My first foray into Underwater Digital Photography (img)

[Rooster]

Just got an Aquatica housing for my wife's Nikon CP 995. Don?t think I?ll be getting rid of my F-100 / Aquatica housing any time soon, but it does take some nice picks. I can definitely say that digital has some neat advantages. Nikon is getting very close to my (ooh I'd like to have one of those) threshold, with their new D-100 SLR. When they get to 10 mega pixels, without the truncating of the 35mm format, for under 3 grand, I?m there! I say 12 maybe 18 months. Might cut into next years trip money ;-} Any ways I think my wife and I ;-} will have some fun with this setup on our trip to Truk next month. I'm such a nice guy to buy toys like this for my wife! Here?s some of the test shots from this weekend. The last pic is of the housing/strobe set up. If anyone would like info on this set up, feel free to e-mail me.

 

[Dee]

VERY nice, Rooster! You gonna let your wife use that thing? ut:

We're leaving Saturday for Roatan and I'll be using my Oly C-4040/PT-010 for the first time. Hope my firsts are as good as yours.

Wish me luck!

 

[lakesdiver]

Originally posted by Dee
VERY nice, Rooster! You gonna let your wife use that thing? ut:

We're leaving Saturday for Roatan and I'll be using my Oly C-4040/PT-010 for the first time. Hope my firsts are as good as yours.

Wish me luck!

Yo, Dee. Have a GREAT time, and don't forget to give us a report, eh?

 

[bfinchel]

=-)

I loved your pics, Im a digital fun and plsning to go UW Photo in the nea future, I have a CP5000, and I was thinking to buy a Nokonos V for UW photo, as I think the digital cameras are difficult to use even on the surface, exposure problems, focus problems etc, etc, and so many controls to deal with, what is your experience with your Nikon, do you think buying film, its crazy after being digital for a long time???

Thanks

 

[WetDane]

Dee,
You will love yoru 4040 - that is a sweet setup. I have one friend with the 3040 and one with the 4040 and there are a couple more locals using it as well around here - I have yet to hear a bad word mutters - well, other than maybe the price of strobes...
Have a great trip.

bfinchel,
since I started shooting digital - I have paid for my camera and housing in film cost - simply because I don't develop film anymore - I get between 40 and 90 images per dive day, I ALWAYS have the camera with me...
There may still be issues that are hard to work with - but I like to think about it this way - I grew up with an old agfa folding camera, then graduated to my dads rollei's, along the road I have used just about every camara brand out there and surely there are things you want the best for - but I have found that I can get the shot I want with digital underwater...
When I upgrade (currently at 3.3 megapix) I think I will go with the Sony 5 megapix with the Vario-Sonnar lens - but that will be another couple of days and there will likely be a better one out by then...

Go shoot things,
Big T

 

[bfinchel]

The issue is that I have a Nikon Coolpix 5000 wich is 5.0 Megapixels, the shots are great, but the camera its not easy to operate , The UW housing it will be when available ( Late March, by Ikelite), arround 900.00US$, plus the strobes etc, for the price of the housing, I can purchase a Nikonos, and have a second camera withouth the risks of floods, humidity, etc. Whats your opinion???=-)

 

[WetDane]

Well, anything can flood - i have a cheaper sony camera - and the shots are ok, I would personally prefer to have a camera with more options - especially since I'm used to things that have all the tools - I primarily got this to see if I like digital for UW - and I love it. I will never go back to film for UW, but I will trade up for a better camera one of these days.
I have thoguht about the flooding issue too - and it really just seems to come down to being one anal person about taking care of your camera equipment, and even then - I bet you can get a good story out of most people about how they have flooded camera's...

Big T

 

[Rooster]

Originally posted by bfinchel
The issue is that I have a Nikon Coolpix 5000 wich is 5.0 Megapixels, the shots are great, but the camera its not easy to operate , The UW housing it will be when available ( Late March, by Ikelite), arround 900.00US$, plus the strobes etc, for the price of the housing, I can purchase a Nikonos, and have a second camera withouth the risks of floods, humidity, etc. Whats your opinion???=-)

Check out this thread on wetpixel, lots of info on CP-500 housings:Wetpixel

 

[Dee]

I just got through packing ALL my digital camera gear in one small backpack for carry-on.....that's sweet! I'm sure I'm gonna love digital. I already appreciate not having to deal with film storage and the size factor.

A note about flooding...been there, done that, got the danged T-shirt too! It's never a question of IF you'll flood a camera or strobe but WHEN will you do it!!! Just because a camera doesn't use a housing doesn't mean it can't and/or won't flood. Anything that goes in the water is floodable.

I don't get in the water with any camera gear without DEPP coverage. D.E.P.P. coverage is very affordable and covers a wide range of things...theft, damage as well as flooding. We have all our dive gear and camera equipment covered.

 

[sieger]

Rooster,

Do you have (or know anything about) the removable wide-angle lens that is apparently available for this housing?

Regards,
John