Photography with Sony A7RII

[kaylee_ann]

Does anyone shoot with a Sony a7rii underwater? I'd love to see your pictures if possible! possibly getting into UW photography a while after OW certification and that's the camera I have.

 

[Barmaglot]

I would strongly caution against taking a full-frame camera underwater as a new diver. Underwater photography is a challenging subject, and a freshly minted diver struggling to control their large photo rig can present danger to themselves, their buddies, and their environment. Best start with something small, like a GoPro, get a feel for what it entails, and then progress to larger, more sophisticated equipment.

In addition, while it is certainly tempting to take the camera you already own underwater, it is important to understand that the camera body is a very minor part of the whole rig, and a housing is far from the only thing that you need to dive with it. In order to produce quality photographs, you will need specialist lenses (Canon 8-15mm fisheye with Metabones adapter, Sony-Zeiss 16-35 f/4, Sony 90mm macro), ports for the same (just a 230mm dome can cost thousands), strobes ($700+ per unit, and you will want a pair) and all sorts of accessories.

 

[scrane]

Walk before you run.

 

[scrane]

Does anyone shoot with a Sony a7rii underwater? I'd love to see your pictures if possible! possibly getting into UW photography a while after OW certification and that's the camera I have.

The a7rii is a great camera, but if you do things right it is a minor expense in UW photography. Housings and lights and lenses and ports can run into thousands.
If you are serious about starting UW photography look into the Olympus TG-6 camera.
I've done a lot of diving and I've done still photography and video, and honestly, I found cameras to be a distraction that detracted from my joy of diving.

 

[kaylee_ann]

Iv

The a7rii is a great camera, but if you do things right it is a minor expense in UW photography. Housings and lights and lenses and ports can run into thousands.
If you are serious about starting UW photography look into the Olympus TG-6 camera.
I've done a lot of diving and I've done still photography and video, and honestly, I found cameras to be a distraction that detracted from my joy of diving.

Ive had this camera for a while, so it’s not an extra expense.

 

[kaylee_ann]

I won’t be doing this for a while. Just wanted to get a general idea of how my camera would be

Walk before you run.

 

[scrane]

Iv

Ive had this camera for a while, so it’s not an extra expense.

I realize that. I have an a7rii also. But if I were to get involved in UW photography again I wouldn't consider it, unless I had a line on cheap housing for it.
But when all is done, you'd have considerable money invested in a dead end system.
If you go with a TG-6 and housing you'd have about $700. in it. It is designed for UW. It would be virtually flood-proof, and it would have good value if you wanted to upgrade. It is easy to learn and versatile. Lots of people use it and there's a large knowledge base. And it's cute.
Maybe someone who dives with a Sony can chime in with a more educated opinion.

After you get certified and start diving you'll run into a lot of divers with a variety of equipment. One thing divers love to do is talk about their stuff. Take your time and see what people recommend, not just cameras, but regulators and computers and BCs too.

 

[kaylee_ann]

I love photography, the cost is worth it. Plus I sell my pictures. Helps a little bit and okay! Thanks for the tips

I realize that. I have an a7rii also. But if I were to get involved in UW photography again I wouldn't consider it, unless I had a line on cheap housing for it.
But when all is done, you'd have considerable money invested in a dead end system.
If you go with a TG-6 and housing you'd have about $700. in it. It is designed for UW. It would be virtually flood-proof, and it would have good value if you wanted to upgrade. It is easy to learn and versatile. Lots of people use it and there's a large knowledge base. And it's cute.
Maybe someone who dives with a Sony can chime in with a more educated opinion.

After you get certified and start diving you'll run into a lot of divers with a variety of equipment. One thing divers love to do is talk about their stuff. Take your time and see what people recommend, not just cameras, but regulators and computers and BCs too.

 

[RVBldr]

Good advice in this thread. Been diving for a long time, but started u/w photography about 8 years ago with a Sony RX100 MK I, Ikelite housing, two Sea&Sea YS-D1 strobes, focus light, and a whole tinker toy set of clamps, arms, floats, teathers, etc. Learning how to properly assemble, lube, clean, balance in the water for fresh and salt, lighting, etc, is a decent learning curve. I never flooded the RX100, but have had a couple strobe floods. Finally after 8 years, I recently upgraded to A7C fullframe, and the photo difference is significant, but having a base understanding of the u/w aspects of shooting full manual are good to have. For a DSLR, the bigger the camera, the bigger the $$$, and as stated, the camera body is fairly trivial to the whole rig.

 

[BlueTrin]

Iv

Ive had this camera for a while, so it’s not an extra expense.

As a new diver, you run into much higher risks to flood it or lose it, or get distracted by it and miss something important.

IMHO