ChristianG

So if I maybe picked up something like this package (with the camera and macro lenses)...

Why is nothing ever easy?

That one is discontinued? Are you sure you therefore want it?

There's absolutely nothing wrong with buying discontinued items, rather more often than I like to think they're hugely valued (the Canon S90/95 anyone?) but sometimes, actually often, the heart speaks more strongly than common sense.

About 20 years ago I went to visit Charlie ( sadly no longer with us) and asked him "what's all this kerfuffle about wings then?" In response he groped around and threw one at me (quite literally), saying "try it out, see if you like it". I was hooked after the very first dive (Catherine Hill Bay, Central Coast of NSW, Oz) and I haven't looked back since and, no, I didn't take the camera, a brand new Nikonos RS AF in those days, with all the gubbins, on that dive. Even I know better than that.

Funnily enough, I still use a wing - and I sure still use a camera.

I want a dollar for the amount of times I've heard this type of plea.

1) I'm presuming that you have little knowledge of u/w photography, that you're, more or less, a beginner at this. Don't be shy about that, we all had to start at some time.

2) Your camera is, shall we say, "doubtful"? It's also a discontinued model. As well, Fuji (who of all people should know better) got into the "pixel war" about this time.

3) Just buying a new camera, dSLR or not, is not necessarily the answer.

I'd suggest that you get something like a Canon 110 which actually has pretty well all the manual options we all strive for. It's a good camera for topside use as well but, like all "compacts" is restricted in its capabilities. Within those capabilities it does pretty well. Learn to walk properly before you start running.

I, also, have a dSLR, with appropriate lenses which I bought out of B&H Noo Yoick, with whom, today, I have a pretty good relationship. What you need to remember is that Oz Customs are only interested in the collective total of the purchase, and if it's over $Au1000, they will charge you 10% GST. As a result I've been known to split things like lenses up to get below that barrier. My housing is German, basically carbon fibre, and I bought it direct from the manufacturer (no representation, then at least, in Oz). I was restricted to this housing because it was the only one available for my camera but it's been terrific. I was, needless to say, also concerned about delivery of the housing and ports from an Oz Customs point of view and I saved myself 10% by being reasonably intelligent about the whole thing. Of course, sometimes (albeit rarely) the 10% saving is not worth the extra cost of the postage of the goods - you need to be wary of this.

Yes, I could perhaps save a few dollars (not many at all) by going to the likes of Adorama, but B&H does me very nicely indeed. For the sake of a few dollars I see absolutely no need to change. Incidentally, B&H (and some others, such as, perhaps, Adorama) sell more such equipment in any given period than is bought in the whole of Oz in the same period. These people are not small time operators (and their delivery service is nothing short of exemplary). Five days door to door, including week ends and including Oz Customs, is usually all it takes. Not bad from New York to little old Terrigal NSW, and, but of course, you can track it all the way (whatever did we do without barcodes in those "good old days"?).