Looking for a better 35mm u/w system.

[reefrat]

Has anyone used the new Sea & Sea MMIII with the YS 60 strobe??

I want to upgrade from my MX10 kit.
The MX10 has given me lot's of great prints but now I'm looking for better optics and a metering system capable of reliable exposures with slide film.

I do like fish photography and I know that a housed slr would give me the best close up/ macro on fish, but I just don't know if I could live with the size of the things- especially when travelling.

The nikonos is another I'm considering, but I'm not sure that the optics are much better than the MMIII and I've heard a lot about nikonos cameras being prone to flooding!!

Not interested in digital- tried it and went back to analogue, I like to think about my shot's before I push the shutter and this way I get better images.

Anyone got any suggestions.

 

[TedJ]

IMHO, I would buy a Nikonos V. eBay prices for a camera and 35mm lens are about $325 these days. The optics are without peer. You can get any accessory you want in great shape as well. And the reason cameras flood is the operators who are not vigilant. I went digital last year but bought my wife a Nikonos V and we're both very happy. Had Mx-10s for years before.

 

[onbelaydave]

Then went to a housed SLR . I'd never shoot an MMII again or a Nik for that matter. Being able to see your framing, auto focus,exp, etc., MORREEE !! than makes up for the bulk. Cocoview resort is running this slideshow right now HERE from my first try with my new system. It's in frames so feel free to scroll through the left hand bar.
That said I still have my old MMII w/strobe, 1:3 macro and WA just gathering dust. I'm ready to get rid of it. $450 for the whole works !

 

[TedJ]

onbelaydave,
Enjoyed your shots.

I agree that a housed SLR would be the ticket, but it is considerably more expensive than a Nikonos V. When I went digital last year it was with the Olympus 5050 and I have been a Nikon shooter all my life. I really wanted to house my N80, but didn't want to spend the $800-$2000 to do it. I will ultimately go to a Nikon DSLR housed a couple years from now, because of the reasons you state for a SLR and NO SHUTTER LAG!!!

If reefrat could pick up a couple year old SLR in say an Ikelite housing it might be competitive with the Nikonos V. I really haven't been paying attention to the prices on eBay lately.
TedJ

 

[adshepard]

I have two Nikonos Vs and an S&S MMII-EX and the optics are a bit superior with the Nikonos and there is certainly more control. As was stated by someone else most floods are due to user error (I've made the errors) and the user not getting proper maintenance. You can just as easily flood an MMII-EX with user error.

I know a good number of professional top-side photographers that went digital and are now switching back to slides/film as they wait for digital to catch up with film. I myself will eventually go digital with the rest of the world but it will have to be a digital SLR. I want nothing to do with anything less than that.

DSDO

Alan

 

[MosheDyan]

I have kept my MMII EX/PRO with YS-60 as a backup for my digital rig and will probably use it until it dies. Very simple operation and the lens quality is just fine for U/W use. I have the 16mm SWA, 1:2 Macro, and the high-eyepoint finder and I am willing to bet you can find this system fairly cheaply. It takes outstanding images....but...as always...it's just a tool. I know nothing about the MMIII.

 

[reefrat]

Thanks for the feedback

The head says get a housed slr or the MMIII.

The heart says go the Nikonos set up with a 15mm lens and a few macro extensions. Don't know why except that I've been diving for quite a few years and this was always the rig I would have had if I could have afforded it!

And I guess I have a bit of a fetish for older cameras- despite owning a canon eos system (and an S40) I keep going back to my old Nikon fm!

Time to start monitoring Ebay.

Cheers

 

[onbelaydave]

Thanks for the feedback

The head says get a housed slr or the MMIII.

The heart says go the Nikonos set up with a 15mm lens and a few macro extensions. Don't know why except that I've been diving for quite a few years and this was always the rig I would have had if I could have afforded it!

And I guess I have a bit of a fetish for older cameras- despite owning a canon eos system (and an S40) I keep going back to my old Nikon fm!

Time to start monitoring Ebay.

Cheers

Still a great bet. The 15mm is a gem of a lens. Besides e-bay take a look at KEH cameras HERE. I've picked up some real nice deals through them and always start here when I'm looking for quality used gear !

 

[TedJ]

The 15mm's come up on eBay every couple of weeks and are still going for around $1200-$1500 if my memory serves me. Check B&H and Helix camera in Chicago for "New" "old" merchandise. I've bought Nikonos stuff from both.

BTW, you can occasionally get a "new" Nikonos V for around $550 with the 35mm lens. Used ought to be in the $350 range and a brand new SB-105 strobe about $300. Many of the strobes a brand new as replacements for the recalled SB-103. That's what I got for my wife and she loves it.

Personally I would have housed my N-80, but it would have cost an awful lot more, so I went digital.
TedJ

 

[-hh]

Thanks for the feedback

The head says get a housed slr or the MMIII.

If you really have to have automatic metering to do your guessing for you, then the answer is a housed SLR. However, it is very hard for any camera to do a good job to properly meter a wide angle bluewater shot, so if that's your intent, you're going to be disappointed with anything.

I shot my Nikonos V for perhaps 1 year before going fully manual for my WA shots. That was a decade ago. The trick is to meter your water and set up your f/stop to get ~1/45sec, then set your strobe power accordingly. Bracket from there, and you will almost always have a keeper. I pretty much "always" use A/TTL for macro & close-up kit, and they come out very well...good yield

The heart says go the Nikonos set up with a 15mm lens and a few macro extensions...time to start monitoring Ebay.

There's also a Sea&Sea prime* 20mm, 15mm and 12mm lens that are optically pretty darn close to the Genuine Nikkor, but cost much less. B&H lists the S&S 15mm f/3.5 (new, but currently out of stock) as around $1000, to which you'll need to add a viewfinder (figure another $200). Keep it in mind when shopping around, either new or used.

* NOT an adaptor lens that fits over the 35mm, compromising optics.

Also be aware that there's a "New" and an "Old" -Style Nikkor 15mm - - - unless you're buying an Nikonos III or earlier, you want the New so that you can use TTL if you choose to.

Finally, for digitizing, consider a Canon 3200 Photo scanner...it has both USB 2 and Fireware (eg, fast scans) and a slide insert tray that will get the job done...and since a newer model has been announced that supercedes it, you can find one for under $200 after rebate.


-hh