Upgrade paths for DX2G

[ut severes]

Hi All.

I wanted to get some thoughts on the best way to go with limited funds.

I've got a DX2G, and I'm getting some great shots with it. I take photos of the small, such as Nudibranchs, and also of the large like whale sharks ad mantas.

I can afford to get the UWL FIX 04 fisheye, or a decent strobe. Whats peoples thoughts on the way to progress. Next dive trip is out in the maldives in April.

 

[bl6394]

I've got the DX2G - and I almost always use it with a WideAngle lense and Strobe. If I had to prioritize - I almost ALWAYS have the wide angle one. Its not a fisheye - I didn't want the optical distortion that comes with that.

Its more frequent that I'll turn the strobe off - particularly when there is a lot of particulate in the water. Its nice to have the strobe to get the best colors - but sometimes it works against me. My single strobe doesn't do a lot to illuminate the outside of a large wreck - and its a pain in the butt inside the wreck - or when cave diving. (But the strobe was really nice when reef diving off Key West. Really made the colors pop!

So - in short - I'd get the wide-angle or fish-eye first - then follow up with the strobe when funds allow.

Good luck!

Bjorn

 

[ut severes]

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking lens before light, so it's good to hear that from another dx2 user

 

[sanmarcosguy123]

Get the lens while you can. I talked to Greg the south west sales rep a few months ago. Since the DX2G has been discontinued they have stopped making the wide angle lens. The strobes will always be there.

 

[KeithG]

I want to vote the other way - strobe(s) first (i have a dx1g). But that is based upon you first mentioning macro work. The tension point is that the ricoh inside does an above average job of both macro and wide angle. Its wide angle is wider than most other stock cameras. Its macro ability to focus down to within 1 cm is also much closer than other P&S (or DSLR) cameras. So there is no clear winner (or loser). I tend to favour macro work and have only used my wide angle lens a few times in the last couple of years.

So I think you need to ask yourself which do you value more:
a) macro work
b) wider wide angle work
Then decide.

The previous comments about buying a wide angle before it is too late is valid. But it may be a little difficult to figure out when too late happens. It may be worth trying to establish what 3rd party wide angles are available? Maybe there will always be a suitable wide angle available? S&S makes a bayonet to 62mm adaptor ring (Product No.58119) that may be useful to mount a third party wide angle lens? Maybe buying it as insurance is a good idea?

 

[ut severes]

thanks for all the input people. I'll be ordering the wide angle lens this weekend. When I think about it, and look at my pics, macro is in second place for the moment, and I'll sweat about adding extra light when I go to somewhere thats all about the macro (I'm looking at indonesia at some point in the next year as I have a friend out there.

I'd already seen the adaptor ring having looked at getting the uwl fix04 fisheye instead of getting the sea and sea wide angle, but on reflection I thought I'm carrying enough gear around as it is currently, and a kilo of glass in the hold luggage is just asking to be broken : )

 

[hammerhead man]

Just a note UT, I have the FIX fisheye lens and would definitely go that route. There is no distortion in my pics of reef shots or fish with the fisheye. The fisheye is a great lens. There is distortion for pics that of wrecks when you are close up but not far away. Check out my Fiji and Great Barrier Reef shots to see what I get with the fisheye (click on the my photos link in the left hand window).

Regards, Bill