DSLR Camera.. which one?

[hogge]

Hi,

I have a Nicon D3 today but feel that this camera is far to expensive for using underwater (underwater housing is very expensive)

So my question (as a beginner for UW photo) is what should I choose?

Which DLSR?
Which lense?
Which underwater housing?
Which lightes?
etc

I dont want to spend a fortune, but I need good equipment. I will dive to max 30 m.

Thank you for your help....

Hogge

 

[Sully3]

Hey Hogge,

any DSLR UW set up is going to be expensive. I think buying the housing for the D3 is probably cheaper than buying a whole new camera and setup.
I use a Canon 7D in Ikelite housing with Canon 60mm macro and one DS-51 strobe, and I love it, but there are a million different set ups.

 

[slowhands]

You don't really say what subjects you wan to shoot. Macro, wrecks, caves, whales, video? Some DSLRs don't have video, and you just might find that a lot of fun. Or not. At the low end, the D5000 shoots video and has a decent sensor, but limits you to AFS lenses, meaning you can't really use the excellent Tokina 10-17mm fisheye that so many prefer for large fish and wrecks. So, think about what you might want to shoot and pick accordingly.

Any housing you buy will be expensive as a previous poster said. I agree, I would not take the D3 underwater. There is a strong chance of flooding it. Since you shoot Nikon, look for an older Nikon with housing, used, perhaps a D70 or D80. They shoot well, just don't have the large display of the current cameras, nor video. The D5000 is good in the middle. Or, step up to a D300S, which will do video and pretty much everything else. Since you are used to a D3, that would probably be the closest lower cost option.

Ikelite makes the least expensive housings by far. They are quite rugged and reliable, but not streamlined like the high end housings. For many, the extra cost is not justified.

I have a hunch Nikon is soon to update most models in its lineup, so don't be in a rush. The recent roll from D3000 to D3100 is the first, and I feel the D300s class might be next, followed by the D90 class. Just a hunch, but if I were Nikon, I'd be looking at Canon's latest products. Canon is releasing so many new models. They have to respond, just a question of when. Of course that will mean some of the current models will go into closeout discounts, which can be attractive. It pays to watch the market for trends and rumors.

 

[Kilili]

I would have no hesitation taking D3 under water, just have ins. like from DAN. I've hundreds of dives on its predecessor, the D2x with no problems, ever.

Regardless, would be foolish to switch from Nikon.

D3 housing will cost more than regular SLR, and since D3 has no onboard flash, you will need external board if you want to shoot TLL mode. Check Heinrichs Weikamp, maybe $200-300. This setup will only work with limited range of strobes, such as INON Z-240, but that's a good choice regardless.

Housing? - Subal

For about the same money you could buy D300s and housing to match.

Lenses? Depends what you want to shoot. For macro, start with 60mm, or splurge for 105 mm and its oversized port [also needs special port collar float.

Skip old cameras, technology moves too fast, and no real savings long term. On the other hand, I wouldn't wait for "the next new camera", as there's always another in the pipe. Besides, housings usually lag behind new camera introduction anyway.

Otherwise, perhaps 18-70 zoom. This needs a dome port though, and they are considerably more expensive.

Start with one lens. When you've mastered that, decide what's next for you.

 

[Peter Guy]

First question is Why a dSLR for UW photos?

Second question is Are you that solid in your abilities that you can handle a camera and maintain buoyancy control and situational awareness (especially appropriate question if you are really an under 25 dive diver)?

I love my dSLR on land but couldn't bring myself to buy a housing for it. For less than the housing, I bought an Olympus Pen E-PL1 with housing ($1200). You might want to consider that route rather than the dSLR.

 

[hogge]

Hi again,

as I use a dSLR on land I would prefer a dSLR for uw photos.

The remark of Peter Guy is a issue which I have also thought about "boyancy". I did not have any problems att all during the 7 dives I had this year... but I need to get better in that...

What do I want to shoot? Fish, large fish, sharks & wreeks....

/Hogge

 

[noreastDIVER84]

I would suggest that at less than 25 dives, you may need more time to work on buoyancy before considering a camera in the water.

Back to the topic of which dSLR, it is all a matter of preference. If you don't want to spend a lot of money, a dSLR may not be the right choice. You will need to determine what kind of shots you are looking for, which will determine lenses, ports, etc. Then if you want to get the full effect of the dSLR, you will need strobes, and focus lights. You are looking at a couple thousand dollars to get setup. I would suggest a p&s with an u/w housing and a strobe. You will be amazed at the results you can get from a compact camera.

I have attached two photos taken with a Sea and Sea DX8000, One is a macro shot, the other is at a distance of about 6'. Both using an auxilary strobe. The nice thing about the small p&s is that you can get these shots all in the same trip.

 

[PatW]

In the Nikon line a D90 might be good. It has a performance similar to the D300s. The D700 would be better but I don't know if you want to try the $$$ or not.

A wide zoom is what quite a few people use for "landscape shots" something like a 12-24. For macro work people use either the 60 or 105. Or you could use a zoom like a 17-55. I think the port for the 12-24 will fit a midrange zoom anyway.

The Ikelite cases are reliable and they are inexpensive (well relatively).

You would probably want a strobe or 2 also.

You many want to heed Noreastdiver84. I have just started shooting underwater. It puts a real premium on buoyancy skills. I picked up a little metal prod for stabilization also. Sometimes there is not something handy to grab with my left whilst my right is taking the shot in macro shots.

I am using a Canon G11 with ikelite case and a strobe. It works pretty well. It isn't a DSLR but it is pretty good. It also has an advantage over DSLRs in that I can go from macro, to zoom, to wide angle. On a DSLR, you put your lens on and that is what you shoot with that day. I wonder if one gets the feeling if you stick on a wide angle lens that all the little things crawl out and jeer at you as you pass. If you stick on a macro lens, then all the sharks will cruise by.

 

[noreastDIVER84]

You many want to heed Noreastdiver84. I have just started shooting underwater. It puts a real premium on buoyancy skills. I picked up a little metal prod for stabilization also. Sometimes there is not something handy to grab with my left whilst my right is taking the shot in macro shots.

I am using a Canon G11 with ikelite case and a strobe. It works pretty well. It isn't a DSLR but it is pretty good. It also has an advantage over DSLRs in that I can go from macro, to zoom, to wide angle. On a DSLR, you put your lens on and that is what you shoot with that day. I wonder if one gets the feeling if you stick on a wide angle lens that all the little things crawl out and jeer at you as you pass. If you stick on a macro lens, then all the sharks will cruise by.

I have found that since I can do both wide and macro with the same camera, it is the days that I don't bring the camera (speargun instead) everything that I want a picture of comes out, and anything I am looking to spear is nowhere to be found. It works the other way as well.

But you definitely need to have the ability to at least hover in one spot for a brief time. It is better if you can stay motionless for longer since you may get some more interaction with what you are photographing.

 

[PatW]

I have found that since I can do both wide and macro with the same camera, it is the days that I don't bring the camera (speargun instead) everything that I want a picture of comes out, and anything I am looking to spear is nowhere to be found. It works the other way as well.

But you definitely need to have the ability to at least hover in one spot for a brief time. It is better if you can stay motionless for longer since you may get some more interaction with what you are photographing.

That is true. If you just sit still, pretty soon the fish will come out and behave "normally" and you can take photos of them. Otherwise, you will end up getting a selection of "fishbutts" in your photos.