camera was discontinued, I knew I could find one on Ebay for a reasonable price if I was patient.  Several weeks later I found a good-condition, used Olympus and purchased it for $220.  Later I found a good deal on a new compact strobe for $200 and bought it as well.  Bottom Line?  A complete 8-megapixel system for just under $600.  Quite a bargain compared to the $3,500 price tag previously mentioned.

Granted the system isn't a digital SLR in a housing (which I also own), but it's a close second and offers some advantages of its own:

▪ It's compact compared to pro-line housings
▪ It has a great zoom, ranging from macro to wide   angle, meaning that I don't have buy additional   lenses
▪ It's much simpler to operate than a full-fledged   professional system.

Just to give you an idea what this type of "starter" system can accomplish, consider the two images below. South Mississippi Living Magazine wanted a "Summer Splash" cover shot featuring kids, and here's what I came up with.  I also did a "daytrip" article for them about swimming with manatees.  The lesson to be learned?  You don't need a $4,000 camera system to get publishable images.  What you do need is a good system, and an understanding of basic underwater photography.