I use underwater a Canon S1 IS with the Canon housing. Is good for diving to 40m..

Olympus has some cameras like 725 SW and 770 SW that can go underwater without housing. The 770 SW can dive to 10m..

For SCUBA diving I will go for a Canon with the Canon housing. I don't know prices but I think you can find something close to your budget.Regards,Zeev.

Http://public.fotki.com/zeev-simon/http://picasaweb.google.com/zeev.simon..

I can't speak for the Cannon, but for the Olympus 770sw the best price I found in the US was $308 +S/H (not sure how that equates). I picked up a refurbed 720sw and have been really impressed with the build quality. Photo Quality is decent for a compact and it's pretty user friendly too. The 770 is the same basic camera only wp to 33' vs. 10' for the 720, and has added the following:.

- "Crushproof" to 220lbs (both are Drop-Proof from 5', but I think perhaps they may have beefed up the LCD for the crushproof)- They also added an LED focus assist Lamp.

- And just for bragging rights they added an altitude / depth sensor so you too can now prove you took the picture at 22' underwater or at 22,000ft in the air (value saved in exif data)!Milan.

Nikon D50w/ Tamron 28-75 f2.8, Nikon 28-200 f3.5-5.6 and Sigma 135-400 f4.5-5.6Cannon S2isOlympus Stylus 720swGallery: http://etherialone.zenfolio.com/..

I recommend the Fuji F31fd with the Fuji or Ikelite housing. This setup can accept add-on wideangle or macro lenses and is easy to use wit a strobe. In your 400 pounds price range you can probably afford a small external flash as well..

More info athttp://www.wetpixel.com.

CheersJames Wisemanhttp://www.reefpix.org..

If I were to get a camera for waterproof photography, I'd want the camera itself to be waterproof, not just able to fit into a waterproof case. The only options I'm aware of for that are Pentax and Olympus. Are there any others I'm missing?..

Delvo wrote:.

If I were to get a camera for waterproof photography,.

Except the original poster asks about an underwater camera, not something for sailing or other activities where a waterproof camera is better...

What's the difference between the two? I might have menat one when I apparently said the other...

First you must ask yourself why you want an underwater and what you'll use it for. If you'll just use it for snorkeling or in the swimming pool and you aren't going to print large sizes then there's no need to spend four hundred pounds on the camera. On the other hand, if you're wanting a camera that will be of good use as much outside the housing as it will inside, then you'll likely spend the better part of four hundred pounds..

If the former is what you're after, save a few bucks and opt for the Olympus Stylus 720SW, 725SW, or 770SW, which all do not require a housing (to increasingly respective depths) and give decent quality images underwater..

The one thing you must remember is that to have quality images underwater below 5m you'll need a good flash, likely an external one, which get very expensive. But, it can be a building process: buy the camera, then the housing, and if you get into it, buy a strobe (flash) and strobe arm with other accessories..

If the latter describes what you're after, consider your price range. You can get into underwater photography with a good camera and a good housing rated to 40m/133ft for under US$250. This would be the same price as the 770SW but give you much better images underwater: Olympus C-5060/used from ebay and the Olympus PT-020 underwater housing from OlympusAuctions on ebay (direct from manufacturer)..

Spending a bit more would get you a Canon camera and respective Canon housing (though not necessarily better images). From there you can get an Ikelite housing for just about any digital camera, but these start at around US$800 and go up from there..

If the number thing of importance to you is image quality and you have exactly 400 pounds to spend, you must buy an external flash. Consider ebay for an external slave strobe that triggers off the camera's internal flash. This will probably cost around 150 pounds, so factor that into your cost for the camera and housing..

I'm not sure what type of UW photography you're going to do, but if you're wondering about scuba diving, remember than open water certification is limited to 18m, and advanced water certification is limited to 40m. So any housing you get that is rated to 40m is quite sufficient. In addition, if you're "planning for the future," your diving time at a depth of 40m is only limited to about 5 minutes. Just FYI.Tim'Be the change you wish to see in the world.' -Mahatma Gandhihttp://www.flickr.com/photos/timskis6/..