Upgrade to Canon 7dii or Sony A6300? Advice?

[gcachon]

I currently have a Sony NEX7 with the 18-55mm kit lens. Time to upgrade the camera for faster autofocus and to move to macro and wide angle. My options are the Sony A6300 or the Canon 7dii. I already own the Canon 7dii and the macro lens for it (100mmL). I already own two Sea&Sea strobes, fiber optic cables and arms. I also have a Nauticam Flexitray that could be used with the Sony. When I add up the costs of the two systems, they are comparable:

Canon 7d ii = $0
Nauticam 7dii housing = $3400
Strobes + arms + fiber optic cable = $0
Canon 8-15mm f/4L = $1150
N120 8.5 Acrylic dome = $650
N120 Extension ring 20 = $280
Canon 8-15 zoom gear = $195
Canon 100mm L f2.8 = $0
N120 Macro Port 94 = $460
Total = $6135

(I am leaning towards the more expensive Canon 8-15 rather than the Tokina 10-17 because I shoot Canon full frame topside.)

Sony A6300 = $948
Nauticam A6300 housing = $1650
Flexitray = $0
Strobes + arms + fiber optic cable = $0
Sony E 10-18 F4 = $848
N85 7" Acrylic Dome = $550
Sony E 10-18 zoom gear = $150
Sony FE 90mm f/2.8 macro = $1098
N100 Macro Port 55 = $360
N85 to N100 65mm Port adaptor = $390
Total = $5994

Pros and Cons (as I understand it) across the two systems:
- Canon 8-15mm lens is fisheye (wider, closer focus) than the Sony 10-18 rectilinear lens
- Canon has higher flash sync speed (1/250) than Sony (1/160)... I feel the 1/160 sync speed on the NEX is limiting.
- I primarily am a shore diver ... the Sony system would be lighter and smaller (but it isn't a compact system, either)
- Canon WB has more range underwater when set manually with a white card (the Sony tops out at 9900K). I don't do much video, but I can imagine this would help with ambient light photos, especially, in the 10-30' depth range.
- Sony can do 4K video, Canon does 1080.

I am sure either system would be great. But given that this is a huge investment, I would like to be sure that I will be as happy as possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[sunnyboy]

There are at any time one or more Nauticam 7D mkII housings available used. You could save some dollars there. I bought a used system for a 7D MK I and absolutely love it. Granted, I've been using Canon since the 70's.

Depending on where you are taking pictures, you can also "grow" the system. Where I am (Vancouver Island) it's mostly macro photography, so a 60mm (or 100mm) lens and appropriate port (also cheaper than the domes) is a great way to start. I can always add a dome port and lens later. Again, dome ports for nauticam come up used quite often.

 

[Hoag]

I shoot Canon topside (6D now, but I used to shoot a 7D) and I just upgraded to a Sony A6000 (from a 1st gen Olympus M4/3) for underwater so I understand what you are going through. If you decide on the 7D MKII, another option for WA/FE would be the Sigma 15mm f2.8 EX Fisheye. They are about $610 new, or you might be able to find a great deal on a high quality used one and it is a great lens that will work both on your 7D MKII and on your full frame.

Just my 2 cents worth, but it looks to me like you have two very nice systems in mind, and I think that once you commit to one of them you will find yourself very pleased with it.

Just out of curiosity, have you considered an Aquatica Housing for your 7D? They are also extremely high quality and they may provide you with a lower cost option (currently $1999) than a Nauticam while still supporting Fiber Optic triggering for the strobes. That might be a viable option that could save you about $1.5k.

 

[bvanant]

I think that the autofocus on the Canon is still way more better (My 7th grade Nun, english teacher is rolling in her retirement) than the Sony. That being said, the IQ from the Sony is a bit better (In my eyes) than the Canon. That also being said, there are a lot more good lenses for Canon than Sony.
In either case there probably is no photo you can get with one that you can't get with the other, except that you might not get circular fisheye with the Sony.
Cheers
Bill

 

[gcachon]

I shoot Canon topside ... and I just upgraded to a Sony A6000 (from a 1st gen Olympus M4/3) ... If you decide on the 7D MKII, another option for WA/FE would be the Sigma 15mm f2.8 EX Fisheye...

... have you considered an Aquatica Housing for your 7D? They are also extremely high quality and they may provide you with a lower cost option (currently $1999) than a Nauticam while still supporting Fiber Optic triggering for the strobes.

Interesting! In reverse order ...
- I use a Nauticam for my NEX7 and love it, which is why I was planning on sticking with them. But if Aquatica is comparable, it is hard to argue with saving about $1.5K. I would love to hear if people have experience with both brands and whether they have a preference for one or the other.
- The Sigma 15mm is also an option. I just worry that I will regret not having zoom flexibility of the 8-15. I imagine I would use the 8-15 at both extremes most of the time, but it is hard to know how much I would really want the wide extreme. My current lens is a 18-55 and I shoot that at both extremes most of the time. And I know that 18mm with a rectilinear lens behind a flat port is much narrower than 15mm fisheye behind a dome port. So it is possible that the "shock" of jumping to WA fisheye might cause me to stick with just 15mm and rarely go to the 8-10mm range of the 8-15mm. Again, thoughts are welcomed!
- The A6000 is somewhat of a follow on to the NEX7 and very similar to the A6300. I would love to hear your thoughts on your experience shooting with it!

