Underwater Camera Set Recommendations - RAW Possibilities?

[Bazal]

Hey,

So I know budget is key - my budget is $1000-$2000 - I know this is NOT a lot. On land I shoot with a DSLR Canon 70D. I know the basics of photography and I do shoot in RAW... my editing skills are bad! But I love the ability to be able to shoot in RAW.

I'm a relatively new diver with about 30 dives under my belt... I did spend my first 25 dives only working on my skills - I have NOT mastered buoyancy - my last 5 dives I spend with a camera and I did not seem to have any trouble with it.

So far I've tried:
1- I own a GoPro... TERRIBLE picture quality. Okay Movie quality
2- Borrowed Intova Edge from Friend. Okay Movie Quality - TERRIBLE TERRIBLE picture quality
3- I borrowed a large setup from an ex-collegue of Canon Powershot G16 in a Fantasea Housing + Fish Eye Lens + YS-03 Strobe. It was a big setup - but strangely enough I managed to handle it very well. The strobe so I wouldn't have to use a red filter (or other filter).. but I also changed my white balance to "cloudy" because strobes can over expose - but see the end of this... Anyway I shot in RAW + JPEG simultaneously (which I LOVE!!!). With this Camera you also have the ability (if you want) to take a movie + pictures at the same time which is cool I think diving because sometimes fish just move a little to quickly for you to capture that great shot! I used this setup in the Cenote (Mexico) and Cozumel while I drift dived. Problem... I never backed up my SD card (didn't bring my laptop with me - was using Spirit Airlines and diving gear has a lot of weight on it... so a 13 lbs laptop didn't seem like a good idea - yes you live and you learn!!!) and used it on a land camera and.... it got stolen... was NOT expecting that. So ultimately I have no idea if this setup worked and the quality of pictures/movies. I did check out the pictures on the "small" screen - hard to tell really - the pictures looked nice (but I did see some "bubbles" in them - could just be me breathing LOL).

So now.... I don't know what to get. I tried looking for the Canon Powershot G16 in Adorama and it's not there anymore... not sure if it's backordered or not being produced anymore. I know it's an older camera - but what's nice is, the ability to shoot in RAW + JPEG and it's got a pretty fast AF - which is important underwater I think.

Anyway - any advice/suggestions for a set-up for the pros here?

Thanks!!!

 

[SCRedWolf]

Hey,

So I know budget is key - my budget is $1000-$2000 - I know this is NOT a lot. On land I shoot with a DSLR Canon 70D. I know the basics of photography and I do shoot in RAW... my editing skills are bad! But I love the ability to be able to shoot in RAW.

I'm a relatively new diver with about 30 dives under my belt... I did spend my first 25 dives only working on my skills - I have NOT mastered buoyancy - my last 5 dives I spend with a camera and I did not seem to have any trouble with it.

So far I've tried:
1- I own a GoPro... TERRIBLE picture quality. Okay Movie quality
2- Borrowed Intova Edge from Friend. Okay Movie Quality - TERRIBLE TERRIBLE picture quality
3- I borrowed a large setup from an ex-collegue of Canon Powershot G16 in a Fantasea Housing + Fish Eye Lens + YS-03 Strobe. It was a big setup - but strangely enough I managed to handle it very well. The strobe so I wouldn't have to use a red filter (or other filter).. but I also changed my white balance to "cloudy" because strobes can over expose - but see the end of this... Anyway I shot in RAW + JPEG simultaneously (which I LOVE!!!). With this Camera you also have the ability (if you want) to take a movie + pictures at the same time which is cool I think diving because sometimes fish just move a little to quickly for you to capture that great shot! I used this setup in the Cenote (Mexico) and Cozumel while I drift dived. Problem... I never backed up my SD card (didn't bring my laptop with me - was using Spirit Airlines and diving gear has a lot of weight on it... so a 13 lbs laptop didn't seem like a good idea - yes you live and you learn!!!) and used it on a land camera and.... it got stolen... was NOT expecting that. So ultimately I have no idea if this setup worked and the quality of pictures/movies. I did check out the pictures on the "small" screen - hard to tell really - the pictures looked nice (but I did see some "bubbles" in them - could just be me breathing LOL).

