Opinion on: Canon WP DC900 underwater housing

[samksy]

Anyone use this before and your experience......for snorkling, scuba diving, or even using it in your tank to get some close up pics? Thinking of getting this for my snorking/scuba trip in Curacao. Gonna be using this for my cannon A80 digital camera. Thanks
http://www.adorama.com/images/Product/ICAWPDC900.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00012KBW4/sr=1-10/qid=1139433992/ref=sr_1_10/102-9993061-2728968?%5Fencoding=UTF8

[jason and Jeani]

Good Morning,

This is my first post, so I hope I am doing this right. I recently purchased my wife the Cannon Si-1S and corosponding housing from Cannon. The housing works great! Very easy to use and upgrade with strob lighting. You will want additional lighting if you want to take mag quality pictures. In short I do not have any experience with the exact housing you are asking about, however I am very happy with the Cannon quality. I hope this helps... I don't think you can go wrong for a starter set up.:)

[samksy]

thanks, i'm back and here's some picture from my trip
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9628

[diver_ua]

I've got a80 with that wp dc900 in 2003. I took them 5 times for my trips.

I like it. I can show some uw pics and my tank uw shots if you want.

[samksy]

Post some pics here or sent me some pics, i only used once...any good advices to get better shots?

[diver_ua]

Here they are :)

Without external strobe

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/without_strobe_01.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/without_strobe_02.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/without_strobe_03.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/without_strobe_04.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/without_strobe_05.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/without_strobe_06.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/without_strobe_07.jpg

[diver_ua]

With external strobe Bonica (analog of non digital Reef Master)

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/with_strobe_01.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/with_strobe_02.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/with_strobe_03.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/with_strobe_04.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/with_strobe_05.jpg

---------------

Little tridacna in my young tank. I used wp dc900 and put camera directly into my aquarium.

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/mytank_tridacna_01.jpg

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/mytank_tridacna_02.jpg

[diver_ua]

My advices...

Look at the pics. First one with using internal flash (you can see bluring), second one with using external uw strobe. Distance was about 7 feets.

http://www.grouper.ru/photo/a80/different_strobes.jpg

So, buy external strobe, if you can.

-------

I like my a80, but it have only 4 megapixels. It's maximum print size is A4 (20x30 cm). I think you need to buy latest models of Canon or Olympus - they are better for uw photography.

[diver_ua]

Your shots would be much better if you move down at the eye level of fish or slightly below.

If the distance between your camera and the target is 2.5 meters red light will be reducing to zero. You need stay closer. Do not move if your target is high speed fish.

Do your shots on ISO 50 (ISO 100 maximum).

Oh, yeah! :)
You can download issues of Underwater Photography online magazine. It's absolutely free.

http://www.underwaterphotography.com/

[samksy]

Very impressive shots. Thanks for the info. I'll look into a external strobe.

[diver_ua]

You're welcome
http://www.reefmaster.com/accessories/digital_flash.html

Do your shots in Manual mode. You can set the parameters for shallow and deep water in C1 and C2 and then correct them if you need.