Need advice for upgrading housing or camera from G16

[rachgcleve]

I'm looking to upgrade my underwater system. Currently I shoot a Canon G16 in a fantasia housing. I have LOVED my G16, but I feel like it is a little slower than I like now. And most importantly, my housing is having to have some moisture issues. Before you ask... I use a Canon 7D mark ii on land, but do not want to take it diving due to costs, travel weight, and sheer bulkiness underwater. So here's what I'm looking at:

A new housing for my G16 to accept better wet lenses, though if I'm spending that kind of money, why not upgrade cameras? It seems that my option here is an Ikelite housing, and I keep getting mixed reviews about Ikelite in general. People seem to either love them or hate them...

I could keep with compact and upgrade in the autofocus and video realm (I have not shot much video in the past) with something like the Sony rx100 v/iv or the Canon g7xii. I have always been a loyal Canon fan and know the interface well, but Sony seems to be the better camera here. I'm wondering if I am just going to be making another (slightly better and expensive) lateral move. And if that move would be worth it. Really, I would be purchasing a new camera and housing to accommodate better glass.

Or do I make a bigger upgrade to mirrorless like the Olympus om-d e-m5 mark ii or something comparable. I really like the idea of interchangeable lenses, and one of the reasons I even looked at putting my dslr in a housing, but I'm curious how the learning curve is that comes with multiple lenses and dome ports. And what housing to I put this investment in? I am also afraid of giving up my flexibility of wide or macro changes underwater, but wondering if the image quality is really worth it and will make up for lack of quick change options.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Or has made any of these upgrades themselves? Or has even stepped down from dslr or mirrorless to point and shoot? Looking for the smartest investment here...

 

[Chris Ross]

I think if you're buying a better housing you might as well upgrade the camera as well. For me the sweet spot if micro43. The quality out of the 1" sensor cameras is pretty good, but the micro43 gathers twice the light. Once you step from m43 to even APS-C the price takes a big jump for the housings, lenses and you even need bigger domes. You can try to do all in one options (like the 14-42 in flat port) with m43 but the quality isn't really there unless you spend big $$ doing something like the Nauticam WWL and you might as well just use a 1" sensor compact. To get the benefit you really need to go to a proper wide angle or macro setup or the WWL route. micro43 really does have a great selection of lenses available - what sort of diving do you generally do - tropical waters? - temperate waters?

As far as housings go I would spend the $$ for a Nauticam very well made housings and ergonomics are great, for an EM-5 MkII the Ikelte is $1049 and the Nauticam $1450. At those prices I'd definitely go Nauticam. You could go with the olympus housing though the EM-5 II uses the Pen port system which restricts the range of lenses you can use. I used the EM-5 MkII for a few years before recently upgrading to the EM-1 MkII, both great little cameras.

 

[mi000ke]

I am in almost the same situation. I've been shooting with an old Canon S120 and Canon housing, and plan to upgrade, but did not want to invest in outfitting my 7D or 5D, which I use for land photography. I finally decided on the Olympus EM-5 II, but then read the many rumors that a version III was due soon. So, I've been waiting either to get the III, or to wait for the price to drop significantly for the II when the III comes out. Either way, I'm convinced that the EM-5 would be a great upgrade.

 

[chris kippax]

From my personal experience If you use the 7d2 on land you will never be happy with anything but, the 7D2 has excellent autofocus and zero shutter lag. I used a G12 for years and an SLR topside, everything I loved in the SLR frustrated me about the G12. The difference between a fully kitted SLR and a fully kitted m4/3 is probably not massive in bulk & weight. The cost of a new camera might put you half way to a used Nauticam housing. Make sure you get a vacuum valve/sensor, they are priceless.

 

[rachgcleve]

You can try to do all in one options (like the 14-42 in flat port) with m43 but the quality isn't really there unless you spend big $$ doing something like the Nauticam WWL and you might as well just use a 1" sensor compact. To get the benefit you really need to go to a proper wide angle or macro setup or the WWL route. micro43 really does have a great selection of lenses available - what sort of diving do you generally do - tropical waters? - temperate waters?

I would definitely look at a 10-17mm and a 60mm for a m43. And as far as my concern with losing my flexibility underwater with switching from macro to wide angle like I do know, it looks like I would still be needing to change ports between dives to focus on one or the other to truly get the the benefit of these new compacts since the zoom range is so large. I'm a tropical diver. Caribbean mostly, Florida occasionally.

Is the EM-1 MkII a significant upgrade from the EM-5? Was eyeing that one too...

 

[rachgcleve]

The cost of a new camera might put you half way to a used Nauticam housing.

That is a really good point. Thanks.

 

[Chris Ross]

The micro43 stuff is quite compact, especially as you don't need as big a dome as larger sensors. Then there's the price difference in housings a EM-5 II housing is $1450 in Nauticam and $3400 for a 7D II. If you went Ikelite they are closer in price though. You could buy the camera, lens and probably a port with the difference. The EM-1 MkII has better AF and longer battery life among other features I thought it was worthwhile, but price is a bit higher. I use it in C-AF plus tracking and find it works quite well. Here's my EM-1 MkII rig packed in a Think Tank streetwalker HD backpack with Zen 170mm port, Zen 100mm fisheye port,Macro 65 port, two INON Z-240 and 12-40, 7-14, 60mm macro and 8mm fisheye lenses and spare batteries etc.: The pack is carry on legal size and will fit overhead on many jets and under the seat in front on anything flying.

 

[Hoag]

@R.G.C. what about going with something like the Sony A6000 and a Fantasea housing? They are on sale now at Mozaik for $1499(US). This will give you an APS-C sized sensor in a camera with a multitude of lens options and a housing that as you grow, has ports for the popular lenses. The 16-50mm kit lens is relatively versatile and is actually pretty good optically. (Yes, it is a kit lens and it is not perfect, but it is good.)

I use an A6000 (in a Nauticam housing) and here are a couple shots I took with it and the kit lens:

This is what you will get at the 50mm end of the zoom if you want to show macro.

This is what you will get at the 16mm end of the zoom for wide angle.

Only you will know if this is the right answer for you, but it may be a viable option. If you want In Body Image Stabilization (IBIS), then there is a similar package for the A6500 but it is significantly more expensive.

 

[Barmaglot]

FWIW, I'm very happy with my Sony A6300 in a SeaFrogs Salted Line housing, shooting it with a 10-18mm wide-angle lens in an 8" dome and a 90mm macro in a flat port. The SeaFrogs housing costs a fraction of what Nauticam or Fantasea does while providing almost the same set of capabilities.