Nikon D90 Underwater Shots?

[jeremyl]

Nice thread guys. Can anyone comment on how the Aquatica fits in? Saves a couple bucks, and seems to be quite a custom rig. As mentioned above, they have come a fair way in the style and finish.

Fit/Finish is obviously important, but ergonomics is huge. How easy and where the strobes mount, where and how the shutter release is implimented, etc. Since I think there are a fair number of people who would be starting fresh as I am, the "what they used to do" argument is not as valid since we would be comparing the state of the industry today.

Subal gets a bit spendy (I think they are usually the highest) so for me its a question of what does S&S give me over Aquatica for the difference in price. Again, looking at todays housings - I plan to get either a D300, D700, or 5DII (dare I switch to canon just to get HD video and FF sensor!?!) - obviously have to wait for the housings, but I have ~4mo until I need something.

Did Nexus go away? I thought they were among the top, but looks like they dont have anything for the newer cameras. So obviously company longevity is a concern.

 

[rjsimp]

Jeremyl,

FYI, the Nikon D700 is a full frame also. So no you don't need to swtich to Canon.

 

[av8er23]

WOW.... after looking around at some of the housings that you guys have mentioned i am pretty blown away at the prices. I mean ikelite is pretty reasonably priced. But the Sea & Sea and Subal cases are in my opinion obscene. I'm sure that most of you are going to say that you get what you pay for but I am not sure I buy that in this case..... What are you paying for??? Once the photos are on the computer screen or on paper will anyone ever be able to distuinguish the difference? Once you added a couple strobes and a camera to put in the 3000+ housing you will easily have over 10k in your rig. Unless your photos are generating a reasonable amount of income I would say it is maybe overkill.........but hey i only have one money tree and its pretty small!

 

[alcina]

LOL it's not so much about the housing making the better image itself. Well, in a round about way it is.

I use Subal and used to use Ikelite. Both are excellent housings. You can see some of my decision making process if you go to the Sticky (follow the pink link in my signature) and click the "Thinking of DSLR" link for the article I wrote way back when.

In a nutshell, the Subal is smaller, sleeker, sexier and just works for me very well. For my needs the Subal offered the best fit, albeit at a higher price. Could I have happily used the Ikelite in terms of it actually working? Sure, it would work. But it wasn't the right choice for me.

I don't generate oodles of income (like none usually LOL) from my underwater stuff as I do it solely for fun ... I spend money on what makes me happy. Yes, I have a goodly amount in just the housings (2) and ports ... add all the other bits and you don't want to leave it sitting out on your front porch

 

[sandman98007]

you bet ... though this is my first DSLR for UW and I have been using the piont and shoot type. I have been reading that a diopter is need with a dome port. My housing has the 6 incher. The D90 came with a 18-135 DX AF-s lens. I am going to purchase the nikkor 4t. I guess i want to ask others experience with the dome port and diopters.

 

[rjsimp]

you bet ... though this is my first DSLR for UW and I have been using the piont and shoot type. I have been reading that a diopter is need with a dome port. My housing has the 6 incher. The D90 came with a 18-135 DX AF-s lens. I am going to purchase the nikkor 4t. I guess i want to ask others experience with the dome port and diopters.

You only need a diopter depending on your housing's dome port and the lens you are using. Every housing/dome port/lens combination will have different requirements. For example, my 10.5mm does not need a diopter, but my 12-24mm does need a +2.

As far as the 18-135 lense, that really isn't going to be a very good lens for underwater. The 10-20 or 12-24 is about as much zoom as you really want since you will use that behind a dome. Then get a 60mm macro and if you really want to do closups on skittish criters, get a 105mm.

 

[av8er23]

rjsip, you have a VERY impressive gallery. How long have you been taking UW photos?

 

[rjsimp]

rjsip, you have a VERY impressive gallery. How long have you been taking UW photos?

Thank you for the compliments. We have a lot of fun going on diving trips which we focus around photography.

I have been shooting underwater digital for 3 years and prior to that some film but not much. The film just didn't excite me as much because you had to wait to see your results, but with digital I love to just go on a dive for the sole purpose of taking pictures. I have lost the desire many have to just see how deep you can go or how much ground you can cover.

Thanks again.

 

[jeremyl]

Gotta got to Canon not for FX sensor but for VIDEO. D90 just doesnt do it for me as a camera. I have a D70 and frankly I think since Nikon developed the 100 series they have taken away from the 10 series (70, 80, 90). Yes, images are still great, but some functions that are key to me are lacking. So its D300 or D700 in Nikon for me. If I was willing to give up FX and Video, then D300 hands down. I just dont like the way Canons feel. But what I really want is a D700X... 18+MP (so there is enough left if you do DX) and Video. Thus the switch to Canon for the 5DII. I pretty much need new lenses anyway for underwater (dont have a 60MM or Wide zoom) and I can probably swap my Nikons for Canon for the 5 lenses I do have with minimal financial loss. I just am not a fan of Canon ergonomics (no offense).

Regarding housings... I got an Ike housing for a G9 last year. What are you missing by not paying for the big guys. Ergonomics! And while for the 1-2X/yr vacationing diver (like me) its probably not worth spending the big bucks. But for me the sexyness and ease of use for these spendier housings seem somewhat worth it. I planned on getting Aquatica for my next one. I wend on an Aggressor boat and evreryone used them, and they were very happy. And it was much nicer than my Ike housing. (Here is an example... every time I wanted to change flash card or battery I had to completely dissasemble... they just flip a latch). And the price for Aquatica isnt that much more than Ike (to my budget). Subal is out of my range, and I didnt think anyone else was, but now that I see Sea&Sea is only a bit (ok a fair bit at ~$700) more for the housing I think I will go that way (after chatting with the Backscatter boys).

Yes this is a TON of money to shell out for people that dont make money on photos (like me). But I spend my money on what I like and I LOVE diving and photography, so... Honestly if I could just rent this gear for the 3-4wks a year I need it I would do it. But when I looked into this (breifly) it didnt seem to pay. Finding top-o-line rental gear is hard. Boats that have it can charge $300/day (sometimes per dive) and a 2wk rental (needed for a 1wk trip) can be $1K. I just wish these Canon/Nikon guys would keep us in mind when they upgrade so we dont need to shell out another $3K for a new housing every 2-3yrs.

 

[rjsimp]

Something to keep in mind on these housings. The Subal and other top of the line housings do hold their value quite well and you can sell them to get much of your money back if you do decide to upgrade.

Yes, it is a lot of money to invest, but you can spend a lot of money on some hobbies. I used to race RC Boats and would spend several thousand on a single boat by the time I was done building it. Golfing can be several thousand also by the time you get the latest gear, pay greens fees, etc.. Its all a matter of perspective and how much you have to spend on your hobby.

Nothing say's a lower end housing won't work and I don't think anyone here is saything that. It is just not as easy to use and enjoyable to work with. That in itself can be the determining factor on how many good shots you take. I love diving with my rig and I can pack both subal housings, ports, parts, 3 cameras, and laptop in my carry on luggage (when traveling with my wife ) When I had the Ikelite it was huge and required a big case just to haul it. Makes it very difficult to carry on and quite frankly I don't want to check any of my expensive equipment.

Jeremy was right about rentals, they can be very expensive so purchasing one does pay for itself pretty quick.

Just my perspective on price