Cheap but good underwater camera options? (S330,C3040 etc)

So the question is, what's the most bang for the buck if I'm getting a small digital camera for underwater and perhaps a small slave strobe?

One I am considdering is the canon S330 because it is very small. I have not found many examples of photos taken with this camera underwater so I'm a little skeptical when I can find plenty of the olympus C3040 and C4040 examples but I am tempted by the smaller size if the canon. I'd probably plunk down for a canon G2 if they made a $300 housing for it but I can't afford one of those $1000 housings.

Comments?

Without getting into a brand war, I do believe that there is a point when smaller is not better. At some point everything gets so small that you cannot comfortably grip or accurately aim the camera.

If you are adding a strobe that just magnifies the problem with a tiny housing. Plus, if you're adding a strobe, that means you are not gonna carry it in your BC pocket or even comfortably clip it to a 'D' ring anyway.

Just something to consider....

Richard

Something else to consider....

I have used a Canono IXUS 300 for 6 months. Very nice camera but has it's limitations underwater. No manual setup for shutterspeed and aperture. After a few dives I really missed that.

Another think I was missing on the 330, macro. I'm not sure about that but I didn't see it in the specs. The 300 comes with a macro (16 - 76 cm).

Also don't forget the TTL pre-flash if you thinking about buying a external stobe. You don't have manual options on the camera. As far as I know, Ikelite DS-50 / DS-125 are the only one you can use.

Mike.

Another option is the Canon S30/40 with the WP-DC300 case.

Yes, a much better option.

... I think most everyone here would agree that the words cheap, good, underwater, and camera used together constitute an oxymoron.

Don't give up though...

Richard

When I started with making pictures underwater, somebody told me to read this artikel first. http://www.seapix.com/tips.htm

This was the most important tip:

Tip 1. Spend, Spend, Spend

Mike.

Sorry, but I don't agree with that tip (Spend, Spend, Spend)

Sure if you have the money, don't think twice and buy the best.

For a beginner (like me) I think you have to buy equipment that is good enough but no much more. I know from my self that the capacities of basic camera that I have (Canon S30) are much biggest then the capacities of the one that hold the camera. I have so much to learn and improve before I could say that I need a better (and expensive) camera.

Another point, as few already said almost every u/w photographer destroyed at list one camera (lost / fluid), Its usually happens to beginners, I prefer to do it with inexpensive setting.

I would also agree that more is not always better. Some of the best UW pictures I've ever taken were with an Olympus C-2020z in the old PT-005 case. Granted, that was back when the C-2020z was a $450 camera but still, it was only 2MP and the housing cost me $140. I used only the internal flash then. Now that I've got my C-4040 and Ike housing and strobes, I'm still trying to get my arms around the new setup. Whatever you do, if you plan to expand your abilities, make sure whatever camera you use has some manual controls (IOW, not just a "P" mode).

Thanks for all the pointers, I had not realized that the S330 had no manual control. I hate the feel of the plastic sliding cover of the S30/40 but maybe I can get over that because it's supposed to be a nice camera. I like the idea of the 1.8 lense of the olympus but I'm tempted to stick with the cannon because the cannon portable printer works with it and does slightly bigger prints than the comparable olympus printer.

In your strobe thread you said that you need something small and leightweight.

What about the small Sony cameras ? There are some models that allow manual control.

Did you see Ellen Muller's pictures ?

http://www.pbase.com/imagine

Sabine

You might want to check out the Olympus D40 with PT-012 housing.

One of my DM candidates uses this and it is really compact. One of the best things is that the camera is so small he carries it around wherever he goes...very good for the scuba social events.