[SamSteele]

I have had the Marcum 485C for probably 4-5 years. It isn't the exact model you are looking at, but I thought I would share my experiences.

I tend to use it in lakes like Slave, Calling, Pigeon, some Sask lakes, and various trout ponds. Depth and water clarity definitely play a role in how clear the images are. No issues down to the 15-18 ft range during daylight hours. I have used it down to 30 ft with a foot or two of snow cover and the visibility isn't great. At 23-25 ft of water on Slave with a couple feet of snow I am able to identify walleye and burbot to about 6 feet away. Set up properly, it will help you identify what is around your lure and how they are responding to various lures and jigging methods.

I have the camera mainly because I have kids that like to see what is going on down there. I set it up in my tent. Viewing the screen in bright daylight is a PITA, so you need to use it inside. When visibility is good and you are stationary, it can be fun to watch. If it's just me fishing I usually just use the flasher instead. Faster to setup, easier to move, and I can usually tell what I'm dealing with on it as well.

If you don't have a good flasher with GPS abilities I would get one before I went with a camera, unless you have kids or tend to stay in one spot for most of the day inside a tent.

SS