Hi!

I've got some extensive dive travel coming up, and I'm looking to buy an underwater camera system that is uncomplicated, yet takes decent pictures. I don't need anything super fancy - no plans to shoot photos for National Geographic - but if I going to invest the money, it would be nice to get a few clear shots without back-scatter. In other words, I'm in the market for "good enough."

Basically, I am trying to decide between the Sealife Reefmaster-mini digital and the Sealife DC600. Despite a heckuva price jump to the DC600, the two cameras seem to boast all of the same features? Can anyone tell me the big advantage of the DC600? The Sealife rep I spoke with couldn't really. His big selling point seemed to be that the rechargeable battery pack in the DC600 will last longer during a dive than the mini, which uses regular AA batteries ... which means that I would have to buy extra (extensive) battery packs for multiple dives, as there would likely be no way to recharge the single battery during a surface interval.

Does anybody have a Reefmaster Mini + problems with it running out of juice underwater? Or can anybody tell me further reasons why the DC600 is better than the Mini?

I would be using either one in conjunction with a wide-angle lens and an external strobe light (which I will ask questions about in the appropriate forum).

Thanks so much!
frotu33