So now.... I don't know what to get. I tried looking for the Canon Powershot G16 in Adorama and it's not there anymore... not sure if it's backordered or not being produced anymore. I know it's an older camera - but what's nice is, the ability to shoot in RAW + JPEG and it's got a pretty fast AF - which is important underwater I think.

Anyway - any advice/suggestions for a set-up for the pros here?

Thanks!!!

If you're taking possibly once-in-a-lifetime pictures make sure you get a backup prior to traveling. Believe it or not I've had SD cards fail, sure they get replaced for free but anything on them is lost, and of course you've had your cards go missing in transit. Get something like this to backup your memory cards so you always have multiple copies. I haven't used that particular model but you get the idea - they make easily portable devices for backing up memory cards. My seriously into photography friends make two backups to every memory card.

And what is it about Spirit? My parents had a direct flight into Orlando a few months ago and their luggage got lost.

 

[tursiops]

Essentially all the higher-end cameras have a RAW setting. Your big decision is a point and shoot vs a mirrorless, although even that distinction is beginning to blur with some of the Sony line.

 

[Skeptic14]

I'm using an olympus TG-4, PT-056 case, YS-03 strobe and UWL-04 fisheye lens, which was around $1,500ish.

I shoot raw/jpeg simultaneously with it and being extremely new to uw photography I've gotten what I think are some pretty good results with this setup and it's easy to use which was great for a novice such as myself. There are probably some other setups that you can get and stay under $2k, I hear the sony rx100 mentioned a lot, so that might be worth checking out.

Here's a shot with my setup (frogfish at mala pier):

 

[ColoDale]

I use Olympus OMD EM5 which is getting older but has decent reviews. I shoot raw + Jpeg on every shot and use WA, "normal" and macro lenses with dome and flat ports in a Nauticam housing with two strobes. It's a 4/3 mirrorless.

Since the Oly EM5 is becomming older you can find used and old stock for cheaper. I think I saw an EM5 and an Oly housing for ~$1300. That does not include trays/arms, strobes and don't remever if there was a basic lens with it.
Every so often SB, Wetpixel, bacKscatter or even ebay can have setups for less. I don't use ebay that much but YMMV.

I can't tell if your looking for new or used. New Oly and other manufacturers setups (4/3 and DSLR) will be much more than your listed budget with accessories (lenses, trays, arms, strobes, floats, cables and every other gadget you can hang off it). Though you should be able to find used in other lines than Oly.

On other topics, I have multiple SD cards, download them daily to a larger tablet since it has external memory available and rotate cards every few days . So basically I can backup the RAW and JPEGs and review what I have done not only for quality and impatience but also see what I have done for lighting and bracketing, etc. I have not had an SD go bad but it can happen, just not to me yet. There are other devices available as mentioned above but I like the larger screen.

Your budget is going to be tough if you want higher end/higher performing setups and with newer technology.

 

[doctormike]

I have NOT mastered buoyancy

I would address this problem before you worry about RAW capability. Your photographs will be a lot better.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

Canon SL1 in Ikelite housing falls within your budget with one strobe. I bought my strobes used and saved about $400 over new and they work just fine. Ikelite DS51's. Here's a photo I took a few weeks ago. This was in jpeg but I can shoot RAW as well. It lets me do both and saves both files. That's with the 18-55 kit lens. I have a 60mm macro and the port for it but haven't had the chance to play with it yet.
.

 

[tursiops]

I would address this problem before you worry about RAW capability. Your photographs will be a lot better.

View attachment 377682

What is the source of this graphic?

 

[mattia_v]

For that budget consider a compact camera (I like my rx100, a lot), housing and wet lenses, and add a strobe. Add a second later if you wish. Interceptor121 has a cool blog covering the ups and downs of an rx100 and several other setups. Canon also makes a number of 1" sensor compacts

 

[doctormike]

What is the source of this graphic?

I made it myself.