Sony Alpha 350

This is my first post, this looks like a great site!

I am traveling to Fiji in August and would like to upgrade before I go. I am relatively inexperienced, having rented nikonos and then point and shoots at several dive spots over the past few years. I only get to dive once, maybe twice a year. I am considering the new Sony alpha 350 (also the new eos xsi). I need a new cam for above water and am definitely going the dslr route.

My concerns are:

Will a housing be available for the a350 before I go? I'd hate to buy the cam and not be able to find a housing for it before I leave. But I don't want to buy a diff model just because there is a housing avail.

Will the learning curve be too great to use this cam on my trip, having never used a dslr underwater before?

I will be diving in the maldives (liveaboard) and Utila (also on a liveaboard) in 2009. Should I rent again in Fiji and hope that a350 hoising will be avail before 2009.

Also the a350 doesnt have an underwater mode, does this matter?

Thanks for any help/advice!

Bluekayaker.

If you're committed to using the camera underwater, your choices of housing will certainly be better with the Canon. The 40D, or Nikon D300 would be good choices as well.

Most built-in underwater modes are not good choices for underwater photography.

I guess if you only dive a couple of times a year a semi-professional DSLR and housing are a huge investment. Have you thought about purchasing a prosumer P&S, or, even an entry level DSLR just for underwater?

I only signed up and even found out about this site when searching for a housing for a A350.

I found this one

http://www.bskinetics.com/en/gibson.html

Hope this is some help

This is my first post, this looks like a great site!

 

I am traveling to Fiji in August and would like to upgrade before I go. I am relatively inexperienced, having rented nikonos and then point and shoots at several dive spots over the past few years. I only get to dive once, maybe twice a year. I am considering the new Sony alpha 350 (also the new eos xsi). I need a new cam for above water and am definitely going the dslr route.

 

My concerns are:

 

Will a housing be available for the a350 before I go? I'd hate to buy the cam and not be able to find a housing for it before I leave. But I don't want to buy a diff model just because there is a housing avail.

 

Will the learning curve be too great to use this cam on my trip, having never used a dslr underwater before?

 

I will be diving in the maldives (liveaboard) and Utila (also on a liveaboard) in 2009. Should I rent again in Fiji and hope that a350 hoising will be avail before 2009.

 

Also the a350 doesnt have an underwater mode, does this matter?

 

Thanks for any help/advice!

 

Bluekayaker.

well, i know that this is a little late, but i am considering the same camera for underwater purposes, and i found out that ikelite makes a good housing for it, hope this is helpful, and if you have any pictures please post them! thanks