Questions about this item:
Carolyn M I am on a relatively tight budget and have been looking at the DC1200 or the Mini II Elite Package. I just can't afford the strobe and the DC1200 at this time. Does anyone have an opinion of if I am better off with the DC1200, no strobe, or the Mini II Elite package?
JODY H Great camera works good without flash
JOHN W I have the Sealife DC 1200 without the strobe and have taken very good pictures at depths of up to 50 feet. The camera is reliable and easy to use. I like the rechargable battery. My DC 1200 is getting ready to see some serious use on my live aboard trip in the Bahamas next month! John W.
KIMBERLY S I liked the pictures it took but it continuously fogged up about 40 minutes into every dive. Sent it back when we got home.
THOMAS B I actually have both cameras and recommend you buy the DC1200 or the DC1400, If you are a seasoned diver and photographer buy the flash unit. If a relatively new diver, buy ther strobe light and take continuous video. Remember to hold the camera steady and move slowly or the videos will be jerky.
Carolyn M Thomas, when you say the strobe light do you mean the video light? I am VERY new to this whole underwater photography thing and I just want to have some nice pictures to take home.
THOMAS B Carolyn,
You are correct, the video light. Have fun.
ROBERT K I recently purchased the SL700 DC camera and used it in the Caribbean where the water is very clear and the camera worked great. I used it at depths of 100 ft and the pictures came out okay given the fact I did not have a flash. I used it snorkeling and the pictures turned out very good. I personally am very happy with the way the pictures turned out.
Shopper Will this camera except the video light. like the new 1400 model?
LINDY S I used my external flash system from an old sea life camera and it worked good, the mounting screw fit perfectly and was secure.
CHERYL D Yes, I believe it will. Most Sea Life cameras are compatible with the light systems. I would contact my dive shop to make sure. If it is an older light I don't know. Sea Life has changed a few things on the new cameras but the technology on the lights is pretty standard.
HAROLD R I cannot answer this question for you because I have never tried.
Thanks,
Harold
PETER M Yes, I use the Fantasea Nano Double Ray Set #2078. Nice camera & easy to use.
LES G You can use either the strobe and the video light (using the brackets provided) or just the video light, or just the strobe. The video bracket had an extra knob for attaching it to the camera/strobe bracket.
PEGGY A I am so sorry but we can't answer this question at this time. We are just now getting to use it. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to respond.
MICHAEL G i belive it will . not sure have not used mine at all .. in fact thought about sell ing mine
MICHAEL G yes they will fit
DENA W dont use the light feature, sorry
Tim R Does this camera come with a memory card? or What type do I need to by.
NICK D No, it does not come with a memory card. It is a great camera for the price. Better at movies than stills
CHERYL D No it doesn't come with a card. You can get them anywhere. I bought a 16G san disk card and even with the higher resolution of 12MP you shouldn't need much more than that.
MICHAEL L the camera does not come with a memory card. They recommend a 4GB or 8GB SDHC card.
CRAIG M Hello If the camera did come with a card I can't remember. But a 4 gig card and you should be ok! Good luck and happy diving/photos....
ALAN A No memory card included. Purchase a regular SD card.
LLOYD R Mine didn't come woth a card, so i bought a 4gb sandisk ultra. 11 and never had a problem with pictures or video on the camera
TYLER S I don't remember it coming with a memory card. It uses a standard everyday SD card. Not the mini cell phone kind but the regular SD card that most cameras use. I do like this camera, it really works like a normal camera with a custom waterproof case only it also has specific underwater settings. Be sure when taking surface pics to switch out of the underwater mode and when diving use the underwater mode. Surface pics are ok to leave on auto but it is best to switch to the underwater modes when diving. Auto doesn't seem to adjust while diving. Enjoy
PAM A Just a SD memory card that you can find at Wal-mart. Make sure it is large enough though. I use a 8 GB.
Rae V No, it takes a SD card
APRIL H It does not come with a memory card, but it takes a standard SD card.
Shopper Do you not need a red filter to restore "normal" color below 35 ft or so? If so, where do I find one. I currently use an Intova and red filter and the pictures are fabulous for $120 but not as good as I'd like.
