Ideas for small footprint compact camera setup?

[jf3193]

I'm still using a Canon G7X in a Nauticam housing. I almost always shoot ambient light. The one button white balance is a huge advantage for stills and video. I'm not serious about my photography, mostly for me, family, and friends. I do not shoot in RAW and do not do processing. I get some perfectly good photos, considering my restrictions. I don't believe any of the later versions of the G7X include the one button white balance.

I didn’t know that about the series one vs. newer models.

 

[Chris Ross]

Thanks Chris for the info on the strobes. I hardly ever take video, mainly focused on stills.
I’ve noticed the rx100 1-2 had a 24-100 lens, which looks similar to the canon g7x size lens. would that create an issue like with the 200 lenses?
im also wondering if the 24-70 lens on versions 3-5 will be powerful enough for decent macro ( with wet lens of course)

It all depends on how much they change length as they zoom. You mention reef scenics - to do them justice you'll probably want something wider than the 24mm lens behind a flat port and I'm guessing don't want to spend the value of the whole system on a Nauticam WWL. The wide lens tends to be the hardest part as you vignette on may of the lenses and lose the field of view by zooming in as the lens is at its shortest wide and down the bottom of the port. If you want to use a wide lens then I'd suggest concentrating on that and you can then adjust how powerful a macro lens you buy to suit.

This table gives compataibility of the various macro and wide lenses on Fantasea housings: http://www.fantasea.com/downloads/WetLensesCompatibilityTable.pdf
This table shows how the wet wide lenses designed for 28mm will perform on Nauticam housings, it's for the WWL but is equally useful with for example the 28mm wide lenses from INON. WWL-1 2021-01-04.pdf It shows how zoom is limited on some of these options.

If it reports that you need to zoom in more than 28mm you will lose field of view. With the more basic wide lenses that convert a 28mm lens to the filed of view of an 18mm lens, any need to zoom in further than 28mm to use the lens very quickly loses its advantage with these lenses. An example is the INON UWL-H100: Inon UWL-H100 28 M67 Wide Conversion Lens Type 2 Note these more basic wet lenses are not zoom through - you use them at widest zoom that does not vignette on the lens.

One option that doesn't have this problem is the AOI EPL-10 housing, which uses the Olympus EPL-10 with 14-42 lens. Because the lens hardly changes length when zooming you get the full wide angle from wet lenses. This link will help you pick which close up lens to use: . You'll see that the max magnification fills the frame with a 25mm object on the most powerful lens - it's not lifesize, but perfectly usable. To get smaller than this takes a fair bit more effort in finding subjects and holding still enough to keep the tiny depth of field placed over the subject.

This option is also very compact but with a larger m43 sensor than the G7X/RX100. You can if you decide later buy ports to allow you to use the 60mm macro lens or the 8mm fisheye, which is way wider than the majority of wet lens options.

 

[jf3193]

It all depends on how much they change length as they zoom. You mention reef scenics - to do them justice you'll probably want something wider than the 24mm lens behind a flat port and I'm guessing don't want to spend the value of the whole system on a Nauticam WWL. The wide lens tends to be the hardest part as you vignette on may of the lenses and lose the field of view by zooming in as the lens is at its shortest wide and down the bottom of the port. If you want to use a wide lens then I'd suggest concentrating on that and you can then adjust how powerful a macro lens you buy to suit.

This table gives compataibility of the various macro and wide lenses on Fantasea housings: http://www.fantasea.com/downloads/WetLensesCompatibilityTable.pdf
This table shows how the wet wide lenses designed for 28mm will perform on Nauticam housings, it's for the WWL but is equally useful with for example the 28mm wide lenses from INON. WWL-1 2021-01-04.pdf It shows how zoom is limited on some of these options.

If it reports that you need to zoom in more than 28mm you will lose field of view. With the more basic wide lenses that convert a 28mm lens to the filed of view of an 18mm lens, any need to zoom in further than 28mm to use the lens very quickly loses its advantage with these lenses. An example is the INON UWL-H100: Inon UWL-H100 28 M67 Wide Conversion Lens Type 2 Note these more basic wet lenses are not zoom through - you use them at widest zoom that does not vignette on the lens.

One option that doesn't have this problem is the AOI EPL-10 housing, which uses the Olympus EPL-10 with 14-42 lens. Because the lens hardly changes length when zooming you get the full wide angle from wet lenses. This link will help you pick which close up lens to use: . You'll see that the max magnification fills the frame with a 25mm object on the most powerful lens - it's not lifesize, but perfectly usable. To get smaller than this takes a fair bit more effort in finding subjects and holding still enough to keep the tiny depth of field placed over the subject.

This option is also very compact but with a larger m43 sensor than the G7X/RX100. You can if you decide later buy ports to allow you to use the 60mm macro lens or the 8mm fisheye, which is way wider than the majority of wet lens options.

That’s a ton of great information! Thanks.
I’ve seen the elp-10 advertised, with the custom housing. Maybe I should revisit that idea. I’ll admit I was a skeptic, since it had a special paint job, and was being mentioned as a “great deal”.
My original plan was to look into a mirrorless setup, but after I started thinking about packing various ports, and lenses, I soon started to wiggle my way back to an advanced compact. I still want the travel lightly freedom I have ( or as least as much as possible with quality camera gear)

 

[Blackcrusader]

Great shots!

