases the internal flash at very short distances (even at 5cm).

I have experimented with the Canon PowerShot A60 in Indonesia and the Philippines with the result of a lot of "wagglers", i.e. unsharp pictures especially before a lighter background and white nudibranchs. The colour quality of the camera was indeed very good. Is the IXUS series recommendable for UW pictures?

I met a photographer using the Sony DCS T3/33 who is very happy with the camera due to the macro zoom function. There is now a new model, the DCS T9 who guarantees it seems very sharp pictures every time, and at a reasonable price. Does the internal flash of this camera work at 5cm distances? Have you heard anything about its performance overall? Are UW housings already available?

I also have an Olympus C5050 with housing but I did not get it to work as there are so many different modes, knobs and programmes. Apart from that, the internal flash does not work at a 5 cm distance, so I would have to buy an external flash.

Then, there is the SeaLife DC500 which promises sharp pictures. Just so many on the market that it is difficult to choose among reasonably priced, small high-performance cameras.

Could you please advise me or do you have other sussgestions? I would be very grateful.

Sincerely,

Helga Cookson

I'm curious as to why you don't just purchase a small external flash for your Oly 5050? It would certainly be as cheap as buying a new camera and housing additionally it would give you greater flexibility.

I own the SP-350. It will focus as close as 2cm in the super macro mode but the internal flash is disabled. It will use the internal flash in regular macro mode at 7cm.

Others have recommended the Fuji 810 and 900. The Canon S70, S80, A620. All of them have low cost housings available. Later,

Hi Helga,

With any and all underwater cameras, the internal flash is blocked by the housing's lens port and barrel when you get in very close. That's why you need an external flash. Even a small external slave will do and you can obtain one for a cheap price.

I recommend you keep your Oly setup and purchase an Inon wetmate macro lens. I think it's called the 165 but I could be wrong on the number. This lens will increas magnification and you won't have to get as close. From what I've seen, you can even buy two and stack them together.

If you're looking for a camera with a very short shutter lag, you'll need to look to the newer cameras. I believe the Fuji E900 has a very short shutter lag, as do a few others.

Cheesr

James

Hi! Thank you all for your useful opinions. I shall buy an external flash for my Olympus.