i go to the caribean every year to snorkle and fish and have always used the disposable cameras. would like to upgrade on a budget.

all advice and recommendations welcome

thanks arky65

I used a Nikonos V for years until it corroded away about a year ago.
I replaced it not with one of the disposable underwaters, but pretty much with one that uses replaceable film at a slightly higher level than disposables.

The Nikonos was nice, but because I had to fiddle with manual distance adjustments, and I am not a professional, the fish would either be gone or out of focus by the time a snapped the picture.
When adjusted properly where I had time, such as coral or some pretty rocks or something, it worked great.
The new one I got fits my needs alot better because it is self-focusing and takes clear enough pistures for my likings.

-Spencer

I've got a Minolta Dimage XT (no longer available) Specificaly because they had the underwater case for it and I needed (wanted) an underwater digital. It's GREAT!!! get a 512Mb card for $60 and you can take 300 High res picts AND Video. I just got back from Jamaica (Crappy snorkling where I was) and I'm still impressed by the pictures. The whole setup is about the size of a point and click and Minolta's new camera and case goes for about $475. The case is as much as the Camera. BTW the camera is a VERY nice 3 Mpixel with 3x optical zoom. Try amazon.com for the Minolta Dimage ("Xg" I think)

guys, thanks for the imput. collins, yea jamica is a great party trip, but there is much better places for diving and snorkleing. imo #1 rotan, not much nite life but the diving is the best. #2 belize amberqis caye good diving and has more lite life than roatan # barbados, great couples vaction, just do not pay for a fishing trip no fish in barbados.

arky65

I have a Canon Sure Shot WP-1 35mm that is marketed as weatherproof, not underwater. On advise from another website, I tried it at depths of up to 10'-12' last year in the Bahamas and it worked great. Somewhat better pictures than the disposables. It is an autofocus, autowind, non-zoom, point-n-shoot type (with a macro mode for those friendly fish). Some days it spent hours in the water (nearer the surface, snorkeling) with no hints of a leak, although you should change film off the beach as sand can stick to the O-ring seal and potentially leak, but its easily cleaned. Find one used on ebay for under $40 (and as low as $20), not much more of an investment than a couple of click-n-chunks and you get to pick your film, don't have to wind it and get better pictures.
Go Hogs.