[Sergiu]

Wide angle lenses and dome port = expensive!
I was toying with the idea of putting my money, lots of it, into a pro kit for UW photography but i chickened out eventually, just far too much cash, in access of 6000 usd, if bought in the States not on my side of the pond where the price is the same but in EUR...

but these days it may be cheaper. if you want to stick to a DSLR, which will be the most versatile and can give you top quality, an entry level Canon or Nikon, say 400D or D40x, even new will be some 500-600 bucks. A housing for any of those will set you off in excess of 1000-1500 bucks, if new and with a dome port for fish eye/wide lenses capability that can be extra. The cheapest i know is Fantasea Line, with a housing for canon 400d at about 800 usd and some 400 usd for the wide lenses port. Best is to look for and find a good used one, though a second hand housing may be for sale simply because it flooded before, so i would not buy one on ebay, certainly not without a test beforehand. Add to it a pro lens e.g. fish eye, wide angle and this can be the most expansive piece of kit! but there are also more affordable options such as the amazing 4.5mm/2.8 Sigma (for canon) which with the 1.6 miltiplying factor (small sensor camera such as 400d) you get the equivalent of 7.2mm! now that's wide alright! this one costs some 800 usd but there are also cheaper ones in the 500 usd range.

I suggest a kit without strobes assuming you will mostly take photos in clear water and top 10-15m - it will be very difficult to freedive with the housing and a twin strobes set-up plus it will cost another grand!

So, i would suspect you will have to shell out some 2000-3000 usd for quality wide angle photography down under, is it worth? you bet, if that kind of disposable income is there!

serge