 

[gcachon]

I think that the autofocus on the Canon is still way more better (My 7th grade Nun, english teacher is rolling in her retirement) than the Sony. That being said, the IQ from the Sony is a bit better (In my eyes) than the Canon. That also being said, there are a lot more good lenses for Canon than Sony...

Autofocus is the other reason that I want to upgrade, especially for macro - the NEX7 is a contrast detection system that is slow and grinds to a complete halt at the macro end of my lens in lowish light (a focus light, which I have, helps, but it is still nothing compared to my 7Dii). I am surprised that you feel the Canon focus will be noticeably faster - everything I read about the A6300 suggests it is fast to focus (maybe not the subject tracking over bursts that the 7Dii can do, but I rarely use burst shooting underwater because of the strobes).

 

[Hoag]

Interesting! In reverse order ...
- I use a Nauticam for my NEX7 and love it, which is why I was planning on sticking with them. But if Aquatica is comparable, it is hard to argue with saving about $1.5K. I would love to hear if people have experience with both brands and whether they have a preference for one or the other.
- The Sigma 15mm is also an option. I just worry that I will regret not having zoom flexibility of the 8-15. I imagine I would use the 8-15 at both extremes most of the time, but it is hard to know how much I would really want the wide extreme. My current lens is a 18-55 and I shoot that at both extremes most of the time. And I know that 18mm with a rectilinear lens behind a flat port is much narrower than 15mm fisheye behind a dome port. So it is possible that the "shock" of jumping to WA fisheye might cause me to stick with just 15mm and rarely go to the 8-10mm range of the 8-15mm. Again, thoughts are welcomed!
- The A6000 is somewhat of a follow on to the NEX7 and very similar to the A6300. I would love to hear your thoughts on your experience shooting with it!

In no particular order ...
I have the Sigma lens and I use it on my 6D. I am very happy with it. My "go to" wide angle is the Canon 17-40 f4L, but I wanted a fast (f2.8) wide angle for a trip to the US Southwest last fall. Before you commit to the 8-15 fisheye, try to get to a camera store that has one and try it on both a 7D MKII and on your full frame. If I remember correctly, when I did this, I found it was a very frustrating lens on a full frame camera. At 8mm it is basically a circular fisheye effect, and there is serious vignetting out to about 12mm. It is a superb lens optically, but in the real world, I would be very reluctant to spend that kind of money on a lens specifically so you can use it on both your crop sensor and your full frame sensor cameras when it has such limited use on the full frame. (If you do look at the Sigma, don't forget that the 15mm will be roughly equivalent to a 22mm when mounted on you 7D MKII.) If it was me, I would get the Tokina 10-17 zoom fisheye for the 7D, and if I really wanted a fisheye for my full frame, I would then opt for the Sigma.

I have never had an Aquatica housing, but I have been on trips where there have been people who had them and without exception, they loved them. If I were you, I would contact Scott Geitler at Blue Water Photo. He sells both and he might be able to speak more directly to the pros and cons of each of them. If I was spending my money, I would buy the Aquatica housing without any second thoughts.

Here are links to a couple reviews of the Aquatica housing for the (gen 1) Canon 7D:
Underwater Photography Guide
Backscatter

I would expect similar, if not slightly better results from the Gen 2 (MKII) housing.

Finally, I have not shot my A6000 underwater yet. I am pretty much a "destination diver" and the next trip that I have planned isn't until the fall (a week on the Aquacat Live Aboard based out of Nassau Bahamas). I am still "building" my system. I did go with the Nauticam housing for it, and the Sony 10-18 f4 lens with the 7" dome. I am pleased with my above the surface shots with it.

 

[bvanant]

In your own hands, the autofocus of the 7Dii is quite good (I think that is what you said) and in my hands at least the 6300 is no where as nice as the 7D. For macro the Canon system has a great set of lenses (I shoot the Tamron 60 macro with a 1.4 teleconverter) and Sony doesn't have as much capability). That being said, DXO thinks the Sony is a bunch better but in the real world is it better?
In any case either will be fine and either housing will also be fine.
Bill

 

[gcachon]

Thanks for the feedback!
My marching orders are ... consider the Aquatica housing and the Sigma 15mm if I really want a fisheye also for my topside 6D. That combo saves $$$ relative to the Nauticam/Canon8-15mm pair.

 

[Hoag]

Looks like you have a lot to think about. Let us know what you ultimately decide on and don't forget to post some pictures when you take it diving.