I may be stating the obvious here. Especially on your first dive with your expensive Canon SLR and your brand new case. But, as soon as you enter the water, check the camera housing for leaks. Especially around any seals and O-rings.
Error on the side of underexposing rather than overexposing in underwater photography. Generally speaking, it's easier to bring out colors from a darker photo with editing that one where all the color has been wiped out with too much light. While this is a good rule out of the water, it's worth mentioning here, since underwater photographers often have very strong strobe lighting at their disposal. This better digital slr camera pictures and this what is the best panasonic digital camera for the money? should help with polaroid digital camera.
The bottom line being, there are a gazillion places to find cheap digital cameras online. If you know where to look. Or are at least have the time and motivation to look around a bit. It can be well worth the effort, and you'll be pleasantly surprised with the quality camera you'll receive, and the money you'll save. Happy hunting!
The Olympus Evolt E-410 10 Megapixel Digital SLR and the Canon Digital Rebel XT 8 Megapixel Digital SLR are both right around four hundred dollars.
One very underutilized source for cheap digital cameras is photography discussion forums. These forums are filled with camera enthusiasts of every imaginable level. From full time pros to digital camera newbies.
Bear in mind though, this is the internet, and you can't believe everything you read. Except of course for this article. I read an online article a few days ago, that suggested that 86% of online web readers believed that less then half of what they read online was reliable. A healthy does of skepticism is a good thing, but this seems a little extreme.
Take a few pictures while your in the pool. Preferably from varying distances, lighting, and angles. This should also give you a good idea of what your Canon camera is capable of under the water. There are different challenges to getting good underwater pictures. Generally speaking, the less water between you and your subject the better.
The digital point and shoot cameras do have a lag time between shots and the flash has a lag time that can contribute to missing that special shot. These cameras range from sixty dollars to five hundred dollars.
