HELP Please!

[frogkick]

I am a complete newbie to UW photography, and having done some internet homework, it has now produced more questions than answers. I started doing my search the wrong way by looking at digital cameras and same-manufacturer housings which are usually affordable, but then remembered the whole point is that I would like to photograph wrecks in 50+m, so the above option flew out of the window given the max 40m rating for the casings. I was told by a few stores that I need a proper housing to operate at 50+m. So the requirement seems to have shifted to: housing first, then fisheye lens for wreck pics, then the actual camera. Now, I don't want to spend mega bucks on this, so is the option for example to buy a secondhand Nikon coolpix + fisheye and then get a housing, or should I get my hands on any decent 2nd hand housing first that accommodates a fisheye lens and then go for the camera???

Any help on the subject will be gratefully received and appreciated!

[sch]

IIRC most ikelite housings are rated to 60m, might be worth having a quick look there - they do housings for most digitals.

[frogkick]

thanks will have a look.

[daveyclayton]

I've been hunting around for a digital UW setup on the cheap, and I've come to the following conclusion:

If you get a housing first, it's almost certain that you'll be able to find a reasonably cheap SH camera to go in it (providing it's not too new a model). If you get the camera first, there's no certainty that you can even get a housing for it, never mind a second-hand one.

In the end I've got a 40M rated, 4MP setup for under £300. Took a while though.

[frogkick]

I think you're absolutely right. I need to find a proper housing second hand, and hopefully something that works with an idiot-proof) auto digital camera. The camera etc will come later. I've had a look at Ikelite housings and they'll do 60m anything beyond that like subal, UK-Germany sems to double the ikelite's cost for another 10-20m !!