I'm a complete newbie in uwphoto and relatively inexperienced diver, so I don't wanna get my hands too full. It'll give me some experience with uwphoto and if not perfect shots, at least some memories. Would that be a complete waste of money?
I'll put in the obligatory caution here. My opinion only, but I think it is important to meniton. Photography is something that a diver should not really engage in until he or she has a few dives under his or her belt. If you have a really good handle on buoyancy control, you'll be much more able to protect the reef, AND it will make your photography a heck of a lot better. I do know people that get this faster than others, so I don't mean to offend anyone by implying they are flying around underwater bouncing off stuff -- that being said I always cringe a bit when I see "relatively inexperieced diver" and "photos" in the same sentence. I'd also add here that the dive guides at Wakatobi are infamous for their zeal in protecting the reef. So, if you are not careful in how you handle the camera and yourself you may get some "feedback" from them that may not be all that kind.
I don't have much experience with Panasonics, but I did shoot a series of point and shoot cameras before switching over to a DSLR rig. It IS possible to get some nice shots with a point and shoot and only the internal strobe. In fact, if you are new at this, you might WANT to start without a whole bunch of extra stuff to worry about. Try the camera with the internal strobe and get used to the controls. When you are ready to move up to the next level, then worry about adding optional equipment. However, you have to work within the cameras limitations. Due to the limited power of the strobe, you will likely only be able to light a small area and you'll need to be within a couple (1-2) feet of what you are shooting. For "megafauna", you'll be working with available light anyway (unless you have a wide angle lens and strobes) so you will likely only get a "souvenir" shot unless the water is very clear and shallow. Another thing that I'll add is that you have to think about whether you want to grow this into something more than a one-trip-gotta-have-memories type of thing. If you do, spend a bit more now to get a better camera. I appreciate brand loyalty, but in my considred opinion, statements like "it is important to me that it be a Panasonic" are a bit hard to understand in the point and shoot arena. Memory cards don't care what kind of camera you have and I would submit that it isn't all that hard to learn the controls of a different brand of camera if you invest a small amount of time. It isn't like you have a collection of lenses that wont' fit! Having said that, I looked at the Panny models you list. I can't find a "PS" anything on their website so I'm not sure on those two, but the TZ series is a "superzoom" style camera. In my experience, cameras with large amounts of optical zoom are too much of a compromise for underwater but it does have a fairly wide lens so you might be OK. Another thing that I'd recommend to anyone wanting to get serious about this is that the camera hav a manual shooting mode. I don't think the TZ series has this. And, look at strobe compatibility NOW rather than later if you think you might go that route. Hard pill to swallow to buy a rig, start to like it, and then realize there is no upgrade path. You might want to get in touch with a retailer (see sponsor list for this site) who has experience with a range of point and shoot cameras and can give you some tips on what your options are.
Bottom line, if your goal is to get some memories and you can live within the limitations of the camera, then it'r probably worth it, especially if you are planning to get a camera anyway for topside snapshots (so, if you want a TZ for topside use and can live with the limitations underwater, then fine). Just keep your expectations in check.
Mike
