Reefmaster Dc200

Hello.

I have just bougt myself complete divinggear, finding out that it wasnt complete.. I feel like missing the camera.

My budget is relatively small, and I am considering buying the reefmaster dc200 camera. Its very lowpriced compared with other cameras. Is there anyone out there with any experience on this camera, or at least some opinions about it? Should i buy another camera? is there any other digital cameras in that priceclass?

Thank you in advance for all answers

Christian Henriksen

Have not used the Reefmaster, but I think it is a 1.3 Megapixel Camera (a bit small for bigger pix usually) and lists for about for $545. I have seen a couple of sites that have some real nice pix with the camera. Technology is always changing so something that was hot 6 months ago (and real good) drops in price. I like my Olympus 3040 3.1 Megapixel Camera and Olympus PT-10 housing, though I know what I will be getting next Anyway you can get the Olympus 3040 for arounf $500 or so (The 3020 which also fits the housing can be had for around $400 or so) and the PT-10 for about $250. There are other cameras in the Olympus 3000 Line . The down side...it use smartMedia Cards which I guess will not get bigger than 128 Megs (which is still good for at least 55 very high quality shots) since Olympus has the new cards, and the PT-10 is depth rated to 30 meters (around 95 feet or so)..so may not be perfect that first deep dive of the day...

Anyway FWIW attached some shots. The fish and ship are straight from the camera and housing, with some minor Photoshop tweaks (that is something that is needed for most digital it seems) and the turtle is from a more recent trip with a Wide Angle Lens and playing with a strobe...

Note that this is the only Digital set up I have used so far, so check around for other things that may work for you

I would concur with Drew. The reefmaster dc200 is only 1.3MP. It is available for $499. You can get a much nicer camera, with zoom and manual modes (very important if you get serious about underwater photography) and a housing for a bit more. For example, you can get a refurbished Olympus 3040 (very nice camera) or new 3020 for $400. The PT-010 housing is $249 and works very well with the internal strobe on the camera. If you can't afford the 3040, you can get a refurbished Olympus 3000 for around $315 (only different from the 3040 in that it has an f2.8 lens instead of f1.8 and has a smaller internal buffer). So, for a bit more than the price of the reefmaster, you get almost 3x the pixels, a much more versatile camera and a system that can be expanded with strobes and add-on lenses should you want to go that route. Only downside is the SmartMedia. Sony and Canon have similar systems, though my preference is the Olympus system. Having said this, if you want a simple, out of the box point and shoot system, the reefmaster is about the only thing available at the moment, though you'll only get prints up to 4x6 or maybe 5x7 out of it. I dove with a guy that had one last week. Seemed very easy to operate, though his was fogging up a bit . . .

Mike

If you looking for a cheap setting I'll recommended the Canon S30 + Canon WP-DC300 u/w case. That setting will cost you 570$ (and maybe less in few online stores) and its the cheaper setting for a 3M camera + housing ,maybe the Oly 3020 is close but the the S30 is much better camera (in my opinion).

Bad. It's a low resolution (i.e. <3mp) point and shoot. You can add the Reefmaster accesories like strobe and macro lenses, but then you end up spending a lot more than the original $500.

Take the other posters advice. If you are on a budget, look at the Olympus, Canon, or Sony offerings with the cheap plastic housings. The cameras are better than the Reefmast digital.