Camera setup for my situation (advice)?

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Look at the RX100 or the Canon G7Xii and go for a Fantasea housing.

The housing is great and will sufficiently supply for your needs! It's also a great combination because the housing comes with a flash diffuser so you can use the internal flash of the camera whilst you get accustomed to using a camera underwater and the settings etc.

Then keep your eyes peeled for a used strobe, I bought an inon Z-240 with a pelican case and arm clamps for about $450.

I'd say get used to the camera and when you find a steal on some strobes then go for that, but starting out, the internal flash should be good for you in low-viz dives and close-up pictures :)


P.S this album was taken with a G7Xii in Fantasea housing with only the internal flash of the camera:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/divealot/albums/72157686445133644


This seems like really practical advice

Was this the housing you were referring too?
Sony Cyber-shot RX100 MKIII, MKIV, MKV - Fantasea Housing FRX100V - 1507

Also, would you say the extra money is worth getting RX100 V?

Like the idea of just using the camera flash while I learn and that means I can invest in the best camera I can afford now and build the rest of the kit overtime.
 
You can save a lot of money buying the SeaFrogs housing, I own one (along with the Mark V), it is amazingly built and works up to 60 meters ...for $255 (it works for every RX100 from MK1 to MK5):

- Sony DSC-RX100 Series 60m/195ft SeaFrogs Underwater Camera Housing

Contrarily to the believes you can access to all the manual functions, including the manual focus.
You don't need to access to the rear wheel, in fact you can selective use the zoom wheel to change both the aperture and time without changing the shooting mode (you can dedicate a button to select each).


Seems like it’s either this or the Fantasea? What are the pros and cons of each.
 
Since I've been in a similar situation, I'd say, you need a small camera indeed. But forget Olympus TG series. These cameras, though small and relatively convenient, won't give you book quality (I own TG-4 and use it when snorkeling, so I know the subject well). Go for Canon G-series, like G16, G7 or G1x Mk2. Canon makes their own housings for such cameras, that are way less expesive than 3d party or Olympus housings. Find an inexpensive slave flash. I use Intova ISS2000 which, unfortunately, has been discontinued but there are some alternatives.
 
Seems like it’s either this or the Fantasea? What are the pros and cons of each.

Price: the Seafrogs costs the half of the fantasea one, plus it accepts every RX100, The fantasea only the MK3-5 (so it has a slightly better resell value). The pro of the Fantasea is that it gives access to the middle gear, but as I explained above it gives an advantage in a single circumstance: when using the manual focus together with manual AV and TV.. I'm not sure how many times you would shot fully manual with manual focus, but in that circumstance without having the back gear you need to enable the autofocus, set the AV/TV and then disable the autofocus again.. so it still possible, but it adds an additional step.
Considering the difference in price, there's no questions at all.. while it's different for an housing like a Nauticam if you need one that works at 100m depth and beyond.
 
Meikon/SeaFrogs is cheaper, while Fantasea has access to the rear dial. While it's possible to operate RX100 cameras with just the lens ring, you're relying on it for up to five functions - zoom, focus, aperture, shutter, exposure compensation - and while zoom can be accessed via the lever near shutter button, focus is mostly automatic, and exposure compensation is not needed as often as shutter/aperture setting, you still need to toggle the ring between the two modes if you want to shoot manual.

I use an A6300 in a Meikon housing, so I have access to two dials + zoom ring, and I wouldn't want to give up any of those.

Also, while I like Meikon housings enough to buy two of them, I'm not certain they have any resale value on the used market, unlike the better-known established brands.
 
Right, this is really helpful as I am starting to get an idea of what I am looking at.

TG-5: going to rule this out for now

RX100 V or G7X MII: Whatever way I look at it the comparable G7 is cheaper. The only scenario where the costs are relatively the same is buying a used RX100 V versus a brand new G7X MII.

In terms of taking photos am I missing out on anything critical by going for the G7X MII?

Housings

Meikon seems to be the cheapest option around $400 (NZD)
Cannon's own housing being slightly more expensive
Fantasea getting close to $700 (NZD)

Meikon seems like a good cost saving option and from what it sounds like I won't be losing out on any major features?

Additional Accessories?

If I buy a second-hand G7x MII and get the Meikon case that leaves quite a bit for a few more options? What would be next on the list?
 
RX100 V advantages over G7X II are:
Hybrid phase- and contrast-detection autofocus vs contrast-detection only - this is a big one, as PDAF lets the camera focus directly on the needed distance, rather than go through the lenses focal distance range until it finds the focus, sometimes several times, allowing for much quicker focusing times. Dedicated PDAF arrays are the advantage that SLRs had over compacts and mirrorless cameras for many years.
4K video vs 1080p
24fps bursts vs 8fps - less important if you use strobes, but very useful if you shoot in ambient light or with LEDs
Slow-motion video capability up to 960fps at 1080p
Pop-up viewfinder - not accessible underwater, but very useful on land

G7X II advantages over RX100 V are:
Slightly better battery life
Better manual white balance for video (Sony tops out at 9900K)
Better macro performance at 100mm EFL vs Sony's 70mm EFL

As for housings, the Meikon housing for RX100 series is rated to 60m, if that has any importance to you, and the lens ring control knob is placed conveniently on the left side of the housing, but there is no rear dial control knob. The G7X II housing is rated to 40m, and has access to all the controls including the rear dial, but, on the downside, the lens ring control knob is placed on the front of the housing, underneath and to the right of the lens port - a much less accessible location. This means that with the RX100 housing, you can shoot with your right hand, and control shutter/aperture/focus with your left (depending on what function you assign to the lens ring), while on G7X, all the controls are on the right side of the housing and you have to move your hand between them, including reaching around the housing (and likely tray handles) to the front.

