OK, just have to put it out there...

Just thinking out loud here...any input welcome.

I have noticed that there are a few dead pixel in my camera (s) and have been toying with the thought of "NEXT!"

My first thought was a 7070, that way I can still use my strobe and macro lenses, I wouldn't have to learn all that much new as the buttons and paths are pretty much the same on all olys

I went to my LPS and talked shop. He first told me that the 7070 is on the way out and he isn't sure if he will get any more (maybe one more delivery).

Then he went on to say that with the progress I am making with my pictures it is maybe time that I should start thinking of a DSLR.....

So I went home with this information and started to research and ponder:

I am an oly fan... I know my way around the camera and programs so, in addition to the thought of a 7070 (I know, gotta think quick), I checked out their DSLR's

The Evolt is a nice camera, and just noticed that the Evolt 500 is coming out next month. I like the dust reduction system (great idea), the big screen, dual media slots and the fact that it is an oly.

I don't like the limited selection of lenses....(can anyone point me in the right direction of more lenses for this camera?)

No reviews for this camera available yet....the Evolt 300 got some good reviews...not great but good.....

Now I got to thinking about Canon, I had looked at them before and was interested in the Rebel XT. As far as the specifics go, not that much different than the 20D, but the price is a big difference.

I also looked into their Pro Line and although a fantastic camera, just not in my budget....maybe someday. (hey, gotta have a dream )

You can see where I am going with this and I don't want to fuse a heated debate - My main worry is that I don't want to invest so much money in something that is a "fad" camera (olys seem short lived in that sector), might fizzle out and I won't be able to get any additional lenses or parts for when I can afford to expand my gear....

.

There are some fans of Oly out there and there are a few housings becoming available. I can't think of who at the moment....

There has been some talk of it over on Wetpixel with some good reviews. Check out the DSLR section as well as the Gallery section. Or just try a search on Evolt

But, Canon has a lot more options in the way of housings and probably they will be quicker to have new housings for upgrades in the future.

If you don't have any Oly lenses for SLR at the moment i would make the jump to Canon myself. But if you are comfortable with Oly etc then i wouldn't shy away from it as its a good brand and has had good reviews

Isn't shopping fun

If you want to go dSLR route, I personally would stick with Canon or Nikon for now. Oly dSLR looks good on paper, cheap, has Oly housing but there are a few problems. Macro lens for Oly line is rather limited right now. There are more lenses available now for Oly but I don't see too many that would be ideal for UW use in comparison to Nikon or Canon. Oly wide angle lens is incredibly expensive and would neutralize the cheaper price of the camera.
Housing wise, there is not much support out there beside Olympus. In the future, Olympus may have more appropriate lenses for UW use, they may provide more ports for various lenses but who knows when and if that may happen. Until then, it is probably better to stick with a safer choice.

Rebel XT does not have too many housings supporting it. Same as Nikon D50. If you are happy with the housing choices for either camera then why not.

Canon 20D is an excellent camera with lots of housing choices. Same go for Nikon D70.

There has been a lot of rumor/speculation about Nikon D200 in the near future. However if it comes out by the end of the year, I don't expect to see a housing for it for awhile.

Canon just announced a 5D which is not a 20D replacement. I expect Canon to trump Nikon with its 20D replacement as soon as Nikon announce the D200 (this is my speculation only, no hard fact ).So I would first see if you think that Canon Rebel XT with currently available housings are ok for you (or Nikon's counterpart), if not, there will be some more interesting choices in the very near future, I think.

As far as investing for a future, new dSLR is coming out at a rapid pace, Canon faster than Nikon for sure. Nikon seems very firm in investing in cropped 1.5x sensor with DX line of lenses which I doubt will be out of support in the foreseeable future.
Canon's future is a bit less predictable, with 1.6x and 1.3x cropped sensor as well as full frame, who knows what they will end up with, in 5 years time.

Just be prepare for a much bigger setup, no matter which dSLR system you plan to go with

I agree, you don't have to stick to one brand, I have no brand loyality I just go by what I believe is best for UW work. Back in the days of film the only 35mm SLR cameras worth putting in a housing were the high end Nikons and Canons with the the large Actionfinder/Speedfinder type viewfinders, housing the other 35mm was just a band aid solution. Remember in a DSLR you cannot use the LCD before you shoot.

