Almost ready to purchase a new rig

This is my first post, but I've been reading through the forums for the past several weeks and am amazed at the amount of wonderful information available. I've been diving for 20+ years and have wanted to get a small, relatively inexpensive camera rig for occasional use for the last several years. I was ready to purchase a Sealife DC600, but in reading through the various posts I think can do a lot better for less money. My research has led me to one of two choices:

Canon A630/WP-DC8 or Canon A570IS/WP-DC12

I want something that will be small, relatively inexpensive and will produce good results topside as well as below. I'm not interested in adding strobes and will only be using natural light. I was leaning towards the A570 because I thought it would be a better topside camera and would allow me to add a wide angle lens which, from what I have read, seems pretty much mandatory for anything other than macro work.

Here's the problem and the reason for the post: the Inon adapter and WA lens for the A570 will cost about as much as the entire camera and housing setup. Is there any way to add WA to this rig less expensively? I know that Sealife sells a WA lens for a very reasonable price, but the Inon people tell me it won't work with their adapter for the WP-DC12 housing. Please help! How can I add a WA lens to either of the setups I'm considering without breaking the bank? Also, any input on my camera/housing choices would be appreciated.

This is my first post, but I've been reading through the forums for the past several weeks and am amazed at the amount of wonderful information available. I've been diving for 20+ years and have wanted to get a small, relatively inexpensive camera rig for occasional use for the last several years. I was ready to purchase a Sealife DC600, but in reading through the various posts I think can do a lot better for less money. My research has led me to one of two choices:

 

Canon A630/WP-DC8 or Canon A570IS/WP-DC12

 

I want something that will be small, relatively inexpensive and will produce good results topside as well as below. I'm not interested in adding strobes and will only be using natural light. I was leaning towards the A570 because I thought it would be a better topside camera and would allow me to add a wide angle lens which, from what I have read, seems pretty much mandatory for anything other than macro work.

 

Here's the problem and the reason for the post: the Inon adapter and WA lens for the A570 will cost about as much as the entire camera and housing setup. Is there any way to add WA to this rig less expensively? I know that Sealife sells a WA lens for a very reasonable price, but the Inon people tell me it won't work with their adapter for the WP-DC12 housing. Please help! How can I add a WA lens to either of the setups I'm considering without breaking the bank? Also, any input on my camera/housing choices would be appreciated.

I have a Canon S70 and have recently added both an Inon Wide angle lens UWL110 and a macro lens UCL165 to my set up.

The inon UWL lens is ok. It is definitely NOT a must have. I suggest you just get the basic set up at the moment and then you can spend a few more dollars if you then decide to get the wide lens. The cameras you are looking at seem to produce great results, especially macro. This is where my S70 is not so great.

I only bought the Inon UWL as I wanted to try some up & under shots. Unfortunately I could only get these in pool like conditions.(Maybe I will upgrade to the Inon fisheye lens!! Has anybody managed up/under photos using a P&S?) The S70 is 28 mm so it was ok without the wide add on lens.

I am really glad I bought the UCL as this has helped with the poor macro focus ability of the S70.

If your housing has a threaded port you can find some cheaper alternatives than Inon. Sea&Sea's old Nikonos WA lens 16mm works well with threaded adapters. Epoque makes cheaper threaded althernatives. As an owner of a threaded WA and Macro lens I would have went to Inon's Bayonet style lens if I had known all the grief a cross threaded port would have caused. In the end I had to buy another housing to get the lenses to work again. If I were you I'd buy the Inon bayonet style mount lenses.

Thanks for the info. I ended up purchasing the Canon A570IS/WP-DC12 combo (Amazon.com for under $325.00!). I used it on a dive trip to Cortes Bank last weekend and was amazed at the quality of the photos I got just setting it to UW mode in full auto, basically point and shoot. I tried to attach a cool shot I got of a Giant Black Sea Bass that hung out with me for about 20 minutes at 60 feet but I don't think it worked! Having never owned a digital camera and knowing absolutely nothing about photography I am incredibly pleased with my choice.

One thing that worked well for me was to go without the housing weights and leave the camera and case positively buoyant. I purchased a gauge retractor and clipped one end to a shoulder D ring on my BC and the other end to the camera housing. Whenever I wanted to take a shot the camera was floating just above my shoulder and I just grabbed it, took the shot, and let go. It was really nice to be able to hunt for lobster and still take pictures when I saw something cool.

I do have a final question though: Would one of these "magic filters" that I've read about restore the natural color to my photos, and if so, how would it be attached to the camera/housing setup I have? Are they anything other than just a piece of colored plastic film?

I do have a final question though: Would one of these "magic filters" that I've read about restore the natural color to my photos, and if so, how would it be attached to the camera/housing setup I have? Are they anything other than just a piece of colored plastic film?

Nope - you don't need one of those. I do all my uw photography w/ natural light only also. All you need to do is use manual/custom white balance. Your camera supports this. A white slate is very useful to carry with you for this purpose. I have mine on a clip and extendable lanyard. I've put together a page based on my initial experiences, to help increase the # of good shots (and reduce post processing needs).

Here it is: www.patmedia.net/jkling17.

Good luck!

Jeff