Full format camera - good on land and also underwater with affordable housing - Nikon or Canon

[Scubasteph1]

I have been diving for many years and using an Olympus set up with an E-PL1 micro 4/3rds. It's been ok but I'm ready to step up to full format and take classes for land based technical skills and/or underwater to get more serious about all and improve my technical abilities. I'd like to eventually do some product photography/food photography. I want to make sure the camera also works though for underwater and a housing that is somewhat affordable. I know- asking for a lot. willing to buy used.

I have been reading a lot about the Nikon D 750 and seems to be a good possibility and within range. I haven't read as much about Canon but it seems that both are very compatible and depends on what you want to shoot. I'm most interested in Macro underwater.

If anyone has any tips on a good solid full format that won't put me out of date in a year or two and likely has a few housing options. More important is probably the low light/ISO element to me and good auto focus as I also dive in the Pacific NW.

Looking for your more experienced recommendations or suggestions - thanks!

 

[JohnnyC]

I feel like I saw a Canon 5d3 and Aquatica housing on here not too long ago. That would be a good start with some money off a new setup.

 

[Barmaglot]

What is it that you seek to gain by going full frame? Keep in mind that its low light advantages are largely lost underwater, as you need to stop down a lot for depth of field. You're shooting an E-PL1 but you didn't mention any lights - are you shooting ambient light? In that case, adding a pair of strobes would bring a much bigger improvement than any new camera, at a considerably lower cost. Autofocus speed? A PDAF capable mirrorless body such as Olympus E-M1 II or Sony A6xxx would be worth looking at.

 

[Scubasteph1]

I'm mainly looking for full format for shooting on land. I use a Sea and Sea Strobe but my internal flesh on my olympus is no longer working and would rather upgrade then have it fixed. I just invested in a brand new strobe right before my internal flash stopped working. My first goal is find a great camera for studio/land use but also one that will work well underwater. Thanks for any advice! It's much appreciated. Open to non-full format as well. I've talked with other pro photogs though and they say for land use - full format is a preference. Just starting my research.

 

[Barmaglot]

Full-frame does have some advantages on land, but underwater, its strong points are diminished, while its liabilities (size, weight, cost, shallow DoF) are magnified. You could get something like a Sony A7 series (full-frame) for land use and A6xxx series (APS-C) for underwater and share lenses since they use the same mount.

 

[Chris Ross]

Depending on what sort of housing you buy, you can buy a m43 body with the difference in price between a m43 housing and a full frame camera housing. You are also potentially looking at more cost for the wide angle domes required if you want to shoot rectilinear wide angles and if you are looking at m43, the lenses are very reasonably priced. A lot of underwater work if it is strobe lit won't benefit from high ISO performance as you don't need it with strobe lit shots. There are exceptions like large pelagic animals in darker waters. I would also suggest dropping into an UW specialist photo retailer, believe you have one in Seattle and handle the housings to experience the difference in bulk between the different formats.

You said you dive in the pacific NW, but don't say what you shoot. If you are restricted to macro, most systems can offer something good in a medium macro lens, Sony is a little restricted on APS-C with the 90mm macro a bit too long for temperate water shooting unless you are restricting yourself to very small stuff and the 50mm offerings don't get the greatest reviews. I would suggest starting with what you would like to shoot and look at the lenses available and work backwards from there.

I shoot Canon on land and wanted a Nauticam housing and found I could buy the housing, camera body and my first lens for an EM-5 MkII for the price of full frame Nauticam housing, so I have gone with two systems and shoot olympus underwater. I started with an EM-5 MkII and now use the EM-1 MkII. Autofocus is very good with no problems doing AF in temperate waters around Sydney unless the subject is under an overhang and the C-AF plus tracking works particularly well.

 

[Scubasteph1]

Thank you everyone. Great information!

 

[Gene]

Don't know if you'd be interested but I have my Nikon D700 at Nikon right now getting a stuck button fixed. After I get it back, I'm going to post it for sale with the Ikelite housing and wide-angle port.
I bought both items to use ten years ago on the film "Piranha 3D" in Arizona. I used the camera on other productions until I bought a D800 a handful of years ago.
These items have been mostly gathering dust here at the house, so I'm planning on selling them pretty cheap....

 

[JohnnyC]

Don't know if you'd be interested but I have my Nikon D700 at Nikon right now getting a stuck button fixed. After I get it back, I'm going to post it for sale with the Ikelite housing and wide-angle port.
I bought both items to use ten years ago on the film "Piranha 3D" in Arizona. I used the camera on other productions until I bought a D800 a handful of years ago.
These items have been mostly gathering dust here at the house, so I'm planning on selling them pretty cheap....

Not interested in the camera at all, but i love that movie! It's one of my favorites!