set-up for less than $1000

What is the best set-up for under $1000? I am considering the canon s30 with its housing. How about the Olympus?

As with anything eles in life, it depends on what you want. Canon, Olympus and Sony all make cameras and inexpensive housings to go with them. Ikelite also makes housings for many digicams but you'll pay at least $475 for the least expensive Ikelite housing. If you want an external strobe you have to factor that in too, though if all you want are snapshots of fish the internal strobe might be enough to start out with. If you plan on using the camera topside most of the time, get the one you would most like to have above water. Then get the housing to fit it. If you plan on using the digital camera underwater a lot, then I'd look harder into the serious underwater performance. In your price range you might consider (sources of prices in parens):

Olympus:

3MP: C-3040 $579 (B&H)

4MP: C-4040 $699 (B&H)

PT-010 housing $249 (several retailers)

Canon:

3MP: S30 $499 (B&H)

4MP: S40 $599 (B&H)

WP-DC300 housing $199 (B&H)

Sony:

3MP: DSC-P5 $479 (B&H)

MPK-P5 housing $199 (B&H)

I know we have people here using the Olympus and Sony products. Not sure if anyone has the Canon S30 and the housing for it. I use the Oly cameras and like them -- more accessories for the Oly "system" if you decide to brach out later. Some may poke me for not mentioning Nikon, but the Nikon system I'd suggest (Coolpix 995 and Ikelite housing) would run you over $1200 up front . . .

If I were on a budget, I would get the Olympus C3020 for ~$400

instead of the C3040. The C3040's F/1.8 lens does not

help that much under water.

With the savings you can get an Epoque ES-150 strobe for

about $250.

So you'll have:

Olympus C3020: $400

Olympus PT-010: $250

Epoque ES-150: $250

Strobe arm, 128MB smartmedia card and batteries

will probably put you a little over budget.

Herb