Buying a 5 mpixel instead of 8 to save

[MoonWrasse]

Hi Guys,
I read a lot here great things about the Canon S80 and the Oly SP-350 cameras to be used with housing for UW photography. I just think it's completely unecessary for me to buy a 8 MP camera. I would be satisfied with a 5mp. The print size difference is minimal.

I think I could probably buy a cheaper camera if it's a 5mp, instead of 6, 7 or 8mp.
Do you guys have any suggestions of 5mp cameras that would be in the same level of the S80 and SP-350 in terms of quality and functionality (including manual controls, etc..) ???

I do own a sony DSC-V1 which is a great land camera, but the housing is like U$500. I think it's better if I just get a new camera and housing. What do you think?

I appreciate your input.

Thanks

Sony DSCP100. 5mp, Zeiss lens, batteries last a long time (4 dives for me or more on a single charge).
Unfortunately Sony no longer makes it or it's updated version, the 150.
However you can pick up it along with the housing MPK-PHB on ebay for probably ~ $400 total.

 

[Gilligan]

As someone who has just bought the S80, I'll tell you why I didn't buy one with a smaller chip (5 or 6 mg pix). It had nothing to do the CCD -- but everything else -- the 28 mm WAL, the faster processor (DigicII), and the 2.5 inch LCD (the better to actually see what I'm shooting. I had been using a 3.2 mg pix camera (DiMage Xg) and it captured very good images (not that I could actually see what I was shooting) but the S80 captures better images more consistently, focuses faster, etc.

By the way, I don't know anyone who shoots UW who doesn't use the highest resolution and with the cost of chips, I can't think of any reason not to.

Me, I'd get the best camera I could given the various constraints I have (which is what I did). I wouldn't diss higher mg pixels just because....

I'll have to agree with this statement. If I had to replace my Oly C4000z's I would likely get the Canon S80.
I don't make prints but the higher MP comes into play when cropping photos, which I do a lot of.
The bigger monitor is a must for underwater use and I would not buy a camera without one.
The newer technology of the more recent products are also a plus.

 

[divebrasil]

My DSC-v1 is not a PnS, it is a semi-pro camera with most of the manual controls someone would wish. Maybe thats the reason the housing is so expensive.

As for the suggestion of buying the housing for the v1, think about it for a minute. If it floods, I loose a $500 camera, and then I am stuck with a $500 housing that will only work with another $500 Dsc-v1. Know what I mean?

By the messages I read here, I could get an Oly sp-350 for less than $300 (even less on ebay) and the housing for about $200. Am I wrong? So in the end it will cost the same $500, but now I have 2 digital cameras. Doesn't it make sense?

And yes, I know the megapixel thing is just hype. Used to take great pictures with a 1.1 MP camera. I had one of those first brick sony cybershots. MP has to do with print size mostly.

Better chips, faster shutter, color correction, yes these are some of the good things about new models, but MP is all the same.

That's why I was thinking I could save by not falling for the hype and buying a camera with less MP and cheaper.

Any more suggestions?

 

[Davichin]

I love my olympus 765 uz 4mpx. Now there is the SP-500uz model with 6mpx, Raw, 10x optical zoom (same lens as I have). No hot shoe. Ike housing. Since I prefer my manual Ike DS125 controller I would prefer this camera more than the sp-350...

 

[RonFrank]

My DSC-v1 is not a PnS, it is a semi-pro camera with most of the manual controls someone would wish. Maybe thats the reason the housing is so expensive.

As for the suggestion of buying the housing for the v1, think about it for a minute. If it floods, I loose a $500 camera, and then I am stuck with a $500 housing that will only work with another $500 Dsc-v1. Know what I mean?

And yes, I know the megapixel thing is just hype. Used to take great pictures with a 1.1 MP camera. I had one of those first brick sony cybershots. MP has to do with print size mostly.

MPIX is NOT hype. Don't buy into the Ken Rockwell misinformation. Sure there are lower mpix camera's that produce good images, and optics, sensor size (huge factor) and many other things come into play.

The other thing to consider is how large of an image do you want to print as 5mpix is certainly enough to produce good enlargements.

But all things being equal (say like in a pro DSLR) a 2.6 mpix camera can NOT deliver the image quality of a 12.2 mpix camera.

Sorry, dispite the nice features of the Sony V1, it's a PnS camera. What else would it be? Not an SLR, not really a rangefinder for that matter as it's missing the rangefinder.

The V1 was selling for around $200 after the V3 came out, so in fact your $500 camera is likely worth under $200.

You will have to make the decisions on what to do. But IMO you may be disappointed in your new 5mpix camera as we have discussed MPIX do matter, but they are only a piece of the puzzle, and the V1 is a very good shooting camera. For reviews including results and objective opinions see:

www.dpreview.com

 

[Footslogger]

Quote "For instance, for a fairly decent 8x10 you need [8" x 300 DPI] x [10 x 300DPI] or 2,400 x 3,000 pixels, or 7,200,000 pixels, or 7.2 megapixels. This is what the formula at the top calculates the easy way."
==============================================
That's the resolution I shoot with the Oly C5050Z and I generally enlarge my prints to 8 x 10" (Occasionally 11 x 14") ...so I guess I'm doing OK. I get about 110 shots per 512 mbyte XD card and I typically download the card after each (or every 2) dive

'Slogger

 

[cyclical]

I own a Sony DSC-F717, 5mp, they still run around $450 or so new/used. I looked into getting a u/w housing for it.. but damn, they are expensive. Ikelite sells it for $950.

I will have to stick with my mx-10 film camera.

 

[Scuba-Bill]

Is there something wrong with the Sea-Life products? I see many threads of camera discussions, but very rarely do I see the Sea-Life products mentioned. I ask because I am in the market for a camera and flash before a trip to Belize and Roatan.

Thanks,

 

[RiverRat]

From what I've heard more MP is not always better. CCD quality has much to do with image quality as well. If I understand it correctly you could have a 5 MP camera with a great CCD or a 10 MP with a crappy CCD. I guess the best option would be the 10 MP camera with the great CCD.

 

[divebrasil]

As far as I know resolution (MP) and Quality (CCD and other technological features) are 2 different subjects.