Hi there, Bubbles hubbie here with a query,

About 18 months ago my wife brought me a brand-new ultra-expensive SeaLife DC500 U/W camera with all the trappings (flash, waterproof housing, wide-angle lens etc). Have used it twice so far (Maldives 2006, Jamaica 2007) and had intermittent problems with it. It takes v good (for a beginner!) u/w photos but have had several technical problems.
Basically it suffers from two frustrating faults. Firstly, the camera itself seems to suffer from a kind of intermittent seizure, where the whole camera locks itself (usually just after a photos has been taken, you can see it in the viewfinder but it won't clear and none of the buttons will respond). This has happened loads of times, both u/w and also when have been experimenting with it on dry land. The recommended solution (as provided by the shop we brought it from, Cameras Underwater, in Devon) is to open the battery cover and take the battery out, wait 2 minutes then put back in and start up again to clear the fault. Yes, I do agree that this does clear the fault when it happens on dry land, but is impossible to do underwater! Also it is impossible to predict when it will strike, particularly when you have a very rare Quinny Fin Blenny in front of you at 20m in Discovery Bay, Jamaica, and no working camera.
The other intermittent problem it suffers with, and this usually only happens when you switch it on after a period of no use or re-charging, is that when you switch it on to take a photo for the first time, starts up OK but when you press the 'shutter' button on top, it tells you that the battery is flat (even though it is registering 'full' battery!) and immediately switches itself off! This will happen a few times but if you persevere with it, then eventually it will click in and start behaving itself.

I have sent my camera back to the original shop, Cameras Underwater, in Devon at least twice, but each time they have just said that it has been impossible to re-create the fault, and that they couldn't find anything wrong with the camera! I however, given that they recommend you lubricate the casings 'O'-ring regularly (the official instructions say DO NOT lubricate, and when we spoke to the original manufacturer in the US they confirmed not to lubricate!), do not have that much confidence in them.
We have tried writing to the US about this problem, they helped us out with the 'O'-ring query but have not replied to these software/electronic issues.

This is supposed to be one of the best beginner U/W cameras on the market and recommended by 'Which' yet these software/electronic problems are a real bug-bear. Has anybody out there had a similar experience or got any ideas/solutions? Should we try to contact the US again although I am concerned if we are able to send it back to America without it being ruinously expensive.

Thanks for listening