Question Choose Camera Balance of Three Ease of Use, Cost, Quality for Macro

[Bubblesong]

My goal is very high resolution for detailed macro photography, used in New England low viz water, so no wide angle photos worth it. Night, black water, strobes, snoots, flourescence photos will be taken. Very short videos. Not buying used.
Cost is a concern, so under $2,500.00
Ease of use underwater with thick gloves, (how do Artic divers operate cameras anyway? Aren’t their fingers like numb sausages?)
Ease of use to extract photos is also important. Battery life, camera storage is important also factor.
Does anyone make excel spreadsheet with all the options to compare what is out there to buy? Would some generous soul share one with me as a starting point? I will do my own research but would appreciate a leg up by someone experienced. NB, my previous camera experience is go pro 6 video from which i grab screen shots. Not suitable for framing. But did get some pix worth posting. I am heaving all go pro out the door.
Please share your most detailed high Rez photo if you can when recommending a set up!

 

[tursiops]

I'm trying to decipher your criteria and their weighting.
#1 - Macro
#2 - high resolution. Do you mean pixels on the sensor, or image quality edge-to-edge? or both?
#3 - video capable
#4 - cost under $2500. Is this camera only, or includes housing, strobes, etc?
#5 - ease of use u/w with thick gloves
#6 - ease of use to extract photos. I don't know what this means; you mean reading an SD card? To what?
#7 - Battery Life. That is enough for one dive; two? 5? What?
#8 - camera storage. I don't know what this means; storage u/w when not suing? Storage at home? When traveling/ What?

• If you actually have eight criteria, equally weighted, you'll probably find no solution.
• You are missing an important one: what will you do with the results? Share on the web? Print 4 ft x 6 ft wall images? What?
• You'll probably find that essentially ALL possible cameras satisfy #s 3,6,7,8, depending on what 6 and 8 mean.
• If you are not going to make huge blow-ups, then all will satisfy #2 if total pixels is your goal.
• #1 depends on what you are shooting; some camera/lense combos will allow more standoff distances, which is helpful for some subjects. What subjects are you shooting?