Sea Life Reefmaster UW Camera: Product Review
Written: Nov 28 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to use; takes great pictures
Cons: Faulty o-ring in original design that has been corrected by Mfg.
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| Suzi's Full Review: SeaLife Reefmaster RC SL515 35mm Film Camera |
The Sea Life Reefmaster camera is an inexpensive, easy to use UW camera, that I have been using for about three years. I purchased the first one for just under $200, and got the camera, UW housing and pelican case. About 18 months ago, I picked up the 3X macro lens for $39. Although I have been very happy with the quality of my pictures, (especially since obtaining the macro lens) the camera hasn't been without its problems. However, keep in mind, my camera was defective .
The first time I took it with me on a dive, the housing flooded. As it turned out, around the time I purchased this camera, the o-ring design had been modified, and I was unlucky to get an earlier model. I contacted Pioneer Research, the camera's manufacturer, and had no problems getting it replaced. Since then, I've not had any problems. Some older models are still circulating out there (a friend recently bought one on sale at a local dive shop), so check to see you get the camera that contains a permanent o-ring, not one that comes off. The problem with the old design was that the o-ring had a tendency to slip, thus causing the housing to flood.
The macro lens has dramatically increased the quality of my pictures. I'm no expert, but since using the macro lens, more of my pictures are keepers. One other problem: on a recent dive in the Keys, the glass from the macro lens fell out. Had it not been a shallow dive and with a perceptive husband, I would never have found it. Again, I contacted the manufacturer, and it was replaced without question. The dive shop told me that this has been a common problem. Although I have yet to purchase the strobe light for my camera, Pioneer Research has also recently introduced two more macro lenses, an 8X and 16X.
The camera without the housing is a basic 35mm camera. It has come in handy countless times on the boat, like when my husband snagged the giant lobster...we got both UW and surface pictures! I have been basically happy with all aspects of this camera. Ikelite has recently come out with a similar set up. A friend of mine has the older, disposable camera unit, and when I used it, the quality of my pictures were not as good. But since then, they too have added macro lenses. I've seen the new Ikelite Auto 35 system, and it also comes with it's own basic 35mm camera. The Reefmaster's housing looks more sturdy, but I'm told it too takes excellent pictures.
For an inexpensive camera, I find the Reefmaster takes great pictures and it's easy to use. The problems I had experienced, although common, were fixed when we replaced the first camera. Luckily, I have no complaints with Pioneer Research's customer service. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this camera. The more I use it, the better my pictures get. Compared to my husband's expensive professional UW system, some of my pictures are nearly as good (he hates to admit the truth!) Hopefully this will help you to make an informed decision. Thanks for reading! Good luck.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Suzi
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Location: California
Reviews written: 190
Trusted by: 147 members
About Me:
Suzi is an aspiring travel writer who enjoys scuba diving and volleyball.
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