????camera

[Denture Dan]

have been using a point and shoot, for a couple of years, wanting to get a SLR, any ideas what is good, what isnt, HELP there is so much out there, camera overload!!!!!

thanks Dan

 

[Peter_C]

Do you mean DSLR? If so are you prepared to spend at least $5,000? If not what is your budget? Are you OK with purchasing used equipment? There are many options out there, but we need to know what you are looking to spend and what you want to do with the camera.

 

[Denture Dan]

yes a digital slr, is what im after, i know that it will not be cheep, however, im tired of getting the tail of most of the things im taking pics of, the hesitation of this other camera is driving me crazy!!!!!

thanks again

 

[Denture Dan]

Also i noticed my thread got moved, did i post this in a wrong area, where did it get moved to??? thanks Dan

 

[alcina]

It was moved to the main underwater photo area and a redirect was left in the original place. You can see where you are if you look at the top of the page:
ScubaBoard > Scuba Diving Central > Underwater Photography

Have you checked out the Sticky for information yet? If not, it's a good place to start as it has a ton of information compiled from our members plus even more links to more details to help you on your shopping spree!

 

[PriusDrIVER]

If the budget doesn't scare you, then the next step is to pick your religion (brand). It truly is a religious war between the two big brands (Canon vs Nikon). This isn't the best place for that debate, but if you want extreme biases you can head over to dpreview.com's forums for either brand.

Personally, I am biased towards Canon. I have a Canon 20D, while its a few years old it is still a solid camera. When you pick a camera brand, think of it as picking the lenses...as the bodies will come and go, its the lenses that stay. I like Canon glass, I love the red pin striped L I use primarily...though it won't fit in a underwater housing.

I would suggest finding a local shop that carries both. Go in, play with the Nikon and Canon equals. Find the one you like the best, the interface, how it feels in your hand. Beyond that, they are pretty equal. Both take excellent photos. Both have great in-brand lenses, as well as 3rd party.

When it comes to the underwater side, its all pretty equal. In each tier the housings are about the same, and the lens ports are the same. Some brands of UW housings may not cover all of the camera models, so maybe that can be taken into consideration.

I would suggest deciding between the 2 "entry" tiers. Look at the Canon 400D Rebel XTi and the brand new 40D (*drool*). Then look at the Nikon D300, D40(x) or N80. Any digital SLR you buy from Canon or Nikon will be a good choice.

Keep in mind, any SLR system is a endless can of worms. I guess you already have the diving can, so why not added another. I am currently working on syncing the two together, might as well *really* start spending money. There are endless sources of information and misinformation on lenses and brands, but the dpreview forums are always good start.

Of course, I haven't even taken a single picture submerged yet. Though I have about 6200 clicks on my 20D. Oh, make sure you have some place to store the several GB of pictures you will collect in no time at all. Find your favorite test subject (pets or kids, spouses don't appreciate it) and test away. Learn how each of your lenses reacts for depth of field at different apertures and zoom levels. Its all about DOF and exposure, oh and always shoot RAW

Good luck!

 

[Denture Dan]

Thanks for the info, now to make a decision????????

 

[victor]

Don't rush, this is a big decision.
Once you start buying lenses you are, more or less, committed for life.

 

[RonFrank]

Determine your budget (for a body), research some of the options available, and then ask specific questions about those models.

I'm a Nikon guy, and have been for decades. If I were buying again, I'd stay with Nikon. IMO the choice is really between Nikon and Canon for a lot of reasons.

I shoot a D200 UW, Ikelite housing, and Ikelite strobes. Ikelite is about the least expensive option in housings for a DSLR. If you decide to go with an ALUM housing, then the cost of the housing/ports doubles, or more.

 

[JackConnick]

I think there are a few factors in the Canon/Nikon debate UW.

One is that the Nikon has better strobe support for TTL, it uses a 5 pin standard connection where the Canon uses a 6. You'll need adapters at best. Many like Canon's sensor better. Canon comes with better software and probably better support. Nikon has more lenses, but for UW that's becoming less of an issue.

The D80/D200/D300 all have a much bigger viewfinder, like 15% bigger, than the Canon.

For me it was a combination of strobe support and viewfinder size.

There are new models of the both lines coming out, I don't expect housings for them until after the first of the year.

BTW, The Fantasea Housings are much cheaper than Ikelite and come with a standard port and flood insurance (not that you'll need it). I've been shooting the FD80 for many months now and like it a lot. Lighter and smaller to swim with too.

Jack