I was also puzzled before I got s95 with underwater case. U got to be very delicate, not to scratch, not to drop etc. I chose it only for a reason of pictures s95 takes.I can use around without a case and if I go on vacation snorkeling or diving I put it in the case and I'm all set. Gopro3 is dedicated for video mostly and extreme situations for extreme sports, videos are great, but pictures...well there are few online to make a judgment.
I would expect the s95 to do pretty well but the controls to be pretty hard to access.
I have an s100, not an s95, and I don't have the waterproof case, but I used to have a G9 + the canon waterproof case and it was quite excellent underwater for a small camera. The s100 takes significantly better pictures in low light so should be pretty nice, at least for snorkeling. For scuba diving it's probably all about strobes.
Here's one about 20 feet down snorkeling.. grainy but it makes a pretty decent 8x10. The s95 and s100 are significantly better than this.
Amazing picture! Doubtful if gopro3 can shoot in raw. U can get s95 cheap now. BTW did you guys notice some waterproof cases on ebay shipped from China? They are exact replica of official DC43 for s100. I dont know about quality but look...identical...
If you will be shooting video exclusively, get the GoPro. It spanks anything anywhere near its price point.... For stills.. not so much... its OK, but clearly not its forte. No RAW and its ultra-wide lens while being good on video, seems a little too wide for many still applications.... i.e. you won't be doing anything anywhere near macro.
The S95 is a fine camera for a beginner underwater photographer. Stills are great and video is decent. If stills are in your plans with some video, get this one. The s95 has full manual control (full aperture, shutter, and ISO control just like an SLR) and shoots RAW -- two very essential items in underwater photography.
pizdets17 wrote:
yea I read those. Ive taken this s95 down to 120 feet with no issues, gopro looked good on paper but I guess I will stick with my s95 thanks gents!
You will not regret it. I happily shot underwater for a couple of years with an S90 (same as S95 minus HD video) until I saved up enough for a 5D Mk II housing.
I also have a GoPro I got for my birthday. Its OK for what it does. I bolt it to one of the strobe arms of my SLR and shoot video that way or give it to a non-photographer dive buddy and tell them to have fun with it. Its a neat little POV video camera, just not for serious still work.