CORY K 12-megapixel camera combines diver-friendly design and four underwater color modes, for sharp, colorful pictures underwater or on land. The SeaLife Land & Sea exposure program includes two underwater modes: Sea mode for automatic exposure control and color correction; and Ext Flash mode for sharp colorful pictures when using one or two SeaLife external flashes. Land cameras in a waterproof housing do not include underwater modes that work effectively with external strobes.
LINDY S You do not need a red filter, the camera has a setting that automatically adjust and adds red color. I have not gone diving with the camera yet but did take several pictures with different settings and you can see the red added to the photos when the camera is set to diving. When I do use it for diving I will update and leave my review..
PHIL S No. Below 35 feet, you need to use the flash. The flash restores the color spectrum lost by absorption from the water. Your flash will give you all the color back. But, remember, no more than 5 feet from your subject. There is no need for a red filter. Even night dive photos come out in full-color so that if you didn't know it was a night shot, you wouldn't be able to tell it from during the day. I take groups to the ocean on dive trips 2 or 3 times per year. Some of my regular trip-goers have become experts at underwater photography and nobody, but nobody uses a red filter!
lenin h I'd like to buy this camera, and i 'd like to know if that item, include the housing?
CHESTER N Yes, it comes with the camera and housing, but no sc card!
GEOFF L Yes. Housing and camera. I've take beautiful pictures with it. The 1400 has hd.
APRIL H Yes it does include the housing! I highly recommend this camera!
MICHAEL G SL 700 DC1200 Camera and -----Housing ------- , Camera Strap , Battery , Charger Tray , Camera Pouch , Power Adapter , TV Cable , USB Cable , International Adaptors , Flash Link Adapter , Instruction Manual , Software CD , Cleaning Brush , Lens Cloth , Moisture Muncher , Sealife Warranty card
ALAN A Yes, the camera comes with a housing. It's easy
to use with "piano key" buttons.
EUGENE H What you see in the photo is the housing. The camera fits inside. I have had my SL700 and am very happy. It is easy to use and is fairly compact.
Rae V Yes, that includes the housing and is very good camera for diving.
DAVID S yes it comes complete with housing. Its a great camera
LLOYD R Mine came with the housing a
nd accessories.
RICHARD T Yes. It's a rare camera like this that doesn't include both the camera and the housing. The housing is the thing you see in the picture.
STUART G It doesn't need a housing and is self contained. Came w another small digital camera for out of water use.
CHARLES H Yes it includes the housing, battery, USB cable, RCA cables, etc. Nice camera -- easy to use.
CHERYL D Yes it does come with everything you will need for underwater photography. I would recommend getting a second battery for it if you plan on doing more than 2 dives in a day. We often go out 5 to 6 times a day and 2 batteries covers it.
lenin h Why is better the model 1400 ?
CHERYL D Because it is basically the same camera for 1/2 the price. Also the more MP you have the faster you fill up your memory card. I find that if you want 40 great photos you better take 400. The only reason that the 1400 is more money is because it is the newest thing out there. Some people have to have the "NEWEST" thing available and marketers know that.
I just want something that will work and be compatible with my strobes. My last Sealife camera was stolen. Only the camera. Nothing else. Truth be told I think the best photos I've ever take were with a Sealife DC500. Really good with night diving. So to me it is not a contest to have the newest camera but to have good photos.
SCOTT B Yes, the housing is included with the camera. I've had the camera for about 8 months, and it is great both in and out of the water.
BEN S It says it does. Great camera. I bought the extras and it is well worth the $$. Strongly recommend you do also. I'm sure you will use a flash and wide angle lens, etc.
Shopper Do I have to buy a housing to go 100m deep?
JON H this camera is good to 60m so yes
ALAN C It is rated for 200ft with the included water tight case. I do not know of another external case to enable it to go deeper.
JEFFREY T What a fascinating grasp of the english language you have. First of all you don't have to buy anything. Purchasing is purely voluntary. Secondly, let me ask some clarifying questions:
Are you going down to 100m?
Are you concerned about your camera going to 100m without a housing?
Are you just whining because you think you could pay less for a housing that is rated for less than 100m?
Why don't you ask what you really want to know?
CORY K The camera and housing are Depth tested to 200 feet (61M) by the manufacturer. Beyond that contact sealife to see what they say.
