I have seen this camera, and predict it is going to be a strong product in the amphibious digital category.

Well, considering it is the only one in the "digital amphibious" category I was right (updated April 2007). As for market success, I was quite wrong.

See:

http://www.divenewswire.com/dive/index.cfm?newsid=383

Steve

Wow, I agree that this will be a huge seller. You could put together a nice setup with the camera and external strobe for around $1000.

I've already forwarded this to two dive friends who are wanting to get into U/W digital.

I'm not convinced it will sell that well, when you can get a CP5000/C-5050 + Housing for less money.

Well, the Sea & Sea USA AQUAPIX Digital Camera is supposedly supposed to have a retail price of $619 (maybe less at the discounters). That's got to be very appealing to many divers who have been wanting to go digital or to get into U/W photography without killing their budget.

Also, even though we are all fanatics about U/W photography, I think that most divers do not share our zeal for technical stuff, so a one-shop camera out-of-the-box will probably sell very well to divers who don't care to get into detailed discussions of this camera versus that camera, this housing versus that housing, this lens..., this port... etc.

Just my opinion, but I emailed the web link to two non-photographer diver friends, and they are both chomping at the bit to get one.

Point taken, but a lot of these people will already own a digital camera that can be housed too, this has to affect sales.

Bob, I agree with you on that, but I think that it's the intimidation factor that will make the Sea & Sea camera popular with many divers.

Example: On our last dive trip, there were three of us on the boat using housed cameras. One fellow was using an N90 in a housing. During surface intervals, he hogged the camera table the whole time, drying off his housing, opening the housing, changing film, then putting it all back together, and going over a checklist longer than NASA uses for a shuttle launch. During this time, if anyone else dared to come within 10 feet of him, he would scream "Stay away - I don't want you getting water in my camera." Granted, the guy was a real jerk, and certainly not the norm, but this probably had a somewhat negative effect on others who might be considering a housed system.

Most divers are just now beginning to see significant numbers of housings, and as they begin to see more and more housings, the newness and "techno-fear factor" will diminish, and housings will become increasingly commonplace, even for entry-level U/W photographers. I would be surprised if we don't see 4-5 housings (mostly digital) on a boat with 15 divers within a couple of years. But in the interim, I think that the Sea & Sea camera will find a strong market niche.

IMHO

More on that camera on the Sea & Sea web site went up today. More info and sample photos will be added as they become available. It will certainly be a nice addition for those dive operators who want to offer rentals to their guests. DEPP insurance is included, which many will find very attractive.

UPDATE DEC. 12, 2003... never mind!

Does anyone know where i can get detailed technical specifications for the AquaPix? Specifically, I would like to know the effective ASA setting of the chip (ASA 64 perhaps?). I am also wondering how my YS50 and YS60 strobes can be adapted. I have heard there are aftermarket slave adaptors available but as yet have not located any.

Cheers to all, Gordy

i was actually thinking that canon might have been the first to make a camera like this .. I am still keeping my fingers crossed for a digital RS system type thing like Nikonos used to make but by Canon and digital ... how freakin cool would that be a D-SLR that can just be taken in the water .. cool man .. mega money too !

but i like this little camera because of that solely, its so simple to do with a digital camera as you nebver have to open the camera really.

The best would be if there would be a way to make the UW SLR lenses exchangeable underewater. (high quality glass at mount and lens end)
Downloading pictures can be done via Bluetooth and loading the Batteries can be donr by induction. The hole thing could be factory seald :-)

The lenses would need own batteries that could also be loaded by induction.

Simon

The factory sealing is a nice guarentee .. but wouldnt it me nice if you could also open it up. I was speakign to Alex about this recently, he brought up the changing hardware or upgrading it idea, like memory or ccd etc.
The lense thing must be possible as they did it with the RS system, just wouldnt be lenses you already owned and would cost a fortune i imagine.

But i still want to see this happen, just as much as I want to see Rodales do the Cayman DIvemaster Ball .. comon .. you take ovre skindivers mailing list you should take over their giving away beer list !

Giles: Get over it! Rodales is not going to pay to get your buzzed. I'll tell you what - I'll buy you a few next time I'm in GC - I need to come down there next time Alex is in town - it's only a 2 hr flight.

Cheers
James

Ha thats a deal ... but getting Alex out when on a diving trip is a special occasion, and I will be leaving Grand Cayman soon. The divemaster parties were actually a great get together, its not often you get that many dive industry people together. Manufacturers and industry workers etc.
Although if you in Grand Cayman before the end of July feel free to drop me a line, id love to show anyone the sites of the underwater world here.