Thanks. With any camera it takes time to learn and understand what you can get. Full manual might be good for those with more experience with full manual camera's already. Sort of nice camera's do really assist you a lot.
Also being in the water is completely different than being on land. I'll use the TG6 for several years me thinks. Then when I am ready if I really want to bulk up and get more serious kit then photo editing comes a long with that. Do I want to go to that level? Not yet.

When I blow up this shot I can see my camera rig and lights reflecting in this hermit crabs eyes which was what I focused on. In super macro you need to choose where your focal point will be.

 

[jf3193]

Thanks. With any camera it takes time to learn and understand what you can get. Full manual might be good for those with more experience with full manual camera's already. Sort of nice camera's do really assist you a lot.
Also being in the water is completely different than being on land. I'll use the TG6 for several years me thinks. Then when I am ready if I really want to bulk up and get more serious kit then photo editing comes a long with that. Do I want to go to that level? Not yet.

When I blow up this shot I can see my camera rig and lights reflecting in this hermit crabs eyes which was what I focused on. In super macro you need to choose where your focal point will be.

View attachment 649668

That’s amazing. The TG macro still makes me want one. I think it’s be a blast, plus the water proof(semi) factor, etc.
I currently have a sealife dc1400, and I want to have a rig I can build on, sort of future proof. I’ll be retired in a few years, and hope to move some place I can dive and justify a more complex setup. Hard to do when you fly to the Caribbean twice or so a year.
Thanks!
J

 

[Caolino]

AFAIK, all Sony cameras with a built-in flash always operate it in TTL mode. You can apply flash compensation (+/- 3 stops) but you cannot directly control the flash power or disable pre-flash. If you want to shoot your strobes on manual control while triggering from a Sony RX100 or A6xxx camera, you have to use pre-flash cancellation, and it adds a tiny bit of shutter lag

This is the only thing I regret of the sony RX100, I would like to have a faster TTL with better battery lifetime. Do you know any mitigation that fit with the Fantasea housing?

 

[Barmaglot]

This is the only thing I regret of the sony RX100, I would like to have a faster TTL with better battery lifetime. Do you know any mitigation that fit with the Fantasea housing?

If you have one of the models with a flash hot shoe (RX100 II or ZV-1), you can try fitting an LED trigger; otherwise, the pop-up flash is your only recourse. If you're shooting TTL, you're going to have a little lag regardless of whether it's pop-up flash or LED trigger, as the pre-flash is mandatory. If you're running your strobes in manual mode with pre-flash cancellation, then you can turn down flash compensation in the camera to save a little battery life.

 

[jf3193]

My very first underwater camera was the Canon G7x MkII.
Used it for 3 years and can highly recommend! Great performance for its compact size.
It goes really well with the Polycarbonate FANTASEA Housing.

Thanks! What did you upgrade to from there? I seem torn between the g7 or the rx100 series, but the canon series has a much nicer price point ( new or used both)

 

[uwlunatic]

Thanks! What did you upgrade to from there? I seem torn between the g7 or the rx100 series, but the canon series has a much nicer price point ( new or used both)

When choosing between the G7x-Series or the Sony RXxxx it really depends on what your preferences are.
I like the colour algorithm on the Canon and I think it is suited better for underwater - but again it depends on what you personally prefer.

First I upgraded to the Sony A6000, which honestly speaking for underwater photography is probably one of the best deals out there right now (Price & Performance).
But because I take a lot of videos I finally ended up with the Sony A6500. The A6500 got the same sensor as the A6000 and pretty much the same specs, but overtakes the A6000 when it comes to video-performance (build in Image stabiliser, 4k, super slow motion, just to name a few

 

[dhaas]

jf3193 and others,

I'm glad the information and opinions you're getting in this thread are helping you make a decision.

It sounds like it's down to either a fixed lens choice between the Olympus TG-6 (spectacular macro plus other features), the Canon G7X / G7X II or Sony RX100 models (I'd advise a RX100 IV / V / VA) or then making the jump to an ILC (interchangeable lens camera.)

If you jump to an ILC you'll need a first lens choice. ILCs offer additional WA lens choices then having to buy specific ports for whatever housing brand you choose.

I've read many reviews of the Olympus EPL-10 and AOI housing. It has tons of nice features including a built in flash gizmo which decreases the battery drain on the camera. In the AOI housing you can change ports or add WET optics like a fixed lens compact housing so lots of versatility. If I hadn't had success with my Canon G7X II model I'd consider one of these.

Going to a Sony AXXXX series is another ILC choice. Right now the Fantasea housings for that series are unavailable due to production and delivery from overseas but will likely ramp back up soon.

With Sony AXXXX models you'll have flash challenges although the recommendations about dialing down the TTL flash to lowest level does help from Sony shooters I know.

Lots of choices and I'd look at your budget including how much you get to go dive.

Buying more equipment leaving nothing left for travel won't produce pictures to share with friends and family

Good luck!

David Haas
Haas Photography Inc.
davidhaas4596@gmail.com