Dedicated Diving Nikon D-300

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Messages
3
Reaction score
1
Location
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico
# of dives
0 - 24
Hello everyone. I am a January 2019 PADI OW beginner. I am seriously considering a new photographic approach by taking my camera with me while I dive.

After hours of thought, I’ve come to the conclusion that I want to carry my D300 with me on every dive. Since I’m new to this experience I’m exploring how I’ll be spending my time with sea life and how a camera will keep me occupied. This is good I think because I wanted to spearfish, catch squid, shrimp and shellfish but all of a sudden I wonder if this outlook on diving is reckless.

If I promise to myself my camera always goes, I am hoping there is less need to open and unseal the underwater case from my camera. Is it wise or unnecessary for a camera case to have a cable connection port available so that you can download images without opening the case each time?

I plan on exploring the Sea of Cortes, mainly the Sonora coast. I have many questions regarding Nikon underwater photography and would like to also ask if any members have knowledge on how to setup a lens that you already own for example. Specifically, I wonder if I could possibly use an ultra wide that I own. A Tokina AT-X Pro SD 12-24 F4 (IF) DX. I really like this lens because it captures wide from up close.

I would like to thank everyone for making this group board possible.
 
Welcome to ScubaBoard.
Do you already have a housing for the D300? I have an Ikelite one I could sell you if interested. I am on a Nikon D500 housing and no longer need the D300 housing.
 
I do not own a housing yet. As you know, the D300 is an older model. I want to repurpose my D300 for diving. However, in reality, the D300 is my current “camera” since it is all I own aside from iPads for taking pictures.

I would love to purchase a nice case that is dependable and that I can grow with. I purchased my camera used on eBay two years ago, please PM your best deal, I really want to get into diving photography.
 
You should consider buying a good condition used D300 housing, like a Nauticam. While you are at it buy a second D300 body to use out of the water. Both of these items are going to be very affordable I would go with a quality Nauticam as the ports you buy are going to be reusable when and if you upgrade to a newer camera in the future.

As for opening your housing you will need to do this to change the camera battery. If your memory card is big enough just feel free to leave it sealed until the battery is depleted. Swap to a second set of batteries and memory cards at that time.
 
The Nikon D300 has some limitations, like its megapixel count (12.6), compared to newer Nikon cameras, but it is still a good, solid camera. I have one that I would like to house as a teaching camera for divers who are interested getting into underwater photography.

I'm not aware of any housings that have a port for downloading images from the camera inside the housing. Someone else might know something I do not regarding this. It is really not difficult to open the housing to swap memory cards.

I use a Nikon D7200 in an Ikelite housing. I use a couple of Nikkor lenses regularly. The first is the Nikkor DX 10-24mm. The reach of the 10-24mm is a little limited, but it's great if you can get close. The lens I currently use the most now is a Nikkor DX 16-85mm (the lens requires use of a 4x close-up filter). It has very good reach for subjects that do not like to get too close. I found I was using the 16mm to 24mm range frequently with my 10-24mm. Of course, the lens list would not be complete without a Macro lens. I use a Nikkor FX Micro 60mm.

Keep in mind that you will want to get strobes. Two is better than one, but one is better than none.

I've spent quite a lot of time capturing underwater images in Sonora. Isla San Pedro Nolasco is a great location in the San Carlos area. There are lots of local dive sites around San Carlos that offer exceptional macro opportunities. Then, of course, there are other great places in Sonora north of San Carlos like drift diving at Puerto Lobos, the sea lion rookery at Isla San Jorge, and Home Port at Puerto Penasco. My website (www.cortezbluephotography.com) has lots of images from locations in Sonora.

-AZTinman
 
Few months past last reply but just my two cents. Am currently in Jamaica trying out a mint aquatic a d200 setup I got for cheap. Had been using a compact setup. First point is these dslr rigs are really heavy!! Mine is 25 lbs dry and neutral wet. Where this sucks is ANYWHERE but underwater! Seriously. The airport,the resort, going to the dive boat, on the boat, getting back into the boat. Second part is don’t move too fast. Get a bunch of dives in, take a buoyancy course like the padi peak course, and look for a screaming deal on a more compact rig to learn on. They are like five lbs! Good luck!,
 
Yes, underwater DLSR systems are heavy. My Ikelite housed Nikon D7200 with lens, port extension, dome port, strobe arms, two Ikelite DS161strobes with battery packs and double sync cable tips the scale at 23.6 pounds. The Ikelite housed camera with lens, port extension and dome port comes in at 14.3 pounds on my bathroom scale. The acrylic Ikelite uses is heavy stuff compared to one of the aluminum Sea & Sea MDX housings for a Nikon D300 I'm currently setting-up for student use. The Sea & Sea housing with camera, lens, port extension and dome port weighs 12.1 pounds.

I've not bothered to compare, but I suspect my old reliable Ikelite DS161 strobes are a lot heavier than many other strobes people are using. The assembled strobes, arms and sync cable tip the scale at 9.3 pounds.

Compact rigs will undoubtedly weigh less. When I'm asked about the practicality of using a compact rig vs a DSLR rig, I try to steer people towards making sure the whatever camera they choose captures images in RAW.

-AZTinman
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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