HAROLD R This camera is good to 200 feet (60 meters). If you are diving to approximately 328 feet (100 meters) you may need to keep looking for a camera. This is a great camera for the dives I do....down to about 100 feet.
ROBERT M The camera comes with a housing ...
JORDAN R The camera is custom fit for a housing - which it comes with. The housing is only rated to 200ft. though, so if 100m is really how deep you want to go, this is probably not the camera for you.
LES G 100m-Do you mean 100 feet? I don't think there are too many cameras out there that aren't WAY expensive that would go to 100 meters. The SL700 is rated to 200 feet, which should cover all the sport diving depths that most divers go to. Most of the disposable underwater cameras are only rated to 20 feet (about 6 meters) so they wouldn't work to much depth. Hope this helps.
Kent H What is the lag time between pressing the button to take a photo and the photo actually being taken ? I hate the point and shoot cameras that seem to take forever to actually take the shot and cause you to miss the actual photo instant you want.
DIANE F Honestly, I'm not sure of the exact amount of time it takes but I know it's definitely not an issue for me. I love my camera, have had no problems with it. I haven't missed any photos because of any lag time.
Kent H Thank you Diane
cheers Kent
DONALD W There does seem to be a noticeable lag when taking a photo. The menu allows a "quickshot", and image stabilization on/off that seems to make the photo "taking" quicker. The 12mp photos are extremely detailed and i think it has a lot to do with it, you can also dial down the MP. I have come to find that using the video feature to film underwater life is much easier, and pulling stills out of the video to get the "photos" that I wanted. However, the video feature of this camera is not Hi-def therefore the stills I pull from them are not anywhere near 12mp. In the future, I will be purchasing a camera with a higher MP video feature for this reason. Also the camera in its waterproof-case is much larger then i had invisioned, think 1970's 35mm.Overall, I am satisfied, and feel safe that i purchased a reliable product from a company that i trust. However, i think this is a higher end photographers camera, when i would have been better served with a mini hi-def video model.
Kent H Thanks Donald, interesting answer !
GERALD G Hey Kent,
I purchased this camera at the beginning of the year. To answer your question there is a little lag time between shots...i would say about 3-5 seconds. I think with any point and shoot you might get that. I just got back from a dive vacation in the Bahamas and even though there was a bit of a lag time it did not affect my experience all that much. The camera itself is fantastic...however I would highly recommend also buying the flash accessory. I used the camera without it once and the difference in the pictures is amazing. So all in all the camera is a great camera for the price....as long as you are willing to have that short lag time between pictures. Hope this helps.
Jay
Kent H Thanks Jay, much appreciated, cheers Kent
AMY H Hi Kent,
I found about a 1 to 3 second lag when taking pics. I used it for the first time on Maui in march and was pretty happy with most of the pics. My only real complaint is that it goes through the battery fast. It barely lasted throught one snorkle trip. Definatly get another battery! Going to Kona for Christmas and I'm looking forward to getting some more great pics! Good luck....Amy
ERICK C It's not instant, but it is a lot faster than some other cameras. Overall I have been very happy this camera. I hope this helps!
KATHY K I would say the lag time between pressing the button and the photo actually being taken is less than 1 second.
VALENTINA E there is a slight delay. how much I can't remember to be Honest. but usability and quality is, in my opinion superb. if you are gonna use it often, don't forget to get extra moisture capsules.
only annoying thing with it. is the buoyancy. but I guess you get used to it.
DEBRA G Hi Kent, I have not used it since last november, but i think it was fairly quick. Really like it and takes nice pictures, esp at more shallow depths, the deeper you dive the darker it gets as you know. I can email you some pictures i took if you want or you can friend me on fb, under Debbie Ann, there are many on there too w/ my brother, my dive buddy!
Hope this helps.
Deb
Rae V Does this have a rechargeable battery with charger and if so, how long does the battery last on a single charge?
JATAYA T The camera does have a rechargeable battery and external charger. I cannot attest to the length of charge because I have had problems with mine since the day I purchased it. The battery ?would not keep a charge. When the battery was fully charged the camera would shut itself off (I also found that the power button was very sensitive and sometimes did not work at all). When I first purchased the camera it had just come out so there may have been a few bugs. The camera does take great pics in and out of the water though and is very easy to use. When the battery and camera are working right the battery lasts a few hours tops. ?If you are on a multiple day dive excursion with no outlets, battery life will be an issue. It does not charge when it is plugged into a computer.
