never done underwater ... know nothing ... would this camera work?

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I am interested in photographing the Candy Darter in its natural small stream habitat, but do not have anything to shoot underwater with.

I found this ad on my local (at this time) Craigslist, and am wondering if it would be a viable option for me. I do not want to invest much at all at this time, and just want something that would actually take a halfway decent pic underwater.

So, I ask those of you with actual underwater photography experience, would this work for my modest purposes? Is there anything else or anything better I could get for a total of $150 ?

https://philadelphia.c​raigslist.org …s-digital/7470489007.htm​l

I used one of those waterproof cases about 15 years ago. It worked fine. No leaks. Decent travel type photos, but it won't produce images like your normal nature photos. I used to use it for snorkel trips, since I couldn't afford a case for my DSLR.

I may be able to offer a bit of insight. I've used the Canon waterproof case many years ago on the SD600 camera for a scuba diving expedition. Did it work? Yes. However, I probably wouldn't buy one again unless it was to be used on a full frame camera that also gets used outside of the water. In my opinion, even at $150 it's sort of a waste. It is a bit clunky, overkill for the typical depth of a stream, there is definitely some routine yet relatively quick maintenance/checks that need to be completed before each use, you will likely be disappointed with the image quality despite tempered expectations, and it will sit on a shelf for the majority of it's lifespan.

I don't need/want to take underwater pictures with any regularity to justify a housing for my full size cameras, but there are plenty of times I want to take pictures in wet environments (pool, waterparks, kayaking, fishing) or simply want to have a utilitarian camera that I can take with me anywhere and not have to worry about rain, dust/dirt, or getting banged around. If you share any of those uses, it might be worth it to purchase a dedicated waterproof camera. Certainly more expensive, but still quite reasonable when you consider how much more opportunity you may have to use the camera. There are several options from Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic, and Ricoh. Olympus would be my top choice with the f/2 lens, followed by a tie between Nikon and Ricoh.

mannetti21 wrote in post #19409388
I may be able to offer a bit of insight. I've used the Canon waterproof case many years ago on the SD600 camera for a scuba diving expedition. Did it work? Yes. However, I probably wouldn't buy one again unless it was to be used on a full frame camera that also gets used outside of the water. In my opinion, even at $150 it's sort of a waste. It is a bit clunky, overkill for the typical depth of a stream, there is definitely some routine yet relatively quick maintenance/checks that need to be completed before each use, you will likely be disappointed with the image quality despite tempered expectations, and it will sit on a shelf for the majority of it's lifespan.

I don't need/want to take underwater pictures with any regularity to justify a housing for my full size cameras, but there are plenty of times I want to take pictures in wet environments (pool, waterparks, kayaking, fishing) or simply want to have a utilitarian camera that I can take with me anywhere and not have to worry about rain, dust/dirt, or getting banged around. If you share any of those uses, it might be worth it to purchase a dedicated waterproof camera. Certainly more expensive, but still quite reasonable when you consider how much more opportunity you may have to use the camera. There are several options from Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic, and Ricoh. Olympus would be my top choice with the f/2 lens, followed by a tie between Nikon and Ricoh.

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Thanks for the insights and advice. . I see the sense in all that you say, which is why I held off on buying that SD990 with the case. . I especially relate to the things you said that I made bold and red.

I wasn't aware that there were "real" waterproof camera models that were reasonably affordable and also produce adequate image quality. . I'll have to research the models on the list that you provided.

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I have used one of underwater the camera bags in the past and they work quite well. I wouldn't go diving with one but have used it in a pool without issue. There are several out there and they are quite reasonably priced. The advantage is that you can use your existing dslr equipment and lenses. They are rated for 20 meters so I would think a stream is not an issue. To see more do a search for "DSLR Universal Waterproof Diving Bag". There are many different ones to choose from.