The Canon_EOS_300D Digital Rebel has been around for awhile now - since August 2003. It’s a Digital SLR with 6.3 megapixels and has a number of different Housings that can be used for ScubaDiving |

• BS Kinetics Dahna Digital
• Hugyfot HFC-300D
• Ikelite #6871.1 Canon 300D [eTTL]
• 10bar Canon 300D
• Jonah Housing C300D
• Sea & Sea DX-300
• SUBAL C30
• Aquatica A300

Read more about the Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel

Buy the Sea & Sea MX-10

The MX-10 is a compact, lightweight amphibious camera that is ideal for diving, snorkeling, rafting, all outdoor activities. Simple to use, versatile and affordably priced, it is the perfect camera for beginners. The MX-10 is a compact, lightweight 35mm camera that is the ideal companion for all outdoor activities. The MX-10 is completely waterproof. Designed for divers, it performs as well as at 100 feet as it does on the surface, incorporates a 32mm focus-free lens, built-in flash.The YS-40A strobe has been manufactured exclusively for use with the MX-10 camera. It is equipped with a built-in sensor that automatically delivers the proper exposure for perfectly illuminated images.

Read the reviews about Sea and Sea MX-10

The Nikon Coolpix 5900 is an upgrade from the Coolpix 5200. It offers four Scene Modes that feature Scene Assist, along with a new Underwater Scene Mode. The Nikon Coolpix 5900 is intended for use with the Nikon WP-CP4 Underwater Housing, and the underwater scene mode enables true-to-life colors to be captured when taking shots while snorkeling or Scuba Diving. To operate the scene mode, select the mode that best matches the subject, then point and shoot for optimal results. The camera also has the power to record VGA-size movies with sound at a smooth rate of 30 frames per second.

Read more about the Nikon Coolpix 5900 and Nikon WP-CP4 Underwater Housing.

Read more about the Olympus Stylus 600

Sea and Sea announced the Sea and Sea DX-750G in October 2005. It comes with the Underwater Housing.

The Main Features are:

• Very fine 1/2.5-inch primary-color CCD with effective image quality of 5.19 megapixels (recordable up to 7.08 megapixels).
• High-quality CCD and a potent-performance 3x zoom lens render crisp detail and rich, accurate color.
• Equipped with a large, bright and contrasty 2.0-inch LCD monitor. Bigger is better for composition, replay, and adjustment.
• 35-105mm optical 3x zoom. Versatile 3x zoom lens provides a wide range of focal lengths appropriate for a wide range of subjects and distances. This lens will shoot wide angle to telephoto, whatever you need for whatever you see.
• Macro photography shooting distance as close as 10cm / 4inch. In macro mode you can position your lens as close as 10cm / 4inch from the subject for highly magnified and hyper vivid images.
• A variety of white balance settings suitable for any shooting environment. In automatic mode the camera selects the appropriate white balance setting from the data garnered on the quantity of light and subject’s colors. Five other modes are selectable according to such specific sources of light as “outdoor” and “indoor.” White balance can also be customized.
• Photo Frame Setting. The 750G menu offers nine decorative photo frames. This unique feature allows you to capture the image within the frame of your choice, already fancy-framed and ready to print.
• Movie function. The 750G takes video with audio, at 640×480 pixel resolution, 24 frames per second.
  16-MB built-in memory. Recordable to SD/Multimedia Card. The 750G camera is equipped with a 16-MB built-in memory. Think of it as a backup in the event you forget your card or your card is full.
• Powered by alkaline or nickel metal hydride AA batteries. The 750G camera accepts both alkaline AA batteries, which are available anywhere even on a trip, and rechargeable nickel metal hydride batteries.
• Compatible with PictBridge. The accessory USB cable will connect the camera directly to any printer that supports the PictBridge interface.

There’s a review here of the Sea & Sea DX750G

Purchase the Canon SD550 at Amazon new for $409.94 Purchase the Canon WP-DC80 Underwater Housing at Amazon new for $199.99

The Canon Powershot SD550 Digital Camera is the top of the range in the Digital ELPH line. This camera was released in August 2005. With the Canon WP-DC80 Housing it can be taken Scuba Diving upto 130 feet (39 metres). The SD550 goes by the names of Digital Ixus 750 in Europe and IXY DIGITAL 700 in Japan. The SD550 is a fairly minor upgrade to the SD500 (Ixus 700). It has a larger screen - 2.5 inch instead of 2.0 inch) and a slight redesign of the body and controls. The majority of the changes are tweaking of the user interface. DPReview gives the Key specifications of the Canon Digital Powershot SD550

Chris Pirillo is really excited about his Canon Powershot SD550……

The SD550 is a different kind of digital camera. For one, the SD550 is the smallest digicam I’ve ever owned. There are times when I want a picture perfect image, and I have all the time in the world to set up the shot. Then, there are times I just want to point and shoot - no questions asked. I needed a pocket camera, and was a few days away from getting the SD500 (which is the SD550’s predecessor). I learned that Canon was going to release the new revision soon, with a much bigger LCD and updated feature set.

