thinking about sea and sea camera

[johnnyrlarsen]

hi, i have been and still am using a nikonos V film camera but the time is coming soon to go digital. sometimes i feel like the last person shooting film. the cost of going slr seems quite high, thousands! i was wondering what the feeling was with the sea and sea like the 1g or 2g in comparison to nikonos V. also is the shutter lag noticable? thoughts on best strobes and how worthwhile are 2 strobes. ?thanks for your thoughts

 

[gunsrunner]

Sorry can't help with comparason, but i can tell you after 2 years i am still happy with my dx-1g with single dx-27 strobe.
shutter lag not bad most of the time but it can be a pain, but i don't know how fast others are and im shooting in raw.

 

[JackConnick]

The new DX-2G is a great camera and people are getting good results out of the starting gate. It will be different than a film camera for sure, there will be things you'll like and a few you don't (shutter lag being one of them) but being able to shoot hundreds of shots on a dive makes up for it! I would buy one of the packages that include the lenses, as they are expensive to buy separately.
The older DX-1G is not a bad camera, a bit slower with a few small foibles that have been addressed in the new version. It is available at outstanding pricing right now, and as such a very good value, IMHO.
Two strobes gives wider and more creative control of your lighting. But lots of great shots can be shot with one. I would get a YS-110a over the YS-27DX.
Jack

 

[hammerhead man]

I agree with Jack, I currently own the DX-1G and am very happy with it but if I did not own this camera, I would get the DX-2G. I usually have no problem with shutter lag except in cases where the camer has a difficult time focusing either because of low light conditions or when I shoot small critters. For a point and shoot camera, the DX-1G and 2G cameras have very short lag times (IMHO). I would also agree with getting the YS-110a strobe. It allows for more light with a wider angle and that means more of your subject can be illuminated. I currently own two strobes and am very happy. I would also agree that you will need the wide angle lens and perhaps the close-up lens as time goes along. As Jack mentions, it might be cheaper to get them in a package up front if you have the resources. The DX-1G and 2G cameras are also very compact and easy to handle underwater. I attach a coiled cable to the camera and my BCD that leaves both hands free to handle the camera and yet ensure that it is secured to me.

Regarding a comparison between the Nikonos and a digital camera, IMHO digital wins hands down. With film you are limited to 36 shots and you never know how good they are until you process the film. With digital I take the pic, see the results right away, and if I don't like what I see I take another pic. In some instances I've taken 15 or 20 pics of the same subject at various settings just to make sure I got a good shot. If you click on the "photos" link in the left hand pane under my name you can see some pics I've taken with the camera.

Regards,

Bill