Inflexibility of DSLR vs compact: split from 20D lenses

[victor]

Alcina
Please elaborate on the inflexibility issue between DSLR and olympus c-5050.
Of the C-5050 and equivelent cameras which would you recommend?
I am worried that any investment I make will be become out of date very quickly, digital cameras change so quickly.
Also don't want to lug to much camera gear on flights.
Thanks for any advice.
p.s. Pictures on web site are fantastic.

 

[alcina]

Thanks!

There is WAY more stuff to carry around with a dslr and everything is bigger. Just the dome port for my dslr is twice the size of the Oly!

With a dslr, more or less, you choose what you will shoot before you get in the water. This has benefits and disadvantages. The upside to compact digitals is that you can add wet mate lenses and shoot that 1/2" nudibranch and that giant loggerhead turtle all on the same dive

I wouldn't worry about your camera going out of date. Just accept that tomorrow something new will come along. I still use and love my Oly 5050. If I had to buy a compact digital right now I'd search for one of these.

I would also consider the newer Canon models, the new Olympus models and the Fuiji 900. Every camera will have ups and downs. The trick is to learn the camera and use it to the best of your ability; minimize the negatives and maximise the positives.

There are many threads about various cameras and what people think of them currently here in the UW Photo area. Have a look around, think about the type of shooting you will do, consider your budget, decide which features are super important to you and which you can compromise on.

I don't think there are many bad choices out there when you stick with the major players.

HTH.

 

[alcina]

Alcina
Also don't want to lug to much camera gear on flights.
.

Oh, and don't tell, but I am seriously considering only bringing the Oly along to Cozumel this northern summer

 

[victor]

Alcina
Just read you’re "thinking of adding a dslr” make very interesting reading. In the future I hope to live beside my own house reef where I can dive to my hearts content. However that is still a couple of years away.
I think I will stick with a compact for now, cost, size, and flexibility being the overriding factors.
However this has not reduced the overwhelming number of options to choose from.
My experience is Nikon, manual focus, for surface use and Nikonos V for diving.

So some more questions for all who read this far
I notice you do not mention an external strobe for the Oly? Do you normally use one or just rely on the internal?
What external lenses would you recommend? I like shooting macro but found the nikonos frustrating when that turtle turned up and I have a macro setup.
Any good ideas on how to protect extra lenses, BCD do get bashed about; there must be a good way to store them safely?
What replaced the oly C-5050?
Any equivalent recommendations e.g. Oly, Nikon, Cannon?

I need to go some where warm this summer and get wet. Photography will be a bonus.

Thanks for any help / sugestions

 

[Warren_L]

Victor, with the Oly system you can certainly add on a strobe or two, which will definitely give you a wider range of ability when shooting non-macro or up close shots. There is still lots you can do with just the internal strobe, but when shooting with any sort of distance (more than a few feet), strobes can be very advantageous. There are numerous choices in available strobes, but I use a set of INON strobes with my C5050. The ones I have are now discontinued (don't know off hand which ones are current), but the INON strobes remain a popular choice.

As for add on lenses, you are looking at wetmate lenses which you can get in either wide angle or macro flavours. What I have use are both INON wide angle (UWL-100) and INON macro (UCL-165). The macro lens you can stack multiple lenses if you wish. To transport these, I have a lens dock on top of my tray which I can store either the WAL or macro lens, which seems to work great.

Lots of options out there, just got to look around a bit to see what you like.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Don't forget, just because your digital camera isn't the newest model, or its been discontinued, doesn't mean its going to quit operating or quit taking fantastic pictures in the right persons hands

 

[Gilligan]

I use an Oly setup but an older C4000Z. I also have a wide angle and macro lens for it. I love the flexibility of being able to use the different lenses while underwater.

The safest way to store those lenses underwater is with a lens dock, especially the wide angle one as it is very heavy and should have a leash on it. If you drop that lens while handling it you will lose it as it sinks like a rock.

You will need a tray/arm setup that will accomodate a strobe and your lenses. You can buy a ready made one or build one to suit your needs as I did.

DSLR will produce far better quality photos but one of the trade off's is the ability to change lenses underwater.

They are all outdated in a month or so but you can't let that influence your decision.

 

[SFLDiver]

Good call on the leash .... don't currently have one on mine,
but my brain is humming on ways to rig a small bungee cord onto it.

Any homemade leash tips ?

 

[RonFrank]

If you don't want to lug camera gear on flights, find a new hobby Even the smaller digital camera's end up requiring one to lug a bunch of STUFF. Camera, battery charger, batteries, housing, cables, laptop or some way to move the files off a the media, strobes, sync cords, controllers, trey, additional lenses, media.... the list goes on.

For me I'm kinda looking forward to the DSLR even if it's bigger because I carry my DSLR anyway

You''ve got good advice on the trade-off's of DSLR vs. PnS.

I think what needs to drive your decision other than all that stuff one must carry around are your goals with the photography? If your goal is to put some web photo's up, and an occasional 8x10 print, then the PnS route maybe a good idea. If you aspire to get published, sell prints, make enlargements beyond 8x10 than the DSLR is the road to take.

As for worrying about technology outdating gear, DSLR's and PnS's are now at a point where they are good enough to get a decade of service (in the case of the well built DSLR) or more. I've had my D1x for three years. Is there better technology out there.. sure... does it continue to take excellent photo's.. absolutely. I'm getting a D200 in the near future, and the D1x will be my backup. Just because something new comes along does NOT mean that what you were using becomes somehow less usable.

I would however avoid the 5050 for one reason alone, and that is because it's been discontinued for long enough that it could become difficult to replace, and even repair parts may become hard to find, and expensive. I suppose if you can pick on up cheap with a housing then go for it. But if not, consider the newer models. They have better focus systems, more mpix, better noise filters, and if you flood one, you can get a replacement easily.

Unfortunately manufactures are eliminating RAW in most PnS camera's which IMO is a big mistake....I mean the photo is shot in RAW, so it's available, why not make it available to the user. RAW is one of my deal breakers for UW shooting especially. Color correcting UW RAW files is a painless quick process, and that is much less true with JPG's from my experience.

 

[Monkey Knife-fight]

I think what needs to drive your decision other than all that stuff one must carry around are your goals with the photography? If your goal is to put some web photo's up, and an occasional 8x10 print, then the PnS route maybe a good idea. If you aspire to get published, sell prints, make enlargements beyond 8x10 than the DSLR is the road to take.

I dunno i made a 20x30 print from my Fuji 810. Looks pretty good. You might be right with selling prints i have no idea on that but modern P&S cameras have enough megapixels and nice enough sensors to make large prints that looks nice. YMMV

Chris