Catalina Photos with new Nikon D80, Part 2 (imgs)

Part 2 of the photos.

I just got my Ikelite housing for my D80 on Wednesday and took it out this weekend to Catalina. We dove Bird Rock, Ship Rock, and Casino Point. I was using a 60mm macro lense. It was my first outing with a dSLR, after moving up from my Olympus C-5060/Ikelite Housing (now FOR SALE). The housing worked as well as expected. My only dissappointment was that there wasn't a housing control for the assignable Function button, which I thought would be accessable. I'll have to follow up on that one. I liked the camera a lot - particularly its responsiveness. I did have a bit of a time getting use to looking through the viewfinder. When I tried to get my eye really close, my regulator would bump into the housing. One time, I was about to get a really close head-on shot of a leopard shark when I loosened my jaw grip on my regulator allowing it to slip out of my mouth. Bubbles flew out all over the place, scaring off the shark. Here are the photos.

Cup Coral:



A school of Pacific Sardines. This 700 pixel wide photo doesn't do justice to the photo. Its just a bit overexposed in the bright scale areas, but I should be able to correct that when I edit the raw file. A lot of detail is lost in shrinking the photo to less than one sixteenth of its original size.



A male Sheephead:



The dive park in Catalina is to the right of the Casino:



This is my favorite house in Avalon (Catalina). I like the porch/balconey under the cone shaped roof. It looks out over the town and harbor.



Coming back into Long Beach, we passed this two masted sailing ship. This photo reminds me of three generations of ship - the old sailing ship, the early 20th century Queen Mary luxury liner, and a modern cruise ship.



Once again, thanks for looking.

David

That's it.... I really need to get a dslr.

ditto... I have a perfectly good D80 just sitting here taking pictures above water.... what a waste

Looks like you had a good initial flight with the new rig

making me homesick.

I lived at Hamilton Cove.


The D80 is a great value......very nice shots you took.

That's the Wrigley House...of Wrigley field in Cicago? I think Chewing gum heirs, right?

Some of them are still active with the Conservancy.

Takes nice pics.. damn their proud of that camera too aren't they...?

The Wrigley House is actually further up the hill above this one. Its not visible in the photo.

David

Wonderful photos, I really love the cup coral!!

AUTiger

Great job, particularly for the first time out with that equipment. All terrific photos but I particularly like the sheephead. Ship Rock is one of my favorite Channel Islands dives, the kelp has been beautiful every time I've been there. I used to regularly see angel sharks on the sand bottom, I suppose they are gone now. Who were you diving with? Thanks, ++Ken++

Great pics! I'm in the process of learning digital underwater photography and need to get a camera, housing, etc. For now it's a hobby, but I want to get something mid-range, not too expensive or cheap - something flexible that I can expand as I get better and more into it. Suggestions anyone?