For accessories, you want a tray (if you get dual strobes or lights) or at least a handle, a spring coil lanyard to attach the camera to your BCD so that it doesn't float away, a neoprene jacket to protect the housing, powerful LED lights if you want to shoot video and/or strobes for still photos, arms and clamps for those lights, a wet diopter for macro (neither camera can focus close at its maximum focal length; the quoted 5cm is at the wide end only) and a wet fisheye for wide-angle (24mm, which becomes about 30mm behind a flat port, is not that wide), adapters to attach and stow those wet lenses, floats (either foam blocks or carbon fiber float arms) to make your rig neutrally buoyant, a bag to transport it all in, spare batteries, chargers, memory cards... it's a rabbit hole down which your money goes, never to be seen again.
 
RX100 V advantages over G7X II are:
Hybrid phase- and contrast-detection autofocus vs contrast-detection only - this is a big one, as PDAF lets the camera focus directly on the needed distance, rather than go through the lenses focal distance range until it finds the focus, sometimes several times, allowing for much quicker focusing times. Dedicated PDAF arrays are the advantage that SLRs had over compacts and mirrorless cameras for many years.
4K video vs 1080p
24fps bursts vs 8fps - less important if you use strobes, but very useful if you shoot in ambient light or with LEDs
Slow-motion video capability up to 960fps at 1080p
Pop-up viewfinder - not accessible underwater, but very useful on land

G7X II advantages over RX100 V are:
Slightly better battery life
Better manual white balance for video (Sony tops out at 9900K)
Better macro performance at 100mm EFL vs Sony's 70mm EFL

As for housings, the Meikon housing for RX100 series is rated to 60m, if that has any importance to you, and the lens ring control knob is placed conveniently on the left side of the housing, but there is no rear dial control knob. The G7X II housing is rated to 40m, and has access to all the controls including the rear dial, but, on the downside, the lens ring control knob is placed on the front of the housing, underneath and to the right of the lens port - a much less accessible location. This means that with the RX100 housing, you can shoot with your right hand, and control shutter/aperture/focus with your left (depending on what function you assign to the lens ring), while on G7X, all the controls are on the right side of the housing and you have to move your hand between them, including reaching around the housing (and likely tray handles) to the front.

For accessories, you want a tray (if you get dual strobes or lights) or at least a handle, a spring coil lanyard to attach the camera to your BCD so that it doesn't float away, a neoprene jacket to protect the housing, powerful LED lights if you want to shoot video and/or strobes for still photos, arms and clamps for those lights, a wet diopter for macro (neither camera can focus close at its maximum focal length; the quoted 5cm is at the wide end only) and a wet fisheye for wide-angle (24mm, which becomes about 30mm behind a flat port, is not that wide), adapters to attach and stow those wet lenses, floats (either foam blocks or carbon fiber float arms) to make your rig neutrally buoyant, a bag to transport it all in, spare batteries, chargers, memory cards... it's a rabbit hole down which your money goes, never to be seen again.

Haha, yes I can see how money would just float away!

The best bet sounds like keeping an eye out for a Sony RX100 V second-hand (near new) and spending the rest of my budget on a tray with handling, lanyard and the best housing I can afford with the remaining budget. Then once I actually get some real experience under my belt, I can look into the next step around strobes etc.
 
One more option that you may want to consider is Sony A6000 or A6300 - the latter, with kit lens, is similar in cost to RX100 V, while the former is closer to G7X II. Both have PDAF, though A6300 has an improved version, and both are supported by Meikon's latest-and-greatest Salted Line housing, which has full access to all the controls, no compromises on ergonomics, EVF access, interchangeable ports, optional pistol grip with trigger, and in the (hopefully near) future - a vacuum seal test system. Initial investment and capability (with kit 16-50mm lens and basic port) is similar to a compact, but it has much more room to grow - you can keep the kit lens and shoot it with wet lenses like a compact, or you can get a dedicated ultrawide/fisheye lens and a dome, plus a dedicated macro lens in a long port and shoot it like an SLR, and your topside options are much wider too.
 
At pair lens quality, the RX100V is cheaper (1.8), coz you won't stay with kit lens for underwater usage.
The 6300 is more flexible due to the lens availability, but that's mean spending much more than a RX100V (for additional lens and eventually additional ports).
Also, I'm not sure about the image stabilization, I think the one aboard of the RX100 is a step up (if the 6300 has one at all) ...but that's only if you're interested i shooting videos.
 

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