Upgrading to SLR from compact - what camera/housing to choose?

I would say the first nikon dslr with usable live view. Olympus and sony have good live view system for long time (and yes with housing options).

The OP may consider the mirrorrless options, since upgrading from G11.

The problem with OLYs has always been their poor AF shutter lag, when in live view. 0.6 seconds for the E3 for instance. 0.7 - 1.2 seconds for the e520...

I shudder at the shutter lag! Their P&S compacts and their mirrorless cameras all have class lagging slow AF times. Nothing desirable for UW use, in my book!

I see now that there are some sony's with decent implementations. But many have issues with focusing correctly at all. "unreliable". The sony dslrs haven't even had video, and no full HD, until this generation.

I stand by the the d7000 being the first DSLR with a really useable great AF even in live view, and great everything else.

I stand by the the d7000 being the first DSLR with a really useable great AF even in live view, and great everything else.

Well of course; it's an Single Lens Reflex and the EVILs are not. Nits aside, I use a Panasonic GH1 for video and a light travel camera. The AF and shutter are fast enough to capture my grandson's football games. That said, my current rig is the D80 and the next will likely be the D7000 or D400.

Bob

The problem with OLYs has always been their poor AF shutter lag, when in live view. 0.6 seconds for the E3 for instance. 0.7 - 1.2 seconds for the e520...

 

I shudder at the shutter lag! Their P&S compacts and their mirrorless cameras all have class lagging slow AF times. Nothing desirable for UW use, in my book!

 

I see now that there are some sony's with decent implementations. But many have issues with focusing correctly at all. "unreliable". The sony dslrs haven't even had video, and no full HD, until this generation.

 

I stand by the the d7000 being the first DSLR with a really useable great AF even in live view, and great everything else.

I was referring the oly e330 from 2006. It was a DSLR and not a mirrorless camera. Sony used a similar system for liveview from 2008 and that time the LV of the other makers were good only for static subjects using tripod.

I don't know any serious focusing issue with it. It was as reliable as any phase contrast AF. The lack of video was for one or two generations behind the others and to be fair the first video implementations in DSLRs were not really good.

If we are focusing on the liveview speed only or the AF speed during video, I'm sure that the sony A55 is much faster than the d7000. Otherwise the d7000 is probably a better overall camera.