RICHARD T Yes, the camera comes with its own lithium-ion rechargable and charger. The charger works on 110/220, so while you might need a socket adapter, you don't need a voltage converter for travel.
For taking pictures, I have yet to run out of power on a two-tank dive. For shooting video, one battery lasts about a dive and a half.
DAVID S yes it comes with the battery charger, the battery seems to last about 100-140 pictures, usally a full day of diving, then charge it at night and be good to go the next day or get a spare battery and rotate them. Hope that helps
MARK P The Sealife 1200 does have a rechargeable battery and comes with a charger. I have never had the charge run out on the first dive, but usually lose battery half way thru the 2nd (shallower so usually longer) dive. I take a lot of video and stills. I purchased a 2nd battery and usually change between dives unless the 1rst dive was extremely short .
EUGENE H Yes, but the battery needs to be removed from the camera and placed in the charger. I have been able to take around 100 photos with one charge. I am very pleased with the performance.
NICK D Yes, it comes with a rechargeable battery and the charger. The battery usually lasts me two dives (about two hours) with the camera on most of the time.
CRAIG M Yes, the camera does come with a rechargable battery. My experience of the length of the battery life depends on if you are just taking pictures or video. The more video you shoot the shorter the life of the battery is going to be. I have done a few dives in one day using both video and regular picture mode. Just make sure you charge it up before you head out and you should be good for a day of diving and capturing your adventures.
STEVEN P This camera does come with a rechargeable battery and charger. Depending on useage (video or still, flash or no flash) the battery will last quite a while. I have used it on two day dive trips (up to 5 dives) without charging.
DON B The "Includes" tab says it does come with a battery and charger tray. From my experience with this camera, the battery does not last nearly as long as it claims. If you set the auto-off to it's minimum setting (1 minute, I think. No worries though, the startup is pretty quick when turning it back on) and the display to normal rather than bright, I can usually get it to stretch through two dives. I would suggest buying a backup battery. They are pretty cheap.
Rae V Thank you, just what I wanted to know
LYNNE O Yes. You remove the battery from the camera and put it in the provided charger. I bought a second battery for long times without power. However, my experience is you can go a few dives without a charge. BTW the pictures are really good. It's a great camera and a good value.
Rae V Thank you, very helpful
Cam S The specs say '25xzoom; 5xoptical? what does that mean? We have a 4x zoom camera and wanted to get into at least a 16x for day shots.
DAVID R I am not very familiar with the difference in the zoom. I can tell you that this is the best dive camera I have owned yet. I took it to Key Largo, FL in March 2011. I used the camera for both deep and shallow dives. It performed amazing. The pictures at 90+ feet were just as clear as the pictures at 20 feet. Crisp, clean, bright, shows all of the colors and the video feature shoots awesome footage. It has excellant battery life. The big buttons that are on the back to change the setting or to switch from camera to video are so great especially when you have a pair of gloves on. I would highly recommend this camera to everyone. It is well worth the purchase! Happy Diving!
-Jess R
JEFFREY T There are two ways to zoom on a digital camera. One is the traditional method of using a moveable lens, this is the optical zoom, and the other is by image enhancement using the electronics of the camera. So this camera allows you to zoom in up to 5x using the moveable lens and the remaining zoom capability is done with electronics.
ROBERT H That means the lens zooms five times power, and then there is a digital zoom to a total of 25. Digital zoom is sometimes useful but is not as good as optical zoom. the same results can be obtained by zooming and cropping the final image.
ROBERT M I dont know about the "Science" of the lens magnification, i can say this the pictures i have taken (both close up 3') have turned out great... i would recommend this camera for all underwater leisure activities.. unless of course you are a professional photographer and believe in really expensive and cumbersome equipment..
LOUIS M It is my understanding that the 25x zoom is digital zoom and 5x optical is the actual zoom that moves the lens back and forth in simple terms.
I have found the zooms satisfactory with this camera, one of the best for this style camera. Great photos too, bother underwater and surface.
