Looking for recommendations

[BarryTX]

I am looking to get a nice setup for UW photography and am looking for advice. Here is my background: I've been taking UW photos for the past few years while snorkeling, using a Sony W-1 in a Sony housing, no strobes. I've managed to get a few good shots so I decided to get back to scuba so I can stay submerged, and I re-did my OW certification this summer. Although I once used a Canon AE-1 SLR (still have it in the closet!), for years now I've used P&S compacts.

Now I'm interested in upgrading to a decent UW photo kit. I've been reading threads in this forum but still need help in narrowing the choices. So, my criteria going forward is:

1) If possible, I would like to have the ability to change lenses (WA / fisheye) while underwater.
2) I plan to use 2 strobe lights and want them controlled by the camera circuitry.
3) I would like the recycle time after a shot to be as short as possible.
4) Manual controls / histogram (flexibility in the settings).
5) Not difficult to use.
6) Great photo quality.
7) High number of megapixels, probably 10 or more.
8) A decent balance of performance and cost - budget not set in stone but then again I'm not going to be a professional either.

I realize #5 & #6 might seem at odds, which is why I didn't say really easy to use. I want to be able to get shots off quickly if an opportunity arises. Photo quality is more important to me.


My questions:
a) Should I consider a dSLR or do I need to stay on the path of a real good P&S camera?
b) I assume I will need a 3rd party housing for the description above, correct?
c) It seems like the most favored camera brands are Canon and Nikon. At the risk of opening a can of worms, are these 2 brands truly better choices than others? I keep hearing people gaga over Canon G9/G10/G11 but also read that WA lenses can't be used on the G10/G11 models - ?
d) Since the can is already opened, any specific recommendations are appreciated.

All feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[AussieByron]

Barry to answer your questions better one would really need to know how much at the end of the day you want to spend on such a setup.

Another thing I noticed is that your profile states that you havnt log many dives. I recommend racking up a few more dives before you look at such a setup. It frustrating enough to learn how to use a new underwater setup even with years of diving under your belt let alone if you just started to dive.

Regards Mark

[bvanant]

I am looking to get a nice setup for UW photography and am looking for advice. Here is my background: I've been taking UW photos for the past few years while snorkeling, using a Sony W-1 in a Sony housing, no strobes. I've managed to get a few good shots so I decided to get back to scuba so I can stay submerged, and I re-did my OW certification this summer. Although I once used a Canon AE-1 SLR (still have it in the closet!), for years now I've used P&S compacts.

Now I'm interested in upgrading to a decent UW photo kit. I've been reading threads in this forum but still need help in narrowing the choices. So, my criteria going forward is:

1) If possible, I would like to have the ability to change lenses (WA / fisheye) while underwater.
This pretty much precludes a DSLR. The point of interchangeable lenses before you dive and maximizing their quality is what DSLR is about. Many folks use an add on super macro lens with a DSLR. I don't know anyone using a wide angle add on lens.

2) I plan to use 2 strobe lights and want them controlled by the camera circuitry.
Optical control of the strobes is possible with both P&S and DSLR. Electric sync cord control is mostly a DSLR capability.

3) I would like the recycle time after a shot to be as short as possible.
Strobe or camera recycle. Strobe recycle time is independent of what it is attached to. One thing to be careful of with less expensive P&S is shutter lag.

4) Manual controls / histogram (flexibility in the settings).
Most high end P&S and all DSLR can do this.
5) Not difficult to use. A wash between the two.
6) Great photo quality.
Here is the rub and depends on what you mean by great. DSLR cameras have arguably much better IQ than P&S cameras. What you do with that depends a great deal on your imagination and capabilities.

7) High number of megapixels, probably 10 or more.
Be wary of high pixels on small chips. Canon actually lowered the number of pixels between the G10 and G11 but made the IQ better.
8) A decent balance of performance and cost - budget not set in stone but then again I'm not going to be a professional either.

I realize #5 & #6 might seem at odds, which is why I didn't say really easy to use. I want to be able to get shots off quickly if an opportunity arises. Photo quality is more important to me.


My questions:
a) Should I consider a dSLR or do I need to stay on the path of a real good P&S camera?
b) I assume I will need a 3rd party housing for the description above, correct?
c) It seems like the most favored camera brands are Canon and Nikon. At the risk of opening a can of worms, are these 2 brands truly better choices than others? I keep hearing people gaga over Canon G9/G10/G11 but also read that WA lenses can't be used on the G10/G11 models - ?
d) Since the can is already opened, any specific recommendations are appreciated.

