Housing and strobe for my new Olympus 5050

[Texas Diver]

Hi:

After reading a lot of reviews on digital cameras I finally bought an Olympus C 5050 Zoom - so far, so good.

This is my first digital camera and I am pretty confused about how to take advantage of many of its features. Unfortunately, the manual is not much help. Does anyone know of a good book that explains all the features of digital cameras?

More importantly, can anyone recommend a good housing and strobe for my camera and where I can buy them?

thanks,
mario
Houston, TX

 

[Gilligan]

Aloha,
Your most likely looking at the Oly PT-015 housing or the Ikelite housing. The latter being much more expensive. This website will help you with using the manual settings on your camera which produce far better results than the auto ones. Dee will likely jump in here and help you with the strobe and where to get it.
:shades:

 

[chippy]

What a great little site for C5050 owners! - It's taught me loads, and answered many of my unanswered questions.

As far as strobes go, I use a DS50 which is fine for close up work, but if you can afford the extra dosh, the DS125 should be heaps better. I'm considering selling my 50 and getting the 125.

 

[Dee]

Dinercat once bubbled...
Hi:

After reading a lot of reviews on digital cameras I finally bought an Olympus C 5050 Zoom - so far, so good.

This is my first digital camera and I am pretty confused about how to take advantage of many of its features. Unfortunately, the manual is not much help. Does anyone know of a good book that explains all the features of digital cameras?

More importantly, can anyone recommend a good housing and strobe for my camera and where I can buy them?

thanks,
mario
Houston, TX

Unfortunately there's not a book out there that does what you ask! The manual that's on the Camedia CD which came with your camera, does a decent job explaining things, although it's not very easy to follow the way it jumps around from one feature to another.

My favorite housing for the 5050 is the PT-015. It's small, easy to handle with one hand yet still a small package when you add an external strobe. It's very sturdy so unless you make lots of rough shore entries or dive to extreme depths, it will serve you nicely. Not to say it isn't sturdy, it is. But there are other housings out there better suited to rough conditions, for example like the shore diving you'll find on lots of California's coastline. The metal Tetra housing comes to mind.

As for strobes, I just answered this question on another thread that you can find HERE.

I see you're from the Houston area....so am I. If you'd like to join us at Twin Lakes for some hands on photo practice and info, you're more than welcome!

 

[Clutchcargo]

There's this manual that I came across. I don't know much about it but as a new C5050 user, I agree the instruction manual that comes with the camera is disappointing. I may cough up the $25, I'm still thinking about it. I haven't cracked the seal on the CD yet, I didn't know there was additional material there.
Dee, I agree the PT015 housing is impressive. Every button has access and a double O-ring seal, Nice... I'm not disappointed at all with both the C5050 and housing. The 8 "my mode" settings are a suprise too, I was only expecting 4 as described by the review sites.
Anyway GL and have fun
Cjh

 

[TedJ]

Cjh,
I remember a thread some months ago that discussed the "short course" manual but I couldn't find the link to it. Try a search maybe you'll have better luck. If I remember correctly the conclusion was that the short course did not answer the questions the the thread starter was interested in, but I have not personally seen the book.

If someone has used it let's hope they jump in.
TedJ

 

[lanwu]

Hi, I've had my 5050 for just a few weeks & have been using some of the following websites to learn...


http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/c5050/index.html
- this guys great at answering emails & questions....

http://www.webphotoschool.com/ir/
- although I haven't paid for subscription

 

[TedJ]

Hadn't seen the second site before. Some good basic photo information as well as particulars about the 5050. Good find. Thanks.
TedJ