Shopper Can you switch between photo and video shots while underwater or does setting have to be changed on the surface?
CAROL C Yes, just press the button on top of camera/housing to switch from photo to video and/or video to photo. Easiest camera I've ever used.
JON J Haven't tryed that yet, so far it's been a great addition to my cameras
PETER C It is easy to switch from one to another underwater. I found the video function worked very well for such a small unit. It even records sounds. It was real easy to use.
If you do buy this be sure not to scrimp on the flash units and a diffuser for it. I have one remote flash and it was too much without a diffuser.
JASON P It is incredibly easy to shift back and forth between photo and video modes. With a single button click either above or below the water's surface you can be shooting in whichever format you desire.
MICHAEL G All functions on the camera can be done while underwater as everything is menu driven, so yes you can be taking pictures one minute and switch to video mode the next.
CORY K The Mode button on top of the camera and underwater housing allow you to switch b/t video and photo modes.
HAROLD R I had no problems switching from photo to video underwater.
ROBERT B You can switch under water.
MICHAEL S To answer your question, you can changed from photo to video, or even look at the pic or video you took. You don't have to surface.
GRAHAM B It is very easy to change between photo and video while underwater.
GREGORY S You can switch from Picture to video while underwater. Zoom does not function while video is in progress. Also I don't recommend the underwater setting when diving less than 30' deep - way too much red is added.
LOUIS M Happy to answer. Yes you can switch between photo and video under water. It can be done on the fly and simple just push on the mode button on top of camera. You can also switch other settings while on a dive.
This is the simplest and best of all underwater cameras I have owned.
You can get great photos or videos even on your first use.
Happy to answer any other questions.
ROBERT H The short answer is yes. I bought this camera for my wife. I have a much bigger much more expensive and much more delicate Canon in a housing. On a recent trip to the Keys the delicate part reared its ugly head and I couldnt use my camera for the entire trip. Naturaly I stole my wife's. I used it on 11 dives. No it didn't produce any stunning professional shots but it did do a very good job of taking high quality snap shots and home style video. How many people have video of their wife saluting a flag at 120 ft on a coast guard wreck. the battery did die on the 4th dive of the day (no way to charge between dives) that day I had shot about 100 stills and 15 min or so of video.. Overall I'd say this is an excelent point and shoot for diving and also an excelent backup camera for the avid diving photographer.
ERIK V You can switch the modes while underwater.
RACHEL S The DC-1200 Camera is the best model Sealife has made thus far. You can easily switch from picture to video. You can also change setting for video & picture underwater! I love this option & have used it to capture priceless moments underwater!
CAROL H You can make the switch underwater easily.
Shopper What resolution does the video shoot in?
LeisurePro S The DC1200 has a video resolution is 640x480 or 320x240 at 30 frames per second (FPS).
Shopper What are the overall dimensions of this product?
LeisurePro S The camera itself measures 2.4"H x 3.9"W x 1.0"D and the housing measures 3.5" H X " 5.5W X 3.4" D.
Shopper Is the internal camera waterproof at all?
LeisurePro S You can use the camera above water without the casing, but the camera is not waterproof (it's splash proof and water resistant) and cannot be used below water without the case.
Warranty Information
This product has a limited warranty of 12 months.
