Fate or REALLY BAD LUCK!

[gNats]

Sigh. For the first time I have a little hand-held point and shoot. It is an Intova 6mp camera and was purchased as a set with the underwater housing. I've always owned (and do own) larger 35mm or DSLRs that are not always conducive to tucking into a purse or pocket when not needed.

After recently using the camera a week in Bonaire, I pretty much convinced myself that I needed to upgrade to the Sea Life DC800 Pro.

This last weekend, at the Our World Underwater show in Chicago, I took the camera with the hopes of capturing show and socialization photos to upload to a group website. And, since it is a pocket camera, I could tuck it into my purse. Bonus.

Late Saturday afternoon, I met a person at a booth with the same camera and we began chatting up about the camera and the quality of the underwater photos. He tells me that after buying the strobe kit for the camera, he became very impressed with the quality of the photos and is quite pleased overall with the camera.

I think to myself, spending around $700 for a new DC800 is really NOT in my financial future, maybe I should consider buying the strobe. A much more affordable solution. Since none of the dealers carried the Intova line, I decided to wait until Monday and research the strobe from home.

On the way home from Chicago yesterday, I decide to take a few shots of the Chicago skyline as the sun is hitting on it from the backseat. I unzip my little bag purse, pull out my camera

and see that the LCD screen is cracked in the corner.

I am sure it occurred Saturday night while I had my purse tossed on the floor by my chair and managed to trip on it at least 3 times over the course of the evening.

I'm not sure if it is just bad luck staring me in the face or if Fate is telling me to wait and get the SeaLife camera and not monkey with a strobe on a camera I was iffy on to begin with.

[Vercingetorix]

Sorry to hear about this misfortune. My P&S (Canon A620) has a flip screen so it turns in to be protected. It makes decent photos and videos and is not expensive; you may wish to consider something like that. The newer Canons accept the larger SDHD card.

[Lulubelle]

Nat, my Canon point and shoot has had a crack in the corner of the LCD for years. It doesn't affect the image on the screen or anything for that matter. Perhaps this is the case for you as well? Hopefully.

[gNats]

Originally Posted by Lulubelle

Nat, my Canon point and shoot has had a crack in the corner of the LCD for years. It doesn't affect the image on the screen or anything for that matter. Perhaps this is the case for you as well? Hopefully.

I'm sure you are correct. The photos I took of the horizon came out well (as well as can be from the backseat of a bumpy truck on a bad highway through salt-encrusted windows)

I just hate having new stuff that is well, not pristine!

[cowgirldiver]

Now I'm scared. Like you, I've had my camera I bought for uw shots just tossed in the bag I bring to work everyday. I was more worried about all the crumbs in the bottom of my bag working their way into it than the screen getting cracked. Now....

[ReefHound]

Originally Posted by gNats

I'm sure you are correct. The photos I took of the horizon came out well (as well as can be from the backseat of a bumpy truck on a bad highway through salt-encrusted windows)

I just hate having new stuff that is well, not pristine!

No you have it all wrong, this is an omen that you should get the strobe and use the camera underwater. Because the ultimate fate of all underwater cameras - some sooner than others - is to drown. So when that day comes that you flood the camera, you can point to the cracked LCD and convince yourself that you did not ruin a perfect camera and it needed replacing anyway.

[wgt]

Sometimes accidents happen. When they do and opportunity arises, we call it good fortune. While taking an auto-timed photo on a Mayan temple, a gust of wind came out of nowhere, lifting the camera from its ancient perch and lashing it against the stones. The lens on the DSLR was properly buggered. Had I displeased the Mayan Gods?

It is true that my photos suffered greatly on that trip. However, I promptly upgraded to the lens that I wanted in the first place, and the photos have benefited in the long run. Did the Gods actually do me a favor?

Of course, the answer is "no" to both questions. Nevertheless, when stuff goes wrong, see whether you can turn the situation into a net gain.

Originally Posted by gNats

Sigh. For the first time I have a little hand-held point and shoot. It is an Intova 6mp camera and was purchased as a set with the underwater housing. I've always owned (and do own) larger 35mm or DSLRs that are not always conducive to tucking into a purse or pocket when not needed.

After recently using the camera a week in Bonaire, I pretty much convinced myself that I needed to upgrade to the Sea Life DC800 Pro.

This last weekend, at the Our World Underwater show in Chicago, I took the camera with the hopes of capturing show and socialization photos to upload to a group website. And, since it is a pocket camera, I could tuck it into my purse. Bonus.

Late Saturday afternoon, I met a person at a booth with the same camera and we began chatting up about the camera and the quality of the underwater photos. He tells me that after buying the strobe kit for the camera, he became very impressed with the quality of the photos and is quite pleased overall with the camera.

I think to myself, spending around $700 for a new DC800 is really NOT in my financial future, maybe I should consider buying the strobe. A much more affordable solution. Since none of the dealers carried the Intova line, I decided to wait until Monday and research the strobe from home.

On the way home from Chicago yesterday, I decide to take a few shots of the Chicago skyline as the sun is hitting on it from the backseat. I unzip my little bag purse, pull out my camera

and see that the LCD screen is cracked in the corner.

I am sure it occurred Saturday night while I had my purse tossed on the floor by my chair and managed to trip on it at least 3 times over the course of the evening.

I'm not sure if it is just bad luck staring me in the face or if Fate is telling me to wait and get the SeaLife camera and not monkey with a strobe on a camera I was iffy on to begin with.

[Tully Mars]

Interesting. I have that same Inova 6.0 camera. Just got it about a month ago and have used it in a cenote on a trip over to Akumal. Both times the camera did alright. Not great but alright. I have a Canon Powershot (750Sd?) I don't have a purse but it does fit in my cargo shorts pocket. I could have bought a UW case for the Canon, it has an UW setting on it. But the camera was around $400 (electronics costs more down here) and the case would have costs me nearly what the Inova w/case cost. I went with the Inova just because I figure when (don't think it's ever "if" with UW cameras) it gets drowned I won't be out nearly as much overall cash.

My experience with the camera has been hit and miss. In the cenote I got decent shots but had more ambient light. On the reef in Akumal, in the current, I had trouble getting anything but some blurred shot. A guy on that dive had a Canon P&S in a case and his came out damn good, I have a shot from mine and several from his in my photos. I think with the strobe the Inova might do much better.

If you do order one will you keep me posted on how it preforms? I'll do the same.

Thanks,

Tully

[Zenagirl]

The good thing about strobes is that they are pretty universal, so you can buy one for your little camera now, and continue using the strobe later when you buy a new camera.

[mitsuguy]

I know I'm a little late in this thread, but there is a great in between solution for all of the problems mentioned so far...

Olympus SW series (now known as the Tough series)

I have a 1030SW, it's waterproof by itself to 10m, so when it is in it's housing, if there is ever a problem with the housing, the camera will survive a partial flood, and potentially even a full flood, depending on depth...

also, one great thing on top of being waterproof is that they are shock resistant... they can take drops from 6 feet, or 200 lbs worth of crushing force...

this is the one camera I don't think even I can break...