Need Help Getting started with olymp c-4000 where to start?

[Abril]

I recently purchased the Olympus c-4000, shortly after I realized I can do underwater photography with it, (Very Exciting) the pics Ive seen really look good.

My question is. Can I get away with the $255 model housing to get me started? or am i going to wish I had just shelled out the money and got the better one.

Is it possible to get good pictures without an external lighting system? It all seems like soo much money to jump into.

Anyone tried this camera with nothing more than a housing unit?

My problem is I have a high interest, a key location and a very low budget!

 

[norcaldiver]

Yes, the PT-?? housing will work just fine for you. A friend of mine has the $250 housing for the 4040 and gets great pics.

Get insurance for it tho no matter what housing you get

 

[WonderSlug]

The PT-010 is a nice housing for the C-4000. Ive had mine for a little and it works pretty well. Ive taken it down to 130ft and it worked great even though its only rated for 100ft.

You dont need to use an external strobe. I have gotten some good pictures using only the internal. That being said, Im going to try to get an external before i got on my next major trip.

If you get an external strobe you need a slave/remote external strobe. Like the Sea and Sea YS90 DX. They have a fiber optic cable which fires the external strobe slaved off of the internal one and also blanks out the internal one.

Dee has some great pics of her setup (im getting there but still jealous)

All in all I think for the money the PT-010 is a great choice.

-=WonderSlug

 

[Dee]

The PT-OXOX housings are excellent! I've had my C-4040/PT-010 for almost 2 years with no problems at all. The internal flash on these digital cameras are very good. You can get some great photos without an external strobe although the strobe does improve things. I always suggest that folks use their cameras without external strobe for at least a dozen or so dives in order to learn what the camera itself can do for you.

When you're ready, the S&S YS90DX strobe is fantastic for this setup. Easy to setup and use, 12 power settings are easy to change but you don't have to change them very often...as a rule.

To see photos taken with my Oly C-4040/PT-010 setup, check out my albums at the bottom of this page.

BTW....Thanks, Slug!

 

[Gilligan]

The Oly PT-010 is the perfect housing for your camera and is inexpensive. I have been using a C2040Z in mine with the internal flash and am quite satisfied with it. I find that my best pics are in Macro mode and increasing the strength of the flash to +1 or more. All but 3 or 4 of the pics on my site are with the PT-010 and C2040Z. Those other 3 or 4 are scanned in 35 mm prints. Making some final adjustments in Photoshop only adds to the quality.
http://kayakdiver.com

 

[diverhead.com]

It's a great setup. As many others have, I have brought the PT-010 housing far past it's depth "limit". I never used the camera with only the internal flash, but I have seen macro photos that are beautiful with no external strobe. I started out with a single YS-90DX. I'm now shooting a housed DSLR, but for the money its very hard to beat an Olympus camera in an Olympus housing! Anyway, I have read there are a few differences between the 4040 and the 4000, but I'm sure your setup will rock out! =-)

 

[diverhead.com]

There are many many divers shooting Olympus C4xxx setups, but here is an example using my C4040 in a PT-010 housing and single YS-90DX strobe:

 

[saf_25]

norcaldiver once bubbled...

Get insurance for it tho no matter what housing you get

I think I know the answer for this, but as I'm just now starting to think about getting into underwater photography (been reading lots of old threads and talking to many people - I'm hoping to be ready / able to afford to purchase a camera sometime this fall), and am trying to figure out the total expense that will be necessary to get started, I want to confirm - by insurance, you mean the flood insurance as well as the regular equipment insurance, correct? I'd imagine that with a camera, the flood insurance is the important part, but just wanted to confirm that that would be what people would recommend.
Thanks!

 

[Dee]

I've been using D.E.P.P. for 7-8 years. The basic insurance against loss and theft is nice but it's the flood insurance that makes the difference. I won't take a camera in the water without it!

DEPP is just one insurance available. With it, you have to insure 2 pieces of basic gear, BC and Regs, for example, in order to insure camera gear. That's fine with me, all our dive gear is covered. I've made several claims with only a phone call and have always been perfectly satisfied with the ourcome.

Check out the link and if you have any questions, just ask!

 

[diverhead.com]

I use DAN for my camera and equipment insurance. Insuring my dive gear as well as my photo gear makes me feel a bit more comfortable while traveling afar. I have yet to file a claim (knock on wood), but have read many posts from people that have with no problem.