I’m not insane - the Canon PowerShot SD550 was worth waiting for! They’ve gone as far as to call it The Ultimate Digital ELPH. With 7.1 megapixels, what’s not to like? It does just about everything I want a digital camera to do, and it fits perfectly into my pocket (which is the true reason I was drawn to the SD550). In many ways, the SD550 reminds me a lot of my S2 IS; both cameras are at the top of their class. I’m taking the SD550 with me wherever I go. Move over, cell phone!

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any reviews from a Scuba Diver. I’ll look out for some and post them here when I have them.

Canon Powershot S80 with Canon WP-DC1 or Ikelite #6140.08 Underwater Housing.

Buy the Canon Powershot S80 8MP Digital Camera Buy the Canon WP-DC1 Waterproof Case

The Canon Powershot S80 came out just over a year after the Canon Powershot S70. The S80 has an extra million pixels and a few new features including the latest DIGIC II processor. It is smaller and lighter than the S70, although it has much larger (2..5″) wide viewing angle LCD monitor, a control wheel/4-way controller, XGA video capture (15 fps), USB 2.0 High-speed and SD/MMC storage. The RAW capture has been dropped in the S80. There is an Underwater Housing for up to 40 metres (132 feet) - the WP-DC1 or the Ikelite #6140.08.

Read more about the Canon Powershot S80

The Wetpixel Magazine - digital imaging for divers have a report on the different Scuba Diving Camera brands from the DEMA 2005 show in Las Vegas.

Wet Pixel gives a comprehensive and detailed overview of each of the following booths from the DEMA show:

• Light & Motion
• NightSea
• Sea & Sea
• Seacam
• Sealife
• Snapsights
• Subal
• Watershot Digital
• Ultralight Control Systems
• Equinox
• Fisheye
• Gates Underwater Housings
• Ikelite
• Inon
• 10-Bar Underwater Housings
• Advanced Design Engineering
• Amphibico
• Aquatica, and
• Backscatter

Great overview from Wetpixel.com and WetPixel wond the Editor’s Choice 2005 award from Scuba Diving Magazine.

William Heaton, the Wetpixel.com moderator has posted a comprehensive review of the Ikelite eTTL 2 housing with Canon EOS-5D digital SLR William says that the Canon EOS 5D truly is a revolutionary camera. The EOS 5D cuts the price of full frame digital SLR camera by more than half. This will enable many more people to use it, whereas this kind of camera was previously limited to working pros and extremely wealthy hobbyists. The only other full frame digital camera is the Canon 1DS Mark II which sells for $8000.

Heaton has thoroughly reviewed the Ikelite eTTL 2 Housing for use of the Canon EOS-5D as a Scuba Diving Camera. Ikelite is already addressing the negative points Heaton brought up in his review. Here’s an excerpt of what William Heaton says about the Ikelite eTTL 2 housing with Canon EOS-5D digital SLR:

After diving with the camera/housing I can say with confidence that I am going to love this camera and housing. Although I could not use my fisheye, I was able to use my 28mm f/2.8.  While this lens would not be very wide on a crop factor camera.  On the 5D it was sufficiently wide to have some fun.

I have never taken any "great" shots on the first day with a new piece of equipment.  Well today everything - the camera, housing, lens, strobes, and strobe arms was new.  Diving with a new kit is just too much fun to take good res.  That said, I am happy with what I got.  I can see the potential. 

Read more about the Canon EOS-5D and Ikelite Housing

I just read in DivePhotoGuide.com that one of the top underwater photographers in the world uses the Nikon D2x reviewed yesterday.

Charles Hood is a freelance underwater photojournalist, and his work is almost exclusively commercial, filming people and big animals underwater with his Nikon D2x in an Aquatica housing.
He’s won numerous awards for his work in the UK and worldwide.

Charles has also had his work shown on over 60 front covers, including the TIME magazine.
Some of his work can be seen in Charles’ gallery DivePhotoGuide