Try renting or borrowing a DSLR system before you buy. In the age of digital, most cameras are alrealy a "fad" the day you buy them.

f3nikon:

In the age of digital, most cameras are alrealy a "fad" the day you buy them.

Click to expand...

ain't that the truth!!

f3nikon:

I agree, you don't have to stick to one brand, I have no brand loyality I

Click to expand...

Does this mean you will change your board name next week? :10:

lol, I have been brought up on Nikons but have Olympus, Canons, Sonys etc. Maybe I should change my name to Nikosoncanpus!

I was in the same boat almost a year ago. I was happy shooting with my Oly 5050 with Inon strobes and WAL, but was getting to the point where I wanted more flexibility. I'd shot Nikon SLRs for years on land before getting into digital and then underwater digital. At the time, the Oly 5050 was just coming out and I'd seen some amazing results from quite a few accomplished underwater photogs with this rig. Comparing costs at the time, it was a no brainer. I think the Nikon D100 was about $5000 at the time.

So with my decision to switch to DSLR made, the brand that I went with was mainly based on the lenses that I wanted to use. Both Canon and Nikon have an excellent variety of available lenses, but since I'd been a long time user of Nikon glass, I went with the D70. My investment in lenses I believe will outlast my choice in camera body - that will be upgraded/replaced I'm sure at some point in the future. However, Canon vs. Nikon, well, the decision could have gone either way. Both also have a great selection of housings.

In the end - go with what you're comfortable with, but as others will tell you who have gone the DSLR route, be prepared to take a hit on the old bank account.

Thanks for the input, really helps me a bunch...one more question

Which lenses would you get if you were the one buying? and why?

(I am not only an UW photographer, but surface too - so please include these lenses in your suggstion.)

I think to answer your question, it has to be in the context of the type of photography that you want to do. Around here, my mainstay is wreck diving in limited visibility water. For me, it was absolutely critical to have a good wide angle lens. It was a toss up between the 10.5mm prime and the 12-24mm zoom. There are pros and cons with either, but in the end chose the 12-24mm for the added flexibility of being able to adjust to a longer focal length during the dive. The 10.5mm would have been a bit wider, and also with a lower f/stop, but since I shoot typically f/8 or higher, it wasn't an issue. But, I also figured that the 12-24mm would be great topside too, which I have found to be an amazing lens to work with. So, I think I made the right choice here. The other lens that I bought was a 60mm macro lens, which I find has limited use for me underwater in non-macro mode. But this lens I bought specifically for doing macro work in warmer waters.

The wide angle is invaluable to my wreck photography. Because of the limited lighting and the particulate matter in the water, it is of significant benefit for me to be able to really close to my subject, which improves image quality by reducing the amount of water the light passes through, as well as the amount of particulate. Down in the caribbean, the water was so clear that this was not an issue, and I suspect that in Hawaii, you probably don't have the same issues as I do with the visibility of the water.

The biggest adjustment for me going from the Oly C5050 to the Nikon D70 setup was the loss of flexibility of the lens during a dive. With the Oly, I would carry a WAL with me and pop it on or take it off if the situation required. Plus I was able to go into macro mode at a moment's notice. But with the DSLR I need to plan more carefully the type of shots I am going for. I found on occasion when I was down south recently that on a few dives, I wish I had a different lens on. But, overall, it hasn't been a huge problem.

If you saw the slideshow that I did for my Blackbeard's trip, that was done almost exclusively with the 12-24mm zoom, both underwater and topside shots. I used the 60mm macro obviously then for a number of the macro photos in the slideshow. One of my favourite shots of the trip was the last shark shot that I got. I had been shooting most of the dive wide out at 12mm getting some good reef shots and catching the action of the shark feeding. Then I noticed one guy circling around in a repeating pattern. I waited until he passed, the moved myself into his path and waited until he circled around again. Zoomed the lens right up to 24mm and sure enough he came back and headed straight towards me. He just made a quick turn just within about 6 feet of me, but not before I got a few good shots.

I have also an 18-70mm lens (that came stock with the camera body) with the appropriate dome port, but it has yet to get wet. I suppose one day I might get around to using it, but for now, I don't see any need for it.