Why Canon?

[Lims]

I'm going to get a DSLR camera and housing when I figure out which. Any advice? I have aquired a lump of money so there is no budget but the less I spend on equipment, the more I can spend on diving... There's a thread like this one in the nikon niche, just thought I'd find out why you people chose canon over nikon?

 

[ToPpS]

I'm going to go out on that ever unstable limb there and say.... Unless you are a serious professional photographer, you won't really notice a huge difference between Nikon and Canon.

That being said, Canon holds the overall edge when it comes to their lenses. It's a fine edge and it's mainly in the tele-zoom end of the range so that doesn't translate well into underwater photography as you usually use macro lenses no more than say 100mm. Nikon lenses are more than a match for Canon lenses at the popular focal ranges.

I've read and contributed to many threads regarding the difference between Nikon and Canon. Most just turn into a big bash feast!

The best advice that i can give you is this: Go to a store or ask your buddies who own a dSLR if you can try different cameras. For me I chose Nikon over Canon purely because I found the controls more intuitive than Canon. At the end of the day, they all do the same thing and while one may be better at one thing, it's not better at all things.

Spent your money on a proper housing to protect your investment and most important... buy the best GLASS you can afford. The truth is that image quality is down to the quality of the lens you're using. Buying a top of the range camera and putting a kit lens on it is a waste and someone should smack you upside the head for doing so. It's better to buy a good camera and get a very good lens for it. Lenses you'll keep for all your life while bodies will be upgraded along the way.

Lens reviews and tests
Great Photography forum

 

[Just another Cinderella]

If you are buying a "pro" camera I think Nikon gets the nod, IMHO, because it is a much more solid camera and better built. Otherwise you are just comparing bells and whistles.
Most people stick to one or the other because over the years they have invested a lot of money in glass and switching becomes very expensive.
I have been shooting Nikon above and under water for thirty years so you know my answer. I have never had a major camera failure and I have found Nikon service when I needed it, excellent. The cameras have been harshly treated at times but have passed all tests in the field.

 

[IceWater]

I agree that it is pretty much an apples to apples comparison. But for a dive camera, video is a great feature to have so the new canon T1I(500D) is your best bet. At $899 (w/18-55mm IS/EF-s), it is the cheapest DSLR with video, full HD. Nikon D90 is close to the same for body only, or $999 w/18-105 VR and the Canon 5D MrkII is around $3200.
It has been said and I agree, it comes down to the glass. Investing in good quality lenses will make all the difference in the world.

 

[IceWater]

I agree that it is pretty much an apples to apples comparison. But for a dive camera, video is a great feature to have so the new canon T1I(500D) is your best bet. At $899 (w/18-55mm IS/EF-s), it is the cheapest DSLR with video, full HD. Nikon D90 is close to the same for body only at $999 w/18-105 VR and the Canon 5D MrkII is around $3200.
It has been said and I agree, it comes down to the glass. Investing in good quality lenses will make all the difference in the world.

 

[bvanant]

Decisions, decisions. First question, what type of shooting do you want to do, wide angle, macro or both. Remember when you get your first DSLR system you are buying way into the future. Lenses and ports for housings last forever (or until you flood the lens). Then decide whether you want to run full frame or cropped. If you are really into wide angle then full frame will be your better bet. If you are into macro then a cropped sensor has some advantages in terms of equivalent DOF. Once you have that decision made, choose your body. If you pick full frame from Canon then you have to pick the 5DMarkII or the 1D series. And so on. Then pick the housing you want depending again on what you think you want to shoot. Lots of wide angle and over unders (splits) means big domes, the bigger the better. Just shooting macro or mostly macro means less to pack and less to pay for. I would argue strongly that there are very very few pictures you could get with a Nikon that you couldn't get with a Canon and vice versa. For me Canon was an easy pick since it had the first DSLR and I had Canon lenses.

If I were starting today on a budget, I would get the new Canon rebel and the Sea&Sea RDX housing, two Inon S2000 strobes, the Canon 60 mm macro lens and the Tokina 10-17. A macro port and the Sea&Sea dome and I would be cooking.

If I had a bit more money, I would get the same glass, Canon 50D and the Subal housing, with some DS160 strobes.

If I were rich I would get the 5Dmark II, the Subal housing, the 100 mm macro, and probably the Sigma 15 mm wide angle lens but not sure about the wide angle part. Same strobes with perhaps a ringflash for the cool macro stuff.

Hope this helps