By Doug Pemberton

Heading south? Looking forward to diving the warm azure waters of the tropics and want a reliable and relatively inexpen sive way to capture those memories on film? Then perhaps the Sealife Reefmaster camera system is the answer.

The two-part Reefmaster system comes in a compact and sturdy, foam filled carrying case and consists of a fully automatic camera and durable underwater housing. The point and shoot camera is powered by two AA batteries, turns on with the flick of a switch and features automatic film loading, rewind, auto exposure and flash. Focus is sharp from four feet to infinity.

When being used around sandy, humid or wet environments the camera fits snugly into the sturdy, bright yellow, rubber coated, plastic housing to protect it from the elements. When using the housing it is important to remember to turn on the camera before you lock it in the housing as there is no way to turn on the camera from outside the housing. Turning on the camera also activates the flash which is necessary when taking pictures underwater. Once the camera is placed in the housing it is sealed with two spring buckles and the unit is pressure rated to a depth of 50 metres. The rangefinder is easy to look through and the Reefmaster also comes with a close-up lens for shooting underwater at distances between two and four feet. The 3X close-up lens is attached to the camera housing by a lanyard, so it's always there when required. It fits right over the housing lens, can be attached and removed quickly and easily while underwater and is a must in areas with low water visibility. The close-up lens can also be used to take pictures on land at distances between eight and twelve inches.

The Sealife camera system is designed for use in the tropics or where water is very clear. The unit represents simplicity and quality in design and function. The whole unit is very easy to use and the many useful tips on underwater photography included in the instruction manual will almost assure good results for the first time user.

For more information contact Cross Country Parts Dist. Ltd., 2307 Centre Ave., S.E., Calgary, AB T2E 0A9 (403) 235-5454 Fax (403) 235-6394.