Upgrade from Canon S100 to a SLR

[thewigster]

Hi All, I currently have a Canon S100 shooting with RAW+JPEG with Ikelite Housing, Sea and Sea YS-01 Strobe (x1 with TTL added via CHDK) and 2 INON ULC165 Macro Lenses with 67mm thread which I use solely for UK diving mainly Cornwall (no more than 35m)

Im starting to think about upgrading to an SLR (preferably sticking with Canon but not essential). Are there a few models that would take these lenses on a 67mm thread and get good reviews (aswell as a housing that offers ideally with full controls)?

I don't need the most latest model - but need a good trusted model that ideally I can keep my lenses (and add a good wide angle lens later on). Im still learning lots on photography and love the S100, but the shutter lag is bugging me lol (expensive bug :shocked2

Thanks

Dave

 

[sharkbaitDAN]

Any dSLR from the past 3 years will probably work for you. In terms of your existing lenses, the camera body you choose will be irrelevant.

I think what you really want to ask is: "can I use these macro diopters with an SLR, and if so with which lens?"The answer is yes, they will work with any port that accepts 67mm diopters: Ikelite, Nauticam, Sea & Sea and many others can use 67mm lenses natively or with an adapter.

The Inon lenses are going to be most useful in front of a macro lens. With Canon and Nikon, you'll look at the 60mm and 100/105mm macro lens options. These are all capable of true macro photography, and the diopters will allow some ability to shoot very small subjects, but focusing may be a challenge. All SLRs have wide angle lens options. How wide do you want? Rectilinear or fisheye? Prime or zoom? With SLRs it is not a matter of picking up a thread on wide angle adapter, there are many pros and cons to consider, and you will find lots of threads on SB on what those are.

Keep in mind, upgrading to an SLR is not a win-win. You know you will have a larger setup to deal with, more mass, and more complicated operation. You will also find that you need to decide what you want to get pictures of before you get in the water. Your S100 gives you the ability to shoot wide angle and macro equally well on the same dive. There are no lens/port combos that I know of that will give you that with an SLR. Any choice will be compromised at either the wide or zoom end, and possibly at both extremes. All of the best photographers I've dived with make a choice for either wide angle or macro, and rarely, if ever use all-purpose lenses.

I'm not trying to dissuade you, but shooting a camera with an interchangeable lens requires planning that you have not needed to consider up to now. You may want to do some searches on getting into an SLR system because while you are enthusiastic, it seems you are not yet sure which questions to ask. Once you know what you are looking for, your questions can easily be answered.

Alex

 

[thewigster]

Thanks for the post Alex (very informative).

Your comments make perfect sense - I haven't looked into any depth with a SLR so lots more searching is required and at least I have a starting point on what I want to look for (and shoot here in dark murky Cornwall).

I enjoy the macro photography as the pictures come out very well for this camera and strobe (and I can take time on some subjects to achieve this). Hopefully by the time the S100 breaks/floods etc, I will have a better understanding if im ready to go to SLR then.

 

[sharkbaitDAN]

One other thing I should add. You may want to look at mirrorless cameras. My personal favorite, and the one I have most experience with is the micro-4/3 system used by Olympus and Panasonic. Interchangeable lenses with cameras that are not much larger than large point and shoots, and much faster focus times. There are also some good deals on them this time of year.

Also, you can use anything you want. I doubt Cornwall is much worse than Puget Sound, and I have seen every type of camera you can imagine up here.

Alex

 

[thewigster]

Thanks Alex - had a quick look about those (found an interesting link below from 2012/13) which made an interesting read for me.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/un...1171-upgrading-canon-s90-dslr-mirrorless.html
http://improvephotography.com/12465/dslr-vs-micro-four-thirds-cameras/

Im never going to be one of the professional photographers - so these mirrorless cameras could be well worth looking at for me for my next camera (as i dont want or need big bulky/heavy setups).

And then i came accross a thread about a snoot for my strobe just for fun....(but thats another story)

 

[Ran Mozaik]

I agree with Alex. Moving up to a dSLR is one hell of a leap. First of all in terms of budget - You are looking at $4000-$7000 for camera + lens + housing + ports + extentions + zoom rings + accessories. And second your are giving up on portability and from now on your carry-on will be dedicate solely to the camera gear.
However, shutter lag almost doesn't exist and the quality makes it all worthwhile. Mirrorless camera are almost equivalent today in terms of quality if not better, but they do cost almost the same. The main housing would cost less but all accessories, lenses, ports etc. aren't that much cheaper. You do get the advantage of being more compact.

Take a look at this post: Getting your first Underwater DSLR System
Perhaps you can find it useful.

There are some great bundles on the Canon T5i which is a great camera and not too old as well as not too expensive:
Canon 700D Underwater Camera and Housing by Sea and Sea
Canon EOS 700D Rebel T5i Underwater Camera and Housing by Ikelite

You already have the strobe and macro lenses so all you need to start off is a bundle for the camera, lens, housing and port.

You can also consider getting an OM-D E-M5 system, second hand, which you can find for very good prices now.

 

[thewigster]

Thanks for the links Ran - i did have a look at them. The Canon 700D does look very tempting

I bought my YS-01 from yourselves a few months ago and find you guys very helpful and reasonably priced too (even with import tax to the UK). Hopefully by the time i can afford £2k later on next year i will be certainly looking your way.

 

[PatW]

I have a few suggestions to make:

Consider a metal housing. Sure it costs more but once you have bought lenses, strobes, ports and so on, it does not add a large percentage to the price of the system. It is more durable, compact, and gives precise control.

Consider getting a housing with a vacuum seal. I have one on my system. A green LED indicates a good seal so I get confirmation that I did not mess up. It is worth it for the peace of mind.

What I like about a DSLR is the fact that there is no shutter lag. I focus and shoot. I can now get photos of fast moving, skittish fish reliably.

Another advantage age of a DSLR is I have great focus control. I can focus on the eyeball of a fish.

As a result of the control of focus, I take far fewer photos per dive.

I shoot Nikon, but Canon lenses are very similar.

I would suppose that you are going to get a crop sensor camera and not a full frame.

For crop frame wide angle, the Tokina 10-17 is wonderful. It is great for landscapes, divers and large fish if you get really close.

The 60 mm macro is a great lens. The focus distance is too close for true macro as it is about 2 cm. But it is great for close ups and medium sized and smaller fish. It is the only lens I use on night dives. It is more versatile on a full frame camera.

A mid range zoom is good for large fish and turtles. It gives some stand off range. The sigma 17-70 macro is good on a crop frame camera.

The 105 macro is good for true macro shots and it is good for small active fish like damsels, butterfly fish and so on.

I much prefer using a DSLR over a point and shoot. But they are not for everyone.

I hope you enjoy your new system. Good luck.

 

[thewigster]

Some good points there Pat - so far i think the mirrorless ones would be ideal for me when i upgrade as they seem overall best for my needs (unless i win the lottery in the meantime). It will be a learning curve but one im happy to start