I have the opportunity to purchase a Nikonos V

[clive francis]

blacknet once bubbled...
Hello,

Personaly I would never recocomend digital to anyone unless they was to use something like the nikon D1X. Anything less and you will have quality loss.

Ed

no surprises there then!

only problem with that camera is how the hell do you get a strobe for it, as nikon really cocked it up and put the biggest spanner they could find in the works and designed it with a new standard/type of flash.

Hmm they really thought about that one......not!

and as nikon will not tell anyone how it works, the strobe guys have to do a work around bodge job.

the strobes are way too much money for digital cameras anyway, without nikon sticking their oar in and coming up with another type of flash, what was wrong with TTL!?!

there are other cameras out there that are worthy of a mention the latest:

coolpix 5700 (think that is the right numbers)
olympus 5050
canon

are all good cameras.

what you have to remember is that film has been around for a long time, and apart from developments in the actual film, what breakthroughs have there been with the cameras themselves?

digital is constantly changing, and it will not be long before they produce a digial camera that has the same quality output as a film (i think it is something like 33 megapixels is the equivalent of film), they are producing 14 megapixels for normal joe bloggs to buy and professionals can get the 22 megapixels backs for medium format cameras.

Just out of curiosity what car do you drive Blacknet?

 

[daytona]

clive francis once bubbled...


digital is constantly changing, and it will not be long before they produce a digial camera that has the same quality output as a film

Just out of curiosity what car do you drive Blacknet?

I considered a digital camera. Your comment is why I chose to wait. A year ago 5 megapixel cameras were very expensive. Who knows what next year will bring.

What do you drive? Here are my two matching German rides. "Wild and Mild". Hmm, which is which?

Eric

 

[blacknet]

clive francis,

I use a 1998 GEO tracker, I do all my service calls out of it.

One thing that has NOT been mentioned is the desired print size! Are you going to make 30" x 40" prints? If so then there's no digital on the market that can do that unless you get a digital back for a LF setup. Most of the consumer grade digital cameras are ok if you are making prints UNDER 8x10.

Ed

 

[Dee]

blacknet once bubbled...
...One thing that has NOT been mentioned is the desired print size! Are you going to make 30" x 40" prints? If so then there's no digital on the market that can do that unless you get a digital back for a LF setup. Most of the consumer grade digital cameras are ok if you are making prints UNDER 8x10.

Ed

Who said we wanted poster size prints? Very, very few of your average underwater photographers, and that's what most of our members are, will ever want 30" x 40" prints. I've had several 11" x 14" prints made from my 4MP camera with great results.

You forget, Ed, that not everyone takes a magnifying glass to large prints and compares them to prints from large format professional cameras. We consumers are satisfied with the results we get and are willing to enjoy the advantages of digital now while we wait for the improvements you film guys say are so far down the road. Our enlargements are hung on our walls for our enjoyment, not some gallery where you can walk up and put your nose on the print! So get used to it....we like our digital cameras!!

 

[kelpdiver]

My $.02 or less, speaking just from personal experience.....I bought a Sea and Sea MMIIEX (very similar to Nikonos) in 97 (no digital options, then). I took some great macro shots (with a framer for framing, and TTL for good exposure) with a borrowed camera and figured it wouldn't be too hard to use. WRONG. Like a Nikonos, it can take excellent photos, BUT...Unlike digital or a housed SLR, your framing isn't certain--you have to wait until you get the negative--maybe same day if you've got instant E-6, maybe a week after you get home if you don't. Ditto with exposure. I underexposed roll after roll on a tropical trip shooting wide-angle, but didn't know it until after I got home. Oh, and no autofocus--make your best estimate about distance and hope it's right.
I realized this camera is for people who are patient, compulsive about recording the settings for each shot, then comparing with the outcome for what they did wrong, willing to buy and develop many rolls of film for the one or two great shots out of each roll (or 10 in my case). For a very experienced photographer, esp. with an underwater lightmeter, this may be just the ticket. For those of us without the time, expertise, patience, and who just want to enjoy some good "snapshots" (as exposed to being published), I'd look at digital (or a housed SLR).

 

[Knavey]

Well put Kelp.

Let me change to question a little then. I think I have gotten a pretty good cross section of answers so far.

Housing for her current SLR.

Comments on that...If we decided NOT to go the Nik V route, what are everyones thoughts on using her SLR (I forget the model) in a housing vs. using a made for underwater use SLR.

Can I get some feedback on those options?

 

[daytona]

kelpdiver once bubbled...

For those of us without the time, expertise, patience, and who just want to enjoy some good "snapshots" (as exposed to being published), I'd look at digital (or a housed SLR).

I agree 100%. In my case my interest was working with the camera as much as enjoying the photos. After a short while the camera becomes easy to use. There a few things that can help.

When you start off, plan all your shots at three to five feet and pre-set the focus and strobes required F stop. Pick the correct shutter speed for what you are shooting.

Just shoot manual instead of TTL and pre set it. Let the shots come to you and be ready. Then bracket with the ASA knob.

Close ups are easy because you use a framer and therefore everything has to be preset.

After a short while you develop an eye for lighting and distance.

It's almost a whole different hobby.

Eric

 

[clive francis]

blacknet once bubbled...
clive francis,

I use a 1998 GEO tracker, I do all my service calls out of it.

just curious, as you dislike the latest modern camera equipment, thought you might be driving around in a Model T Ford

[/B][/QUOTE]One thing that has NOT been mentioned is the desired print size! Are you going to make 30" x 40" prints? If so then there's no digital on the market that can do that unless you get a digital back for a LF setup. Most of the consumer grade digital cameras are ok if you are making prints UNDER 8x10.

Ed [/B][/QUOTE]

that is complete crap!

the new 5 and 6 (even the 3 and 4 megapixels will do an A4 print) megapixels will print over that with no problem, and most people are getting these now.

the front cover of a dive mag was recently taken with a digital camera, so they can't be that bad can they?

 

[clootie]

I have a Nikonos V, and yes, all the problems mentioned above are true. But that is part of the fun when you do get a good shot. My macro is consistent, just got to crack that wide angle...

I would like an SLR housing in many ways, but my hands are tiny, and the housing would also take up more room - I'd need a new camera box, and a volunteer to carry it for me on all trips....

Not to mention my air consumption already goes up with a camera in my hands - the excitement, not to mention the furious finning into the perfect position before .... oh no a Fish Butt shot again. So the lesser drag of the Nik V set up is probably a good thing.

 

[clive francis]

Knavey once bubbled...
Well put Kelp.

Let me change to question a little then. I think I have gotten a pretty good cross section of answers so far.

Housing for her current SLR.

Comments on that...If we decided NOT to go the Nik V route, what are everyones thoughts on using her SLR (I forget the model) in a housing vs. using a made for underwater use SLR.

Can I get some feedback on those options?

housings can vary in price from reasonable to a mortgage.

they can be quite bulky especially with the dome port (they look like the ROV's or a sub)

how deep does she want to go?

what type of lens?

what type of camera?

what is your budget?

etc. etc.