Beginner Underwater Photographer

I have approximately 2,000 dollars to spend on some equipment. Which camera/housing will give me the most for my money?

Hello and welcome to this great (although little expensive) hobby.

What to buy its all depend on where you are planning to go.

If that it all the money you are planning to spend in the (near) future go to P&S solution, with 2000$ you can buy a good camera, an housing and external flash and you probably have some change.

What camera/housing/strobe/ you can find here in the relevant forum a lot of info about thus issues.

If you want a DSLR system this money will be enough for basic camera with the kit lens and one of the less expensive housing, the problem is that you won't have strobe and you'll have only one lens.

In the DSLR word, this is just the beginning and you'll (has most of us here) will find yourself adding more and more lens / ports / strobes / light over time.

Arnon gives good advice.

I would suggest something in the compact range, an Oly sp350 or sp500 or perhaps a Canon like the A640. These cameras are in the $300-$500 range, couple those with an Ikelite housing and a strobe such as the Ike DS125 or Inon Z240, these strobes will grow with you in the future whereas smaller ones aren't as flexible.

Then you can add a nice arm system like Ike, TLC, or ULCS and you will be set.

Try contacting one of the sponsors on the right side of the page (Reef Photo, Marine Cafmeras, Backscatter, and Underwater Photo Tech) for a package deal. Not only will these guys have a lot of knowledge about what is out there, they will give you good personalized service as well.

Also check used equipment as the latest and greatest dslr of 5 years ago can be todays bargain.

Real bargains can be found on film housings and cameras. Advantage of TTL on Macro. Huge disadvantage of not seeing results until later.

What do you guys think about suggesting a camera such as the Sea and Sea DX8000 coupled with a strobe? When I was in the Point and Shoot market, this was a very strong contender if I had not bought different camera already that I ended up housing. This package set, IMHO, offers a lot of options to a beginner underwater photographer.

Thanks everybody. I did a little bit of research and I really like the canon rebel Xt but WOW the housing for this camera cost more than the camera itself. i tried ebay but its still alot of money. any suggestions of where else i can buy a used housing or a new one at a really good price?

have you checked our classified section here? might be a few on there