Looking to start shooting underwater

So I've been thinking more and more about getting into shooting some underwater photography. I have a Nikon D80 that I use on land...and I'm "okay" with it. I'm not a great photographer by any means. And to say that my photoshop skills need some work is an understatement. I need to spend some time over the winter working on those and learning more about it. But when I shoot on land, I've been shooting raw and can manipulate the photos a little bit with regard to exposure and such.

So this brings me to my question I guess. With wanting to get into shooting underwater, should I buy a housing for my D80? Or should I get a point & shoot with a housing and strobe to start? I've looked at the Nikon P5100 and the Fantasea FP5000 housing. Seems like they can be had for about $550 or so. Which isn't a bad price. I've priced housings for my D80 and they seem to be around $1200 which is a steep price to pay if it's not going to be the best set up to start with.

If I get a point & shoot, I think I'd like to stay with Nikon since that's what my DSLR is and I've been nothing but happy with it. What would you guys with experience recommend? And would you recommend a strobe with it? Or just an internal strobe?

Thanks,
Shane

I guess it depends on what you want. My daughter has a Rebel XT DSLR and the cost for a housing and decent strobe ran her over $4k. However, she will never be a professional photographer and I think she could have gotten great pics with a point and shoot camera at a significant savings in cost. I own the Sea&Sea DX-8000G that cost a whole lot less even with a strobe than getting a DSLR. If you check my pics in the gallery link I think you will find that you can get some nice pics with that camera. I am very happy with the camera and the quality of the pics that I am getting. Plus the 8000G is much smaller than a DSLR housing and therefore, much easier to control underwater. Since I will never be a professional and am happy with the quality of the pics I am now getting I see no need to invest the big bucks to switch to a DSLR. If you want other examples of my pics email me at jamescrew6@verizon.net. Just my thoughts.

Regards,

Bill

Shane - the million dollar questions you've asked!

I think going the compact digital route is a great way to figure out how keen you are on this endeavour, to build essential skills before moving to a more complex system (if that's the way your path leads, some never change over), to determine what types of images really float your boat and to get started without breaking the bank.

An external strobe is essential to take your photography to the next level and to give more keepers, but you don't need one right away if you are unsure or saving pennies. Using your compact's internal flash and manual white balance settings will give you lots of opportunities for good images before you get a strobe.

Once you decide to get a strobe, spend the money and get a good one. Get more than you need right now so you can grow into it. Photography is light and water eats light...nothing will frustrate you faster than knowing if you only had a little more oomph that good shot would have been fabulous! Sea&Sea, Inon and Ikelite all have great options. If you check out the Sticky (follow the pink link in my sig) you'll find some ideas on where to shop and who to ask for more specific advice.

As for compacts, I don't see any reason to stick with Nikon in a compact just because you have a Nikon slr - nothing will interchange on the two so get the best compact to suit your needs. Brand loyalty is silly if the brand doesn't have what you want! I shoot a Canon dslr and have compacts by Olympus, Canon, Sony and Fuji. I'll be adding another Fuji and another Canon later this year, most likely. They're just tools - get the one that will fit your needs the best You might find that is the Nikon, you might not.

Go through the Sticky and ask more questions

Thanks for the information. You've given me quite a bit to read. The more I read, the more I think it's a good idea to start with a P&S camera. It's less of an expense to see how I really feel about underwater photo. I'm pleased with my DSLR and the results I can obtain with it on land, but I could see it being a little difficult to get used to shooting underwater with it as well as a large expense for housing and strobes. It seems like I can get a decent P&S, with a housing and strobe for a reasonable cost. I'll have to do some more shopping.

Shane