Need help to choose housing for a Nikon D200

[danishDiver]

Hi there

I am going to upgrade my Olympus 7070wz + PT023 to a dSLR camera.

My plan is to buy a Nikon D200 + underwater house + flash. The lense i am planning to get in the beginning is the Nikon VR 105mm.

I would like to hear some suggestion about wether my choice of lense it good for macro shooting, i love little things like Christmas Tree worms and other critters like that

What i am still wondering about is what house and flash i should get.

Of course i would love to have some highend stuff like a Subal housing, but they are a little to expensive for my bankaccount

I was thinking about a Ikelite housing + 1 DS125 from ikelite also (later another DS125).
Is that a good combination together with the rest of the equipment ?
Or would it be better to throw in some more money and get an aluminium housing from another manufacturer ?
And then what flash would be good ?

I hope someone in here would be so kind to help me.

p.s. Is there somewhere in Europe where i can get a good offer for all this ? Or maybe just housing and flash. The camera price is sort of okay in Denmark.

 

[danishDiver]

Hi again

After calculating back and forth quite a few times, i have started to wonder if i maybe should get a Nikon D80 instead, and use the saved money for a better housing, a second lense, maybe a second flash or ...

I am not a complete newbie in underwater photography, but is the D200 really worth it ? I am going to take pictures for fun, and for the Xray-Magazine also ?

 

[Cacia]

I was wondering the same thing...

I have heard the D 80 is just as good.

I like the Ike housings for the money.

If money isn't a big issue, I like the Aquatica.

 

[danishDiver]

Hi Catherine

Wow nice shots you have, i love this one:

I have never been able to make a sharp shoot of the christmas tree worms, with my Olympus 7070.

Your pictures says 105mm focal length, is that with a 105mm vr lense ?

 

[Cacia]

yes, I like the lense. I will be honest and say I don't understand it. It has a telephoto function too. (how does it do all that?)

Lots of folks prefer the 60 I think.

I probably sharpened that shot with Picasa. I like to make just a few fast fixes, not really into the hours it takes to get involved in the layers on CS 2. Maybe someday...

Sometimes sharpening makes an image look flat, to me.

 

[alcina]

I don't think you can go too wrong with either the D200 or the D80, really.

If cost is going to be an issue, the D80 might be the way to go so you can spend the difference on better glass, more strobes , and all the other goodies.

I like the Inon strobes - the 240s would work well. Ikelite 125s if not the Inon.

Ikelite housings are very well built, support a good range of lenses and are relatively inexpensive. Subal housings are not inexpensive but are smaller and for me, more ergonomic - which translates into being more comfortable so I use it more. But you've got a quite a price jump. Aquatica housings are also a good choice. There are others but those are probably the top three at this time.

The 105 is a lovely lens! It can be tough to focus so you'll want a spotting light of some sort. Expect to pay abot $400 ish for that so don't forget to include it in the budget! You might want to add a Woody's dioptre, especially as you love macro work - and this is the best $70 you'll spend It's great fun.

Macro is my favourite, too:

Let's see - how else can I spend your money???

 

[danishDiver]

Hi Alcina

Thanks for the tips, trust me if money was not a problem i would go for the Subal housing, but it is a 'bit' expensive

How well would a Inon 240 work with a Ikelite housing ? Can it do TTL ?

Where can i get a Nikkor 105mm VR lense for 400$ here in Denmark it cost around 1000$ (okay our VAT alone is 25%)

Okay now you might be thinking, okay what a newbie that 'danishDiver' is But what is a 'Woody's dioptre'

Let's see - how else can I spend your money???
Hehe, with that i don't need help, i am quite good at that on my own

 

[alcina]

Talk to Ryan and Richard at www.reefphoto.com (ryan@reefphoto.com) for the answers to all of your questions - they are fabulous in helping you set up a system that will suit your needs and that will allow you to grow as your needs develop!

A Woody's (never go down without your Woody!) is an accessory that slips over the front of your flat port and add magnification to your macro subjects. It's awesome And for the price, it just can't be beat.

 

[danishDiver]

Hi alcina

Thanks for the tip, ill put together en email for them tommorov. (bed time here in Denmark now)

See ya

 

[Warren_L]

Hi again

After calculating back and forth quite a few times, i have started to wonder if i maybe should get a Nikon D80 instead, and use the saved money for a better housing, a second lense, maybe a second flash or ...

I am not a complete newbie in underwater photography, but is the D200 really worth it ? I am going to take pictures for fun, and for the Xray-Magazine also ?

You'll probably be happy with either one. I've not used a D80 before, so I cannot really comment directly on that. I do love my D200, though, after upgrading from my D70. The D200 just feels solid in my hands when shooting on land, which I much prefer over my D70.

As far as the 105mm VR vs 105mm non-VR is concerned, it will probably make some difference, but I don't know how much, to be honest. You need to make sure the housing you go with has a port available for it as the lens barrel is wider on the VR than the non-VR. I use the non-VR version. Here's a christmas tree worm I shot this week using the D200/Aquatica/105mm (non-VR):