Camera decision for Amira liveaboard

[dianna912]

This may seem like a crazy question, but… we have a trip on Amira planned for Raja Ampat in February. I upgraded to the OM-1 three months ago, but I am only set up for macro/supermacro. I only have the 90mm lens at this point. I have also only ever used the camera at the Blue Heron Bridge, a muck dive.

I’m considering whether to even bring the om-1 to Raja, or to just bring my TG. It’s really hard to decide without knowing specifics of the trip, and what our DM will be like, but I thought I’d ask for opinions here. We had originally planned to do raja then Lembeh, but had to cut the Lembeh portion, so in 2025 we plan to do Lembeh and Tulamben. Our itinerary for this Raja trip is Sorong to Ternate.

I’m hoping others who have been on Amira can chime in about the diving. Are all of the dives typically the 50-60 minutes, stay with the group, no time to hunt macro sort of dive? Or do you get some “pool is open” types of dives where you get some freedom to take your time. I am the slowest diver you will ever dive with. I love hunting for truly supermacro. I’ve been known to spend and entire dive on a 10 foot section of rope on the ground, hunting (and finding!) sub 5mm nudis. I suspect that isn’t going to be a possibility in Raja, but if I’m wrong, I’d like to be prepared.

I also know, though, that if I see my Holy Grail, Doto greenamyeri, I just may cry if I don’t have my amazing camera to shoot with.

Decisions, decisions.

 

[rmorgan]

Good gravy—take the OM-1 and the 90! Get a used 12-50 for $1-200 and a basic port (not the one with the macro switch, if you’re using Nauticam, because you have the 90), and you’ll be in great shape, with better wide-angle capability than the TG and class-leading (in my opinion) macro. What housing do you have and do you have any strobes?

 

[Roberto83]

Why dont go for a private guide and have full control over how you dive?

 

[outofofficebrb]

I have some bad and good news. I’ve never seen doto greenamyeri in 139 dives in Raja Ampat but I have seen many in Tulamben and none in Lembeh.

My good friends have been on the Amira and the diving is quite similar to other liveaboards. There are no “pool is open” dives. Every dive is guided. Conditions will sometimes require you to stay together as a group due to current and macro during these high current times (side, up, down - strong sometimes requiring a reef hook) will not make it fun or conducive and current can really vary in the area next to the group/guide vs where you are if you’re far behind. Being very slow and downcurrent from the group is not ideal in this situation and I say that as a photographer.

Night dives will be in protected areas so are good macro opportunities. On day dives, so much great stuff is going on with wide angle! Macro can be found but you’ll be admiring everything else.

 

[cozcharlie]

I guess I am a third vote for getting a wide angle lens. You are going to need one sooner or later anyway and relative to the cost of getting back and forth from Raja Ampat not that expensive. Yes there is definitely macro there , but probably 1/3rd of the dives are macro dives (especially given changing currents etc ). The more iconic Raja Ampat photos are wide angle reef shots teeming with fish.

Just to be clear , I love macro. I probably shoot macro 2/3rds of the time overall , but only shot it 1/3rd of the time in R4. I have never been on that liveaboard , but I think if you let them know right off the bat you are interested in macro they might be able to get one or maybe two divers a day where one of guides is focused on macro (most of the boats have a good guide to guest ratio ). One problem you will find is that they are always adjusting sites on the fly due to changing currents. You think you are doing macro and 15 minutes before dive site changes and is now a wide angle .