AGNZ
Contributor
Hi,
I only got into Scuba Diving around a year ago, although have been involved in Free Diving and Spearfishing for quite some time. My experience on these forums has been very good so far and all the gear recommendations that I ended up purchasing have proved to be up to the task. I would also like to add that until I started Scuba Diving I probably never appreciated the underwater world as much as I do now……Even though I spent countless hours in and on the ocean my goals were usually just to see how deep I could dive and hunt for the biggest fish.
As a result, my goal posts are now shifting in favour of hanging up the Speargun and replacing it with a camera. The first thing I therefore did was buy a Hero Go-Pro and didn’t give much thought to anything else. In terms of getting some basic filming and photos it has proven great as I could just slap it on my mask or end of the Speargun. The problem is the results can be quite variable and often you miss a key moment, not to mention the camera is so small and you cannot really see the back screen when trying to take a photo.
The next thing I did was jump on Google and community forums and start looking at professional underwater camera reviews. These do a great job of explaining the pros and cons and give general recommendations, however being an amateur you are never really quite sure what is ‘nice to have’ and what is a ‘must have’ i.e. quality auto focusing is probably quite important for an amateur? Not to mention the prices vary wildly and my general philosophy is that its better to buy and cry once than realise you really need something different in a few years’ time (failed on that with the GoPro). My final thought on that is, what is going to work best in my local environment (yes, I will talk to fellow divers in my area too), but it does not hurt to talk to a community that has access to all the products on offer.
Primary Goal: Take photos
I want to get to the point where I can make picture books of my adventures and eventually choose the best and turn them into large wall canvases around the house or give them away as gifts. Obviously being an amateur, features that can automate some of the more challenging aspects of taking great photos has its appeals. I also assume these cameras can be used out of the water too?
Local Conditions: New Zealand
Most of my time practicing will be done in New Zealand. The far North of New Zealand can be classified as ‘subtropical’, however the vast majority of the country falls into the Temperate Zone. This means light can be an issue and water clarity is not always great. For example, in my home town 10-12m visibility would be considered a 5-star day (usually 5-8m). The local Dive Club also does quite a bit of Night Diving so it would be nice to have setup that can work in this environment too. Some of the most spectacular diving is further south in Fiordland, where in the inner Sounds there is often a silt layer that can further restrict light penetration. Despite the sometimes-imperfect conditions, what I have seen is that New Zealand’s marine life is both vibrant and plentiful relative to most other countries I have visited.
What do I need?
What I think I need is the following:
Camera
General purpose lens
Waterproof housing
Lights
Budget?
I don’t really have a budget per say, however from what I have seen I cannot afford to buy the best of everything. Not to mention I am unlikely to get the most out of every advanced feature (this is a hobby not my livelihood after all). As a result, I am open to suggestions on what you think the most appropriate setup would be for my situation? My main fear is that I will buy something ‘cheap’ that does not deliver or buy something ‘expensive’ that I feel I have paid for features I really won’t ever need.
update: to make it slightly easier to get some advice.....I was hoping to be able to acquire the setup for the equivalent of $1500 USD (new or second-hand).
Sony RX100
Nauticam Housing (assume this is the desired setup: NA-RX100V Pro Package Housing for RX100V including Flexitray, Right Handle, Ball Mounts, and Shutter Release Extension)
Sea & Sea YS-03 Strobes
One thing I am a little confused about is wet lenses and Macro versus Wide? Reading the forums suggests Macro Wet is the best option for starting with close-ups? Is that like an extra lens or something that comes with the housing?
Please let me know if you have any advice and/or would like some additional information
p.s. I have no allegiance to any brand as have never needed to buy a proper camera before.
Kind regards,
G
I only got into Scuba Diving around a year ago, although have been involved in Free Diving and Spearfishing for quite some time. My experience on these forums has been very good so far and all the gear recommendations that I ended up purchasing have proved to be up to the task. I would also like to add that until I started Scuba Diving I probably never appreciated the underwater world as much as I do now……Even though I spent countless hours in and on the ocean my goals were usually just to see how deep I could dive and hunt for the biggest fish.
As a result, my goal posts are now shifting in favour of hanging up the Speargun and replacing it with a camera. The first thing I therefore did was buy a Hero Go-Pro and didn’t give much thought to anything else. In terms of getting some basic filming and photos it has proven great as I could just slap it on my mask or end of the Speargun. The problem is the results can be quite variable and often you miss a key moment, not to mention the camera is so small and you cannot really see the back screen when trying to take a photo.
The next thing I did was jump on Google and community forums and start looking at professional underwater camera reviews. These do a great job of explaining the pros and cons and give general recommendations, however being an amateur you are never really quite sure what is ‘nice to have’ and what is a ‘must have’ i.e. quality auto focusing is probably quite important for an amateur? Not to mention the prices vary wildly and my general philosophy is that its better to buy and cry once than realise you really need something different in a few years’ time (failed on that with the GoPro). My final thought on that is, what is going to work best in my local environment (yes, I will talk to fellow divers in my area too), but it does not hurt to talk to a community that has access to all the products on offer.
Primary Goal: Take photos
I want to get to the point where I can make picture books of my adventures and eventually choose the best and turn them into large wall canvases around the house or give them away as gifts. Obviously being an amateur, features that can automate some of the more challenging aspects of taking great photos has its appeals. I also assume these cameras can be used out of the water too?
Local Conditions: New Zealand
Most of my time practicing will be done in New Zealand. The far North of New Zealand can be classified as ‘subtropical’, however the vast majority of the country falls into the Temperate Zone. This means light can be an issue and water clarity is not always great. For example, in my home town 10-12m visibility would be considered a 5-star day (usually 5-8m). The local Dive Club also does quite a bit of Night Diving so it would be nice to have setup that can work in this environment too. Some of the most spectacular diving is further south in Fiordland, where in the inner Sounds there is often a silt layer that can further restrict light penetration. Despite the sometimes-imperfect conditions, what I have seen is that New Zealand’s marine life is both vibrant and plentiful relative to most other countries I have visited.
What do I need?
What I think I need is the following:
Camera
General purpose lens
Waterproof housing
Lights
Budget?
I don’t really have a budget per say, however from what I have seen I cannot afford to buy the best of everything. Not to mention I am unlikely to get the most out of every advanced feature (this is a hobby not my livelihood after all). As a result, I am open to suggestions on what you think the most appropriate setup would be for my situation? My main fear is that I will buy something ‘cheap’ that does not deliver or buy something ‘expensive’ that I feel I have paid for features I really won’t ever need.
update: to make it slightly easier to get some advice.....I was hoping to be able to acquire the setup for the equivalent of $1500 USD (new or second-hand).
Sony RX100
Nauticam Housing (assume this is the desired setup: NA-RX100V Pro Package Housing for RX100V including Flexitray, Right Handle, Ball Mounts, and Shutter Release Extension)
Sea & Sea YS-03 Strobes
One thing I am a little confused about is wet lenses and Macro versus Wide? Reading the forums suggests Macro Wet is the best option for starting with close-ups? Is that like an extra lens or something that comes with the housing?
Please let me know if you have any advice and/or would like some additional information
p.s. I have no allegiance to any brand as have never needed to buy a proper camera before.
Kind regards,
G
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