How to start UWP - Buy housing for my regular mirrorless or swap for a compact?

[Skeptic14]

FWIW, I dove my Porsche every chance I got ...

Ouch, how'd it hold up to being submerged?

I think stuartv is still slightly missing the point; the "expensive/good" camera wasn't bought for uw photography, it's for photography on land, right?

Similarly, my previous hobby was sports cars; I didn't buy them to sit in traffic during a commute, I bought them to enjoy the exhaust note while cruising open roads with the occasional spirited driving, but to each their own of course.

Anyway, that's my understanding of your point regarding someone who does above water photography with an expensive camera that is thinking of getting into uw photography.

I never did any photography before uw photography so I didn't have the dilemma.

 

[Hoag]

Ouch, how'd it hold up to being submerged?

I think stuartv is still slightly missing the point; the "expensive/good" camera wasn't bought for uw photography, it's for photography on land, right?

Similarly, my previous hobby was sports cars; I didn't buy them to sit in traffic during a commute, I bought them to enjoy the exhaust note while cruising open roads with the occasional spirited driving, but to each their own of course.

Anyway, that's my understanding of your point regarding someone who does above water photography with an expensive camera that is thinking of getting into uw photography.

I never did any photography before uw photography so I didn't have the dilemma.

You and I appear to be very much of like minds.

 

[stuartv]

LOL The special, limited edition Porsche 007 Signature model.

I get what you're saying. You have a nice camera that you bought for land photography. Why "risk" it for u/w photography? Especially when u/w photography is new to you.

In the OP's case, my suggestion is based on "spend $250" and use the good camera for u/w or "spend way more than $250" to use some other camera (which won't even take as good pictures).

If you go with the "spend more money" approach, what does that mean? You like it and want to stick with it? In that case, I personally would then be wanting to use my better camera and probably regret spending all that extra money on an intermediate step. You realize u/w photography is not for you? In that case, I personally would then be regretting spending all the extra money. So, either way, I would end up wishing I'd taken a different path.

If you go with the "spend $250" approach, what does that mean? If you like it and want to stick with it? Well, that Fuji camera will probably carry the OP a long way before he feels a need to upgrade. At that point, he'll need a new housing - probably with different lens port options. Maybe keep using the same camera, but with different lenses. Or maybe just get a whole new camera, lenses, and housing. Either way, the cheap housing is pretty much retired and it's only $250 "wasted". If you realize u/w photography is not for you? In that case, well, you're only out $250.

If the camera floods? That's what insurance is for. If you're worried about missing photo opportunities because your camera flooded? Buy a backup that you can use - but that's the same no matter which way you go.

Like I said before, I'm not at all saying that my way is right and yours is wrong. Only you can decide what risk level is right for you and how much the consequences mean to you. Your way can be right for you and my way can be right for me. And only the OP can decide which way is really right for him. I just wanted to present an alternate option to consider.

 

[Hoag]

I wouldn't exactly say that UWP is "new" to me. I have been doing it for 20+ years and started with film.

 

[stuartv]

I wouldn't exactly say that UWP is "new" to me. I have been doing it for 20+ years and started with film.

My apologies. I absolutely did not intend to imply that you were new to UWP. I was speaking as if to the OP - who IS new to UWP. I might not have written that as clearly as I could have, but that is definitely what I meant.

 

[Hoag]

My apologies. I absolutely did not intend to imply that you were new to UWP. I was speaking as if to the OP - who IS new to UWP. I might not have written that as clearly as I could have, but that is definitely what I meant.

No worries.

 

[ScubaSteve85]

Whichever direction you end up going in, I highly recommend purchasing The Underwater Photographer by Martin Edge.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0240521641/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_uDLCzbXCQ9FQP

It's widely considered one of the best books on the subject and it covers everything from compacts to full SLR setupa, including choosing equipment, housings, etc...

 

[Blenny84]

Thanks guys, just got the book from Amazon!