wow, you guys are making mountains outta mole hills. Whatever flasher or finder the guy gets will be better than nothing. I use my ice-45 in water that is as shallow as 5 ft give or take but as seamonkey pointed out, you aren't going to see anything until it's nose is right up on your jig. In that situation, fishing very shallow, I tend to pull my 'ducer and site fish.
As for the op's question. Get either a Humminbird ice-35, a Marcum M1 or a Vex FL-18. If you look at the Vex website, you can find reconditioned flashers at a better price (and that would be the direction that I would lean, a recon Vex-18). JMHO