SeaLife ReefMaster DC100 Review

SeaLife manufacturers two underwater housings for the Reefmaster Digital camera. The SL111 and SL111DX. The primary difference between these two housings is the depth rating. The SL111 is depth tested and rated to 100 feet (30m) and the SL111DX is depth rated and tested to 200 feet (60m). The depth rating is printed on the front lens port to help you distinguish between the two housings.

SeaLife Reefmaster Digital Housing (SL111) for DC100
• Depth rated and tested to 133ft. (40M)
• Made from crystal clear Makrolon
• Rubber grips - gray/blue slip proof, adds shock resistance.
• Two O-ring seals, one on body and lid.
• Optical glass lens port.
• Stainless steel hardware - corrosion proof.
• Simple 2-button operation (power and shutter/delete button).

The camera's 1.8-inch color LCD is used as your viewfinder which makes framing your subject very easy.

There are only two controls, the Power button and the Shutter button. The clear case lets you see the data LCD display on top of the camera.

The underwater housing has two O-ring seals. One O-ring is glued to the body and the lid O-ring is Teflon coated and replaceable (suggested after every 50 dives.)

ReefMaster 200 shown with external flash and 3x macro lens

Use the SeaLife External Flash to enhance color and brightness. Water filters out light and red/yellow colors resulting in darker, bluer images. The only way to prevent this from occurring is by taking pictures at shallow depths (within 5' depth on a sunny day) or by using artificial light, like the SeaLife External Flash. Another tremendous help is having less water between you and you subject and that is accomplished using a Macro lens(see below) or wide angle lens converter and external flash. The Macro or wide angle get you closer and the External flash helps eliminate backscatter from particles in the water between the lens and subject.

The External Flash easily mounts to the bottom of the housing. The flexible arm allows you to direct the flash at the subject. Even two flashes can be mounted onto the housing for an evenly illuminated and shadow-free image. This system blocks the built-in flash and prevents backscatter. The flexible flash arms allow quick adjustments of the flash. An optional Flash Diffuser can be snapped onto the flash head. This lets you dial 3 different flash intensities, which is highly recommended for close-up shots and reflective subjects.

3x macro lens #S1951	8x + 16x Macro Kit w/ telescoping Macro Wand #S1959

The Macro 3x Close-Up Lens improves your picture quality dramatically and should always be used for consistent quality as your best images are close. It has a convenient distance range from 2 to 4 ft/60 to 120 cm. The Macro 8x Lens is made for 14 to 16 inches/35 to 40 cm, and the Macro 16x for 8 to 9.5 inches/20 to 24 cm. The 8x / 16x come in a kit with the "telescoping Macro Wand" for proper focus distance measuring with either lens, extend the slider for the 8x and slide it in all the way back in for the 16x lens. The wand mounts to the standard tripod socket and can be folded to the side for transportation. The SL970, a 20mm wide angle lens converter reduces focus distance to 12" to infinity with 50% more field of view, so its great for getting closer to larger subjects and still getting them all in the frame. All of the macro and wide angle lenses are removable while underwater as they clip to the exterior lens port of the housing.

ReefMaster 200 shown in the SL111DX 200-foot u/w case