Calling All Cold Water Photographers. Help me join your ranks.

[westcoastmaritimer]

Hi all. Long time lurker on the scubaboard but recently I have been doing some research on buying a full camera setup for cold water diving. I'll be getting some advice from some of my local friends but I wanted to ask all the experts here if they had some advice or could point me at some good threads. So here is where I am at:

-I live in BC so it is all cold water diving and can get pretty dark so i'll need a strobe
-Besides some rented cameras in warmer climates I don't have much experience. That being said I hope to learn about photography as I progress so I want to get a camera I can learn more advanced techniques with and not have to upgrade in a year
-Preferably I would like to keep the budget for the whole package under $2000

My first question would be is it possible to get a everything for under $2000? It seems a lot of cold water photographers I meet have dropped double or more then that price but unfortunately I just can't afford that.

If it is possible to get a setup for that amount of money then can anyone help me out with some of your picks for camera/housing/strobes? Their are so many options that it's hard for me even to get started.

 

[Safety Stop]

Sealife DC 1400 Pro is a good starting kit : http://www.sealife-cameras.com/fr/caméras/dc1400-pro-duo

Envoyé depuis mon SM-T310 avec Tapatalk 4

 

[TSandM]

Look at the older Olympus EPL and EPM series. I have an EPL-1; about two years ago, they cleared them out for under $500 for camera AND housing. Add an Inon D2000 strobe (about $600 new, available at a little less on ebay from time to time) and a set of arms, and you have a setup that works very well in our PNW waters. Easy to use, not too big and heavy, and so far, the camera is still capable of a great deal more than I can accomplish with it.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

It's certainly possible to get a well performing point & shoot setup for less than $2000 ... something like one of the 4/3rds type cameras with housing and strobe.

I've seen sales advertised for the older model EPL's that include a housing for $500 to $800. A decent strobe will run you $500 to $700. And the accessories shouldn't cost more than another $200 to $400, depending on what you want.

Here's just one example ... all quality gear that will serve you well in cold water ...

System Packages :: Mirrorless Systems :: Optical Ocean Olympus/Sea & Sea PT-EP06 (E-PM1) Special Package -

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Safety Stop]

I just saw that for you : http://www.usedvictoria.com/classif...Camera-Package_21213569?preview=edit&new=true

Envoyé depuis mon SM-T310 avec Tapatalk 4

 

[RVBldr]

I ended up with a Sony RX-100, Ike housing, YS-D1 strobe, plus tray and arms for under the $2K limit. It's way more camera than I can master at this time so it gives me room to grow. I do use it in Puget Sound and does a great job. If you get to Seattle, Optical Oceans on Lake Union is a great source of info.

 

[westcoastmaritimer]

thanks for all the replies. Has anyone owned one of these DC1400 Pro Duo | Sealife Cameras packages? If so thoughts on them? Also is this a camera that will allow me to learn more advanced manual photography?

 

[gert7to3]

A couple of other thoughts on managing your equipment in cold environments.

Keep the inside surface of your port extremely clean. Any dirt or film will promote fogging.

Do not leave your assembled underwater system exposed to the sun when you are traveling out to your dive site.

Assemble the system in the driest environment you can find. I will often times shoot some tank air into my housing just as I close it to dry it out. This really helps if you have to open the housing on a boat in the middle of a multi-dive day.

Assembling your system the night before with moisture munchers in the housing is another tactic.

The whole point of this is to avoid having any moisture in the housing. The smallest amount of moisture will condense out in cold water.

I would also avoid using wet mount wide angle lenses. I have had three of these things and they all fogged in very cold water. Wet mount magnifiers may work better because they are smaller.

My cold water environment is Lake Michigan. Even in the summer we will be in the 45 F. range at depth.

 

[RVBldr]

If you're just getting into u/w photography, go get a copy of Martin Edge's The Underwater Photographer (Amazon for $25). For the price, it's a great reference book for a new underwater photographer!

 

[rob1967]

My first camera was a SeaLife 1000, I wouldn't recommend it. If you are just starting out, I would recommend a compact Canon. I bought the S100 2 years ago, and did well over 300 dives with it, most cold water here in BC. I got a lot of great shots with it (you can check out my link below) . I have now moved on to a mirrorless (Canon EOS M), but for a beginner, I would definitely recommend a compact Canon. They are very easy to shot manual, they shoot raw, and have nice macro capabilities, especially with an accessory wet diopter.

So get the S110 or 120 (Or G15 or 16). I think the S series is a bit better for underwater compared to G, they are basically very similar, except the S is more compact and the G has a hot shoe, that I don't think you need for underwater. Get a machined aluminum housing, i.e., RecSea, which are very rugged and perfect for cold water. You will need at least one strobe, I find the Sea & Sea YS-02 is fine, since I don't use TTL. You will also need a focus light (for cold water), I recommend the Sola photo 800.

cheers and happy diving!