Lee wrote:

> Thanks for your input.  I kind of expected you guys who have demonstrated
> the committment to quality still photography it takes to do it well to
> respond this way.  I almost included that I knew I was making a sacrifice
on
> the still side to get the video, but figured that would discourage
> information relative to still photography that I might need to hear.

The short reply is that so long as you stick to web pages and the like, and
you are okay with very fuzzy pictures when printing or viewing them more
than a few inches wide/tall, you are okay with a dual capacity camcorder.
Yes, I am biased because I enjoy sharp, focused pictures, but to each his
own :-)

And I guess I have to admit that sharp, focused pictures are certainly not
guaranteed with a 35mm camera either, but you at least have a fighting
chance :-) You have no chance at all with a camcorder.

>  On
> the other hand, I've looked at stuff Russ, John and another video/diving
> friend of mine do and really liked it.  They guys can pay attention to
what
> they're doing and get great video from which they get some interesting
> stills, just carry the camera during the dive and get interesting video
and
> some interesting stills

I think this is an individual thing, more a function of perspective than of
the inherent differences between video and still. Me, I actually don't enjoy
a dive WITHOUT my camera! To get good video, you have to be every it as
alert as you have to be to get good pictures. I find that the hunt for a
good picture leads me to search for - and find - subjects I would almost
certainly have missed without that incentive. When Soyong still had her
underwater video, she hated lugging the thing around. So I found myself
sometimes carrying oth my own housed system and the housed video! I still
didn't feel too encumbered (just more empowered :-), but it freaked her out,
so we sold the housing. Still have the camcorder, though.

I agree with you on the Nikonos. While I started with one, and still take it
on virtually every dive, it is now attached to the housing and rarely gets
used. If (like me) you want good stills and not a lot of fiddling, get thee
to a camera store and buy a housing for your land camera :-)

Bjorn