Spend $ on Nauticam now or get less expensive housing

[ScubaJill]

While I would probably buy an expensive aluminum housing for an even more expensive professional camera, I would also expect to be using it for at least 10 years to get my moneys worth.

Anything else and I really can't justify the cost of an expensive housing for a camera that's obsolete in less than 5 years.

I guess I'm just allergic to spending my money on stuff that should last a long time but doesn't (who wants an empty housing and no camera). I know folks that had to ebay camera bodies simply to fill a housing that cost too much (in my opinion).

I'd rather pay a little less and be able to upgrade both housing and camera when enough new features come out to make me really want that new camera. Put another way, the camera should govern the transaction, not the housing (again, in my opinion).

When you're looking at spending $500 on a camera, and $1650 on a housing with 1 lens port, I'm not sure I would agree with your statement. Not when you could potentially choose a different housing that would cost $200 and work with a different, but equally capable, $500 camera.

Really, I think it only makes sense for the end goal and the total cost to get there to govern the transaction. No one single part should govern it. You shouldn't buy a housing just because of price, if it won't hold a camera you like or can afford. Neither should you buy a camera if you won't be able to afford a housing for it.

If there is only one camera made that will satisfy your requirements, then I suppose it will substantially govern your transaction. But I reckon you'd have to be a pretty serious, experienced professional photographer before that would happen.

I think you're both saying the same thing, just different ways. Or, at least, I'm going to pretend that you are. I've decided that if I go with the Sony A5000 ($300), I'll get the Meikon housing ($200). If I were to get a substantially more expensive camera ($1500-3000 plus lenses), I would feel compelled to get a housing that would accommodate what I imagine would be more complex and serious photography.

 

[stuartv]

Sounds like an excellent plan. If you get to where you want more capability than that setup offers and you opt for another complete rig, rather than spending money on upgrades, I imagine you could sell the complete A5000/Meikon setup without even losing too much money.

 

[KeithG]

I think you're both saying the same thing, just different ways. Or, at least, I'm going to pretend that you are. I've decided that if I go with the Sony A5000 ($300), I'll get the Meikon housing ($200). If I were to get a substantially more expensive camera ($1500-3000 plus lenses), I would feel compelled to get a housing that would accommodate what I imagine would be more complex and serious photography.

agreed. no reason to spend ferrari money if all you need is a volkwagen.

check the want adds and you will see lots of lightly used ferrari rigs for sale. maybe this is because the majority of posters always recommend $$$$ setups? or maybe i am just cheap?

 

[ozziworld]

You mentioned "getting more serious with underwater photography". What gear are you using at the moment? Is it the A5000? How do you like it so far?

If I were starting out and I just wanted to try things out and had the A5000 camera in hand, I would go with a cheaper housing and dive with the money I saved or do some local photo workshops. The investment should be in your skills and not yet in gear.

The experience will get you re-aligned in terms of where you wanted to go with underwater photography. If you get ''hooked'', you will most likely want to look at gear in accordance with your better perspective on where you want to go with underwater photography.

You will find with some research which camera systems are popular with underwater photographers. These of course generally get better support from housing, strobe manufacturers.

 

[rob1967]

Hmm, I don't know if getting the Sony is such a good idea if you plan to use it only with the kit lens. The kit lens has a minimum focus distance of 25 cm, with magnification of of 0.215, neither of which are stellar. IMHO, one of the most important characteristics of a lens for underwater use is the minimum focus distance, so unless you are planning to use the Sony with a true macro lens, you are (again in my opinion) much better off with a high end compact, if you want the versatility of shooting wide and macro on the same dive. For example, the Canon G7X MII and other high end compacts from Canon can focus down to 5 cm.

The inability of the Sony kit lens to focus close will affect your image quality more underwater than the larger sensor size of APSC vs 1".