Thinking about a Nikon D800...

So I am thinking about getting into the deep end of the underwater photography pool and going from a compact camera to a full rig... Nikon D800, Nauticam housing with two Ikelite strobes. My questions are for everyone but especially for those who made that kind of upgrade:

Do you ever feel encumbered with so much camera?

Is it easy to move it around in the water, say if you are swimming against some current with a DSLR and strobes?

I feel I've outgrown my slow-response digital camera, even though I have throroughly enjoyed it over the years. One positive about it is how small the thing is... but there is the slowness and the lower resolution.

I plan to get the Nikon regardless for topside use but the investment in strobs and housing is pretty big.
Your thoughts would be appreciated!

I currently have a housed D700 + two ikelite strobes so here is my opinion.

Yes, it is __big____, and yes it will make a difference in your dive. Try to figure out a streamlined way to clip it off (I am working on clipping the wrong wrong below and parallel to my body). Keep in mind the whole rig will be a housing (large), likely an 8'' dome (not small), strobes (each about the size of two fat pop cans), and strobe arms (can be ungainly) with floats.

Ikelite strobes, good but also big.

The D800 has great dynamic range which is awesome for underwater photography.

I am unsure nowadays if the DSLR is the ideal choice for underwater photography if you aren't a pro. The new mirrorless cameras are cheaper, smaller, some have really good lenses and I think there is a lot of value to being able to compose with the screen underwater instead of having to press your face to the optical viewfinder (this is the exact opposite of my opinion above water).

I do understand the desire to get away from a slow response compact, I tried out a S95 and the autofocus slowless and poor battery life were maddening.


I'm not saying you shouldn't go D800, just look at all the options. And I think it is wishful thinking to think that a D800 rig will not affect you diving experience.

Thanks for that info. I'll look at those mirrorless cameras and see what I think. I have not given them much thought to be honest. I've had so many great shots get away while waiting for the danged camera I figured a full on National Geographic rig was the way to go.

I dive with the D800. And, I dive an NEX-7. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Is it cumbersome? I'm not a huge person, so any camera with strobes is a something to be cautious with. I've had it in some pretty rough conditions and yeah, there were moments it felt like a sail. And then there were the moments I didn't even notice I had it.

But I do love it. When coupled with a VR105mm, it's just about everything I could ask for in a macro camera.

You need to ask yourself what you're truly wanting in a camera, IMO. All around, the NEX-7 mirrorless with an 18-55mm lens, is a pretty nice all around camera. You can get the wide-angle, and when you plop on a wet diopter, now you're shooting macro. When you're using the D800, if you decide to shoot macro, you're not going to have much luck catching some amazing wide angle shot.

Two of my friends switched to the D800 this year and love it.
Anilao, Philippines 2013: Fish and more - Kevin Lee's Photos

Big Sur Dive 2013 - a set on Flickr

Hi Jeff,

I've recently started to use the Olympus E-PM1 (a mirrorless camera) with the Olympus housing. It seems to do well. It doesn't have any noticeable shutter delay, it focuses really quick, and works well in low light.

I also like the fact it is compact, with camera, housing, lenses, strobes, and chargers fitting in a carry-on size Pelican case.

Here are some photos taken with the E-PM1. Bear in mind this system is still new to me, and I'm still learning.



Ron

Nice Pics, Reo! You know if I had started with a mirrorless like that (with no or minimal delay) I might never have looked toward the DSLR's. I like my compact for the convenience but missing so many shots due to the slow autofocus really bugged me on the last couple of trips.

I took a big plunge during the week and went ahead and ordered the D800 and a housing. I will have a lot of fun with it on land and can always sell the housing if I really hate it. But I think I'm going to love it ... it sounds like no one has been disappointed and feeling like they are lugging a concrete block around all the time! I have promised myself to leave the camera on-board for a few dives if it ever feels like work because its all in the name of fun for me.

Thanks for all the feedback everyone, I'll be sure and post some thoughts after I use it in the Turks & Caicos. Lot's to learn suddenly... but I like that!

Consider the Oly OMD EM5. Awesome and still relatively compact.

reo:

Hi Jeff,

I've recently started to use the Olympus E-PM1 (a mirrorless camera) with the Olympus housing. It seems to do well. It doesn't have any noticeable shutter delay, it focuses really quick, and works well in low light.

I also like the fact it is compact, with camera, housing, lenses, strobes, and chargers fitting in a carry-on size Pelican case.

Here are some photos taken with the E-PM1. Bear in mind this system is still new to me, and I'm still learning.

View attachment 159904View attachment 159905View attachment 159906View attachment 159907

Ron

Click to expand...

Its not about the hardware, its your software that counts!

Hi TwilightZone.
I put my Nikon D2X's into semi-retirement when I moved to D800's last year. I love the full frame cameras as my old lenses now work as they were designed to originally. There are more bells and whistles on the D800 than I'll ever use, so I simply ignore them.

As to your query about the ease of moving around in strong current, I've been shooting large housed SLR systems for so many years now, that what others may perceive as cumbersome has become my routine. I truly believe that the resulting images are well worth the effort. Wether or not they merit the expense is of course up to you.