www.sealife-cameras.com
(800) 257-7742
Whats in the box:SL 700 DC1200 Camera and Housing, Camera Strap, Battery, Charger Tray, Camera Pouch, Power Adapter, TV Cable, USB Cable, International Adaptors, Flash Link Adapter, Instruction Manual, Software CD, Cleaning Brush, Lens Cloth, Moisture Muncher, Sealife Warranty card The SeaLife DC1200: Radical new design features along with dive specific programming make it the easiest dive camera you will ever use! Vibrant colorful reef scenes, a shot of elusive sea life that mystifies or pictures of wrecks from a bygone era, the DC1200 is the camera to catch them all; easy, fun and a joy to use. With a radical new design that eliminates all but a few buttons on the housing, the DC1200 12-megapixel camera combines modern design and programming savvy to bring you the simplest camera to use underwater or on land. The DC1200 housing uses only 5 large "piano key" buttons to access key elements in the cameras program. Navigating through the menushas never been easier than now with the introduction of the Zoom Control system, which acts as both the 5X optical zoom adjustment as well as the fingertip control to toggle through the menus. The shutter button also doubles as the set button while diving to minimize the need to move your hands around the cameras housing. The newest addition to the SeaLife line debuts the Easy Set-up mode - a graphic on-screen guide that takes the guess work out of setting up the camera for great pictures on land or underwater. The DC1200 includes four new specially designed underwater modes that make it simple and easy to take perfect pictures in any water setting and its updated design includes an ergonomic design, large shutter button and well-spaced buttons make the camera easy to handle and user-fr iendly. SeaLife's Sea Modes which have built in color correction and External Flash Modes for vibrant color and manual control of the cameras shutter and aperture, round out the DC1200. Picture Modes 4 Underwater modes. Sea mode with UW color correction for diving without external flash accessory Snorkel mode with UW color correction for snorkeling without external flash accessory Ext Flash Auto mode for automatic exposure settings when using one or two external flash accessories. Ideal for beginner and intermediate UW photographers. Ext Flash Manual mode for manual aperture and shutter speed exposure controls when using one or two external flash accessories. Ideal for advanced UW photographers. 12 Land modes: Auto, Sports, Sunset, Sunrise, Snow, Beach, Panorama, Splash-water, Flow-water, Night Scene, Landscape, Fireworks.
- 12 megapixel CCD for sharp, high-resolution pictures.
- Large 3" LCD for easy on-camera viewing
- 25X Zoom. 5X optical plus 5Xdigital zoom
- Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) - CCD shift technology reduces camera shake caused by hand movement
- Auto focus to 4" (10cm)
- Lithium battery 700mAh for 2 tank dive+ (2+ hours or 200+ pics)
- Fast shutter response time* and quick start-up for fast action photography. *(Asfast as 0.1 sec in Ext Flash mode and infinity focus)
- SD and SDHC memory Card compatible up to 16GB
- 2+ hours of continuous video w sound (usin a 4GBSD card)
- 12 Land modes - Automatically pre-sets the camera for the type of scene. Includes Anti-shake and aperture/shutter priority.
- Manual White balance control
- "Piano Key" controls - No button clusters. 5 large menu keys. Oversized shutter button and zoom toggle for easy camera control even with gloves on!
- Easy Set-up mode - Easy 1-2-3 graphic on screen guide - takes the guess work outof setting up the camera for great pictures
- Sea mode with 4 UW color correction settings for blue and green water conditionsat shallow or deeper depths
- Ext Flash Auto mode for automatic exposure settings when using one or two external flash accessories. Ideal for beginner and intermediate UW photographers
- Ext Flash Manual mode for manual aperture and shutter speed exposure control when using one or two external flash accessories. Ideal for advanced UW photographers.
- Snorkel mode with color correction setting matching shallow water light conditions.
- Spy Mode - The camera automatically shoots continuous pictures at set time intervals. Ideal for wildlife photography or other hard-to-shoot subjects.
- Expandability with SeaLife wide angle lens (SL970) and up to two Digital Pro Flashes (SL961)
- Removable inner camera for use on Land & Sea
- Rubber armored for durability and sure grip
- Depth tested to 200 ft (60m) - Guaranteed
4/18/2012 (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful) 3.0Decent camera, but purchase the strobe. By ScubaSteve from I move a lot, currently in Africa About Me Photo Enthusiast See all my reviews - Easy To Use
- Functional
- Good Depth Range
- Water-tight Seals
- Blurry Photos
- Cloudy photos
By Duane from Helena, Montana About Me Casual Photographer - Easy To Use
- Functional
- Good Depth Range
- Water-tight Seals
3/7/2012 4.0Good product, a little pricey By JD from Concord NC About Me Photo Enthusiast - Easy To Use
- Functional
- Good Depth Range
- Water-tight Seals
By Peter from Kona, Hawaii About Me Semi-pro Photographer - Similar:
- Canon IX750 (Vintage 2006 - great camera, but corroded)
1/31/2012 (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful) 
By Alpine Scuba Diver from Alpine, UT About Me Casual Photographer - Easy To Use
- Functional
- Good Depth Range
- Water-tight Seals
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