Help Buying a camera PLEASE

Hi,

I am looking to get an underwater digital camera as a gift for my boyfriend. We are going to the Bahamas and I think it would be a lot of fun. He also does A LOT of fishing and I think he'd enjoy this. However, I want to spend around $400. Is that possible? Can I get a good camera and housing for that amount? I appreciate any help you can offer me. I have a Canon Power Shot S400 4.0 mp camera. I could buy the housing for it but i'm not sure if that's the bast route. It already has a broken door that we tape shut. It may not be worth putting more money into. Does anyone know if it's a good enough camera? What are my best options ? Thank You so much for your help and your time. I didn't know who to ask.

Thanks

Laura

p.s.- I have no idea how to check this. could you email me at lohirsh@aol.com? thanks again

Hi Laura

I would suggest having a look at some of the packages our sponsors offer (they can be found on the right hand side, Backscatter, Reef Photo, Marine Camera, and Underwater PhotoTech)

These guys can offer some great package deals for cameras similar to your Canon, these packages will include the camera, batteries, housing, and memory cards among other stuff.

Popular brands that are good for underwater photography include Canon (i would suggest the A series like the A640) Olympus (SP 350) and Fuji.

Hope that helps

Laura,

I just bought a new (I believe the model is discontinued though still available) Olympus SP-350 for $185 and the Olympus housing (PT-030) for $200 on the web with a few minutes search for lowest price from a reputable dealer. I have an Olympus C-5050 with PT-015 housing which is great but only available used. The 5050 can be found ebay if you want to consider a used model. The 5050 is a sturdier but older model. It has a smaller LCD display. Both cameras use AA batteries, a big advantage IMHO. I bought the SP for my father-in-law for his 70th birthday but may get one for myself also.