Best Compact still camera for Underwater HD?

Hi

Been diving for years and always rented cameras on my trips so far but now ready to take the plunge.

I want to start off small as a housing for my Nikon SLR is over £1000

I would like to start off with a compact camera but would like to get the odd bit of video as well

Can anyone recommend a good compact camera that takes HD video and performs well underwater?

I am having trouble finding any reviews for them regarding underwater performance.

I also have a Sony TG3 HD camcorder but cannot find any housings for this so if anyone knows anything about that it would also be a great help. I saw a video of 1 guy who made his own but well beyond my capabilities.

Any assistance would be great.

Thanks in advance.

I haven't used it but the Panasonic ZS3 has HD video and came out top in a recent round-up on DP Review. Panasonic do a housing for it - DMW-MCTZ7.

Panasonic also makes the LX3 that has a native 24mm lens and 10bar makes a housing for it. That setup will start adding up $ though.

One of the important factors for choosing a camera for underwater use, is it's ability to perform well in low-light situations. Canon camcorders have typically worked very well in these types of situations and the HF S10 and HF S100, judging by their specs, look like they will be very well suited for underwater use. Both of these camcorders list 0.03 lux for "Night Shot", which will probably translate to a 1 0r 2 for normal shooting.

I recently bought the new Canon SD 970 IS point-and-shoot for my wife. It shoots HD video (1280x720, 30 fps) at 30' clips.

Ikelite has a housing for it, ~$250. External strobe is, of course, recommended because the internal flash will be obscured by the port.

I imagine Canon will offer its own housing for less than $200.

This kit may be too new for anyone to review, but it seems promising.