All feedback will be greatly appreciated.

[BarryTX]

Thanks for the feedback. On my diving experience, I was first certified in 1973 and dove for awhile but ultimately laid off of scuba in favor of free diving due to cost for many years. I consider myself a novice - safer that way! - but I also feel a bit of comfort from the past experiences. In any case, I fully agree that getting dives in can only be a good thing.

Having said all that, the reason I have come back to scuba is because of my growing interest in UW photography, with the experience of doing it while free diving reefs. There is only so much you can do while holding your breath . So I do want to start the process of analysis toward getting a decent UW photography system. Right now I don't have any lighting capabilities, my camera is a decent low-end P&S, and I don't have much flexibility. I purposely avoided laying out a budget number to see what feedback came, but lets say I would consider spending up to $2,500.

Based on the criteria laid out earlier, is this more than enough or not? Can I get there for less? Do I need to spend a bit more to get a really good setup? I realize these questions are sort of wide open, but I'm hoping to gain from the past experience of others who hopefully recognize having been in the same spot.

Again, I appreciate all help very much.

[Gilldiver]

My own take on most of today's digital cameras is that they are essentially a throw away item at 5 to 7 years. Either the camera will just stop as the circuits' age or a bit of moisture will get in one way other the other. The days of using a Nikon F-3 for 15+ years are gone.

Now with the way camera bodies get discontinued you will most likely not be able to find a camera to replace the one that just got thrown away. So, out with the housing also. You can buy a bit of insurance and get a second body used or when that model gets discontinued and keep it stored is a nice cool humidity controlled area (zip lock bag), but eventually you will have a housing with no body to go in it.

So, if you go with a DSLR, put the money into the glass and strobes and stay on the lower end for the body and housing. If you are doing a point & shoot, spend the money on the strobe and some quality wet lenses. Many of the upper end P&S have a hot shoe and you can get a Ike housing with the connections to use it.

[hammerhead man]

Hi Barry, I use the Sea&Sea DX-1G that I think meets most of your requirements. I have two YS-110a strobes that utilize the DS-TTL (not a true TTL but uses the camera's flash to determine how much light the strobes need to provide). I also have a wide angle and close-up lenses that can be attached underwater for both wide angle and macro shots. The strobes have a short recycle time and the camera also has a short lag time. The camera can be used in a point and shoot mode or in a full manual mode. The whole system is very compact and is easy to handle underwater. If I had a choice I would go with the latest Sea&Sea camera the DX-2G (12 megapixel).

That said, there are a lot of point and shoot cameras that will give you great pics. My opinion is that the quality of the pics is far more dependent on the person taking the pictures than the camera. I haven't heard of any DSLR system that allows lenses to be changed underwater. DSLR systems are also very expensive by the time you get the housing, strobes, arms, ports, lenses, etc. You can see some of my pics that I've taken with my Sea&Sea cameras by clicking on the "photos" link in the left hand panel under my scuba board name.

I would also note that you need very good buoyancy skills to take underwater pics. So, if you don't feel real comfortable with those skills, you might want to delay getting a system until you master that skill.

[Hetland]

$2,500 is about what you will spend on a dslr housing. Truthfully, if someone gave me a complete underwater dslr system (done right). I would be hard pressed to use it, as the bulk, weight, and worry factor would make it seem like work to bring it along. If I was paid to take underwater photos, then it would be a different story, but I take a camera to record my experiences, and to share images with my family and friends.

I currently shoot a Canon A570is with a single Inon D2000W strobe connected with a fiber-optic cable, and mounted on ULCS arms, mounts and tray. I feel like I've squeezed every megapixel out of the camera, and I am now preparing to upgrade to a Canon G11 (which has wet wa options, and macro lenses for the Fantasea 67mm thread mount. This, a mere month after the camera hit the market. Use of the Ikelite housing will open even more possibilities with lenses and attachments (I just can't justify the $400 difference between an Ikelite and Canon housing). After much research, I think the G10 or G11 are the best all-around options for compact underwater shooting at the moment. I'll add that I'd lean towards Canon because I'm a fan, and because they make their own housings that suit my needs at a reasonable cost. The next best thing up for me would be some of the new micro 4/3 cameras that are coming out onto the market, but then we're talking out of my price range.

One more thing. Your camera will be out of date 20 minutes after you buy it, just a fact. Your strobe on the other hand, will carry over for a generation or more, as will your wet lenses (if you choose carefully). I would spend as much as I could on a really good strobe. It really makes that much of a difference.