Sea&Sea: DX-1G underwater camera system By
Michael R. Tomkins, The Imaging Resource (Tuesday, July 3, 2007 - 15:34 EDT)If a new product announcement by Japanese underwater imaging company Sea&Sea Sunpak Co. Ltd. looks familiar to regular readers, there's a simple reason for that.
Sea&Sea's new DX-1G underwater camera system consists of a Sea&Sea-branded digital camera and an underwater housing that's currently slated to offer waterproofing to at least 50 meters. The digicam itself is a slightly modified variant of Ricoh's Caplio GX100, a compact camera with ten megapixel resolution from a 1/1.75" image sensor, coupled to a 3x optical zoom lens that was first announced last March. The changes look to be limited to the camera's logo, and the addition of a "Sea&Sea" underwater mode, with all other specs provided by Sea&Sea matching those of the original Ricoh camera.
The underwater housing is made of black polycarbonate, and provides access to all camera functionality including the top-mounted hot shoe. When it goes on sale this August, the DX-1G bundle will have a MAP (minimum advertised price) of $999.95, around a $300 premium over pricing of the Ricoh Caplio GX100 in Europe.
Sea&Sea DX-1G
General
Camera Type
Compact
Manufacturer
Sea&Sea
Model Number
DX-1G
Dimensions
4.4 x 2.3 x 1.0" 111.6 x 58.0 x 25.0mm
Weight
220.0 g 7.7 oz
Image Capture
Sensor Type
10.01 megapixels (total)
Aspect Ratio
4:3, 3:2
Image Dimensions
3648 x 2736 (10.0 megapixels) 3648 x 2432 (8.9 megapixels) 3264 x 2448 (8.0 megapixels) 2736 x 2736 (7.5 megapixels) 2592 x 1944 (5.0 megapixels) 2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels) 1280 x 960 (1.2 megapixels)
Image Preview / Review
Viewfinder
Yes, External electronic viewfinder (tilting)
LCD
2.5"
Lens
Lens Type
3x optical zoom
Image Stabilization
Yes
Focal Length
24 - 72mm (35mm equivalent)
Aperture Range
f/2.5 (wide) / f/4.4 (tele) - ???
Focusing System
Hybrid AF (Multi-Spot) with AF assist lamp
Focusing Range
Normal: 12" - infinity (30 cm - infinity) Macro: 0.4" - infinity (1.0 cm - infinity)
Exposure
Exposure Modes
Aperture, Manual
Storage
File Format
CCD-RAW, DNG
Power
Battery Type
Lithium Ion rechargeable or Alkaline disposable
Battery Form Factor
Proprietary DB-60 or AAA
Product Bundle
Flash Memory
26.0MB built-in memory
More Photos
Original Source Press Release:
SEA&SEA’s All New 10 Megapixel DX-1G Camera System Revolutionizes Digital Underwater Photography
LONG BEACH, CA - July 2, 2007 - SEA&SEA introduces the world’s most advanced compact underwater digital camera system available to date. The new DX-1G housing and 1G camera features 10.01 effective megapixels from a high quality CCD sensor and a 24-72mm wide-angle-to-telephoto zoom lens for incredible versatility.
Building on the incredible success of the DX-5000G and DX-8000G, SEA&SEA set out to engineer and manufacture a more technologically advanced, yet user-friendly, underwater system that is ideal for any type of photographer - novice to professional. The DX-1G is the result - offering SLR functionality, performance and features without the bulk, hassle and weight of an SLR system.
Main features include:
A high quality 1/1.75” primary color CCD with Vibration Correction and an effective 10.01 megapixel resolution, for the best possible images.
A quick response zoom lens that ranges from 24mm wideangle to 72mm telephoto, providing ideal versatility for framing subjects. 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom.
Shutter response of .1 seconds- fastest in it’s class with power-up of 1.1 seconds and recycle time of 1 second make the DX-1G the class of the field.
A large 2.5” TFT liquid crystal monitor in a compact, lightweight aluminum camera body.
Exceptional macro capability of ½ inch (1cm) to 8 at 24mm and 2 inches (4cm) to 8 at 72mm. Optional wideangle accessory lens reduces close focusing distance to 0 inches (0cm).
Three exposure modes and 2 custom modes available for heightened control over image creativity: A (Aperture Mode), P (Program Mode), M (Manual Exposure Mode) and 2 Custom modes (MY1 and MY2).
SEA&SEA mode for optimal spot on underwater exposures and an additional 5 preset and 2 customizable white balance controls.
Manual focus capability for additional control in critical low-light or intense macro conditions.
RAW shooting mode for highest quality files and image processing in Adobe Photoshop or other available software. Compatible with SDHC memory cards up to 4GB.
Accessories include: Wide-Angle conversions lens (#SS-52116) available that offers super wide-angle images of 16mm (35mm equivalent), Lens Caddy (#SS-60104), DB-60 Li-Ion battery (#SS-831016) and Battery Charger (#SS- 8 3 1014). An optional hotshoe mounted LED Strobe Adapter is being developed in order to allow continuous shooting without flash recycle delay. Product information soon to be released.
Additional Information: The DX-1G system (#SS-06581A) has an MSRP of $ 1,049.00 and a MAP of $999.95.
The system will be available in several packages with SEA&SEA’s YS-110 DS-TTL strobe and YS-27DX strobe and accessories.
Equipped with a DB-60 Li-Ion battery and battery charger (standard), when fully charged can capture up to 350 images. Additional optional power source of AAA cells offer approximately 50 images.
More detailed camera and housing specifications are available for download.
Sea&Sea: DX-1G underwater camera system
