Looking to jump into a DSLR

[shoturtle]

Diving more compact is nice, and adding a 2 strobe setup to the G10 will yield some nice results I would imagine.

But I if you were to go with a dslr topside. I would start with a 7D over a 5DMKII, it will let you invest more of your 3k budget on higher grade lenses. Which will have a great effect on your photos. And will give you very nice results in low light and way higher image quality then the G10. Also if you like taking action shots the 7fps burst rate does a very nice job. Just know the LBA lens buying addiction if very infectious. Especially if you developed the L strain of it. Canon L series lenses are great, but very expensive.

 

[Banon]

Andy84, my intention wasn't to persuade you one way or another, just add some things to consider that I rarely see people talk about when moving to DSLR. The topic usually focuses entirely on camera performance, and clearly DSLRs are king in that area. As Larry says, you'll likely be happy whichever route you take, just maybe for different reasons, and with different offsetting frustrations.

Larry, I've got an Olympus SP-350 as well. Actually, I got it based on reading some of your great posts from years back and looking at your pics. I really enjoyed using it, but now that we have the Canon's it doesn't get taken out anymore. Upgrading to the G9 was a significant improvement. Where the SP-350 was slow to focus and slow shot-to-shot, the G9 is "reasonably" fast to focus in decent light and as fast as the strobes on recycle, which is good enough for me underwater. The G11 has slightly better performance than the G9, and a few additional features that are nice.

 

[Onewolf]

Thank you all for the excellent advice here. Much more to think about that I had originally anticipated. I think I'll have to keep the DSLR out of the water for now and make sure I acquire some nice lenses. I never took into consideration how quickly the amount of gear would stack up and become an issue in the airports. Maybe diving with the big rigs isn't for me just yet. I could save the money and try to add a few more trips this winter. I don't think I could handle losing all of that gear if I sprang a leak mid dive. The G10 is small and I can easily maneuver around without causing damage. I overlooked the advantage of maneuverability. I think a nice set of strobes for the G10 will keep me happy for a while longer. Thanks again!

I deliberated (extensively)on the P/S vs DSLR last year. I decided to stick with a P/S (G10/FIX housing) mainly for travel reasons as my wife has a basically identical G10/FIX system and we can fit both into a single carry-on bag.

I shoot a Canon 50D APS-C body above water. Even though I have about 10 very nice ('L') Canon SLR lenses I don't have the lenses I would want to shoot UW. Namely the EF-S 60mm macro, the EF 100mm macro, and the Tokina 10-17.

If I was to jump to a UW DSLR _right now_ (and I'm tempted), it would be a Canon T2i (550d) in the new Nauticam housing. I don't see compelling enough reason to opt for the 7D or 5D over the T2i. With your camera body/lens budget, you could purchase a t2i ($800), ef-s 60mm macro ($390), ef 100mm f2.8 (non IS) macro ($520), tokina 10-17 FE ($580), and have enough left over for a 2nd T2i body for backup.

 

[shoturtle]

The 550D uses the pretty much the same sensor at the 7D in stead of 2 bus it only has one. The 550D IQ is pretty identical to the 7D. So if you are not looking for the machine burst rate for shooting action. The 550D is a very good camera to shoot topside. And its saves allot of weigh over the 7D. You just do not has a water resistance body. And couple of other nicety that the 7D has.

 

[peterbj7]

Some very good points here. My friend with the D700s travels with three bodies, two housings, various different ports and lenses. Everything is shipped in large Pelican-style cases, which these days cost a fortune to fly. But he is a professional and everything is paid for him. If he were travelling for fun he's told me he'd use a good compact, such as my G10.

At my dive center I entertained a group of professional videographer deep divers a while back. There were four of them, and their camera equipment alone was more than could be carried on a Cessna Caravan.

And finally, once you move to DSLRs underwater, you are constantly writing blank cheques. My pro friend above has approaching $100k of gear. Utterly beyond the realm of an amateur. And remember, any housing can flood, and given enough dives will.