Sealife DC1200 12.0 Megapixel Underwater Camera Maxx Kit with Dual Digital Pro Flash

Customer Reviews for Sealife DC1200 12.0 Megapixel Underwater Camera Maxx Kit with Dual Digital Pro Flash: (Review this product)
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Average Customer Review: based on 2 reviews.

Rating: Great personal underwater photographic system
Reviewer: Michael Wood, Friday, July 30, 2010
I bought this Sealife DC1200 Underwater Camera Maxx Kit because this Sealife camera had achieved the 12 megapixel level. This is theoretically enough resolution to have underwater photos accepted by some of the Microstock Agencies. I also wanted a more compact system that I could take on travel. I was still shooting film underwater and this $1,400.00 investment beat the $10,000.00 cost of more professional digital system. I knew there would be shutter delay with this underwater camera focusing so that was expected. Good news is this system was ready to go right out of the box. Its compact to take it where ever you go. It turns out great pictures for personal use. Bad news is, even with the dual flash, the Microstock agencies have so far accepted only one image out of about 10 images resulting in a 10% acceptance rate with this camera. Majority of the rejection reasons where for "artifacts" "noise" "poor optical performance" and sometimes "out of focus" which is a photographer problem. Not sure it is the sensor performance or the lack of lighting from the dual strobes. I enjoy the camera and use it diving and snorkeling. I will make sure I am as close as possible to the subject before shooting to make sure the flash coverage is bright enough to prevent underexposure noise issues. Microstock agencies review images at 100% blow up level and that is when the artifacts, noise and optical performance show up. For personal use this is an awesome system and would still recommend the purchase. It is most definitely easy to use and the housing controls allow for quite a bit of control from underwater and the viewing screen is easy to see with a full face mask. There is some visibility issues with viewing when near the surface and backlighting situation. Also when in deep water in a cavern the viewing is limited. Extreme brightness or darkness the screen has reduced visibility but in normal conditions it is beautiful and bright. Bottom line, A GREAT underwater digital camera system for beginners to serious amateurs for personal use of the photos.

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115 out of 201 people found this review helpful.



Rating: Great Digital Camera System
Reviewer: Norman B., Monday, August 16, 2010 - View all my reviews
decided to upgrade my old film system of 30 years sealife has a great reputation for ease of use and quality results and i was not disappointed. upgraded to the maxx kit for the dual strobes and accessories. just got back from doing multiple dives on the bloody wall in little cayman and i am very happy with the results. the newly designed buttons are very easy to use. upgraded to a 16g card for both video and still pictures. the only issues are when using the wide angle lense that attach to the outside of the housing, sometimes you will get bubbles or a line that doesnt show up underwater until you review the pics later. i started to "burp" the lense by removing it underwater and ensuring no trapped air bubbles. the dual stobes gives you lots of options for ensuring a nice full picture. first two dives the camera battery died. started to charge all batteries at the end of each day to ensure no issues next day. the case and accessories were sold the weight added to the tightening screw allow for almost neutral boyancy and ease of wrist strain. overall recommend!

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128 out of 242 people found this review helpful.