Sea Life DC500

Another one:

Sea Life DC500

Had Martha not used the DC500, she may have been able to capture an image of the majestic and elusive Lionfish (NOAA) - Enlarge.The Sea Life DC500 is a testament to what some really good PR work can do for an otherwise abysmal digital camera. We first took notice of this camera about a year ago, when Time Magazine named it one of the "The Most Amazing Inventions Of 2005." It seemed a tad suspicious. For one, there wasn't anything about the camera that we felt truly qualified as an "invention." It was a digital camera with some underwater housing. Sure, it was pretty small, and relatively affordable, but it seemed like a rather strange choice for the Time feature.

Nevertheless, there was buzz, and we gave users an opportunity to let us know what they thought of the DC500. Our suspicions were more than confirmed. The Sea Life DC500 had made some very grand claims, and by presenting itself as a good camera for the high-pressure (no pun intended) arena of underwater photography, there was a lot more at stake than with the typical mainstream camera. The disappointment is palpable in this review from user Martha Pearson. "I just spent a week in the Bahamas, and saw my first Lionfish ever. Unfortunately; only two of 10 shots I took are "in color" because the flash didn't work. I didn't expect to see Lionfish, and I doubt I ever will again because I normally dive in the Caribbean, so thanks to Sea Life for ruining my big opportunity." Martha also notes that the camera "locks up every other dive and can't be "unlocked" under water." Not exactly a well thought out design by Sea Life.

Were it not for the gargantuan amount of hype generated by the story in Time, the Sea Life DC500 would have been just another terrible, no-name camera. Instead, many users were swayed by the opinion of what they thought was a reputable publication, and wound up with a frustrating piece of jetsam.