New to Oly

[jbichsel]

I currently have a Nikon Coolpix 5700 that is a great camera, but I'm not going to spend the money Ikelite wants for an UW housing. That said, I am very interested in the Oly digitals and their housings. So now I'm thinking of selling the 5700 (never should have bought it when it first came out, $$$) and replacing it with two Oly's, one of which (maybe both) will go diving with me.

So here is where I would like input from you experienced Oly users:

If you had to choose for UW, which would you pick?

1. SP-310 or SP-350
2. Something from the FE family
3. Stylus 600, 710, or 720SW

Thanks for any feedback.

 

[oly5050user]

I currently have a Nikon Coolpix 5700 that is a great camera, but I'm not going to spend the money Ikelite wants for an UW housing. That said, I am very interested in the Oly digitals and their housings. So now I'm thinking of selling the 5700 (never should have bought it when it first came out, $$$) and replacing it with two Oly's, one of which (maybe both) will go diving with me.

So here is where I would like input from you experienced Oly users:

If you had to choose for UW, which would you pick?

1. SP-310 or SP-350
2. Something from the FE family
3. Stylus 600, 710, or 720SW

Thanks for any feedback.

go with the sp 350..with an ikelite housing..Housing is ttl capable and ready out of the box,others are not.Much more durable also-pratically bulletproof..how much do you save when you go on a island trip and pay for airfare-food-diving-hotel and your inexpensive housing craps out on you-floods- or you find that there are tricks that you can do with an ikelite that other housings cannot do..look at my gallery;most images taken with a oly 5050 in a ike housing with a ike ds 125 strobe/inon wal

 

[f3nikon]

I currently have a Nikon Coolpix 5700 that is a great camera, but I'm not going to spend the money Ikelite wants for an UW housing. That said, I am very interested in the Oly digitals and their housings. So now I'm thinking of selling the 5700 (never should have bought it when it first came out, $$$) and replacing it with two Oly's, one of which (maybe both) will go diving with me.

So here is where I would like input from you experienced Oly users:

If you had to choose for UW, which would you pick?

1. SP-310 or SP-350
2. Something from the FE family
3. Stylus 600, 710, or 720SW

Thanks for any feedback.

Instead of taking our word for it do some research find out who is making the housing for these cameras and at what price. Look into the SP-350 threads in this forum. Which ever one you get please bring only the housing (no camera) on your first dive to test for leaks and learn the basics of general photography first. Good Luck

 

[catfish]

Don't shy away from the Olympus housings. I had one for my 4040 that I used for 4 years without any problems. I now have one for my SP-350 and I think it is quite nice. You can pick up a FL-20 flash and housing on Ebay for a song. People like to bash this flash and housing, but I find it works very well. I don't think most of the Olympus housing haters have ever owned one, they are just repeating what others have said. Nothing against Ikelite, but I don't see the need to spend a bunch more money when the Oly units work fine. Here are some pics I just took using my SP-350:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=143276

Remember that floods are 99% of the time operator error. It doesn't matter what kind of housing you own if you don't set it up properly.

 

[f3nikon]

Don't shy away from the Olympus housings. I had one for my 4040 that I used for 4 years without any problems. I now have one for my SP-350 and I think it is quite nice. You can pick up a FL-20 flash and housing on Ebay for a song. People like to bash this flash and housing, but I find it works very well. I don't think most of the Olympus housing haters have ever owned one, they are just repeating what others have said. Nothing against Ikelite, but I don't see the need to spend a bunch more money when the Oly units work fine. Here are some pics I just took using my SP-350:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=143276

Remember that floods are 99% of the time operator error. It doesn't matter what kind of housing you own if you don't set it up properly.

You got that right!!!! But in this day and age we are all victims...blame everything else but ourselves.

You have to look at the logic, Olympus designed the FL-20 flash to properly expose a picture that is 15ft or more away, don't you think one can properly expose an U/W image at 2 feet away with the same strobe? You bet! Plus you can also use the strobe on land!

 

[Larry C]

Actually, I have an SP-350 with PT-030 and the FL-20. Love the camera and housing, but I've been disappointed in the flash. In tropical water, it might diffuse enough to give good pictures using the edge of the flash, but in the dark water on the California coast I light one side of the picture. It gives me a half black and half blown out shot unless conditions are perfect. I tried to use the diffuser for macros, but it is so poorly designed that I can't keep it on between shots. The surge or just kicking from place to place dislodges it. Have to say though, that on the three dives I used it to fire my sunpak I got great exposure (till the Sunpak died-but that's another thread.) If you're able to get adequate edge lighting, the FL-20 works fine, but in challenging conditions, don't bother.

 

[jbichsel]

Thanks for the input.

For the past couple of years I have been using a Sealife Reefmaster 35mm, using its own internal flash and augmenting this with a UK Mini Q40 light. This has been my UW photo 'teething' setup.

While I have been able to get some decent photos, I and it leave much to be desired. The added cost of developing mistakes is leading me down the digital path.

Having seen the Ikelite housings and spent the last 20 years in plastic molding, forming and machining, I am hesitant to spend to spend that kind of money for their products. I'm not knocking the quality, just the price for what you get. At $424 for the cheapest price I've found for the Ikelite for the SP-350, that's way more than the camera. Just to let you know, I'm not Bill Gates.

I do understand the issues with lighting. I plan on fabricating a tray and arms to hold two (2) Mini Q40's to add more light to assist the flash. Also I think the FL-36 might be a better choice?

What about refurbished vs. new? I have purchased other types of refurb items before and been quite satisfied, but never a camera. I have found the SP-350 for $193 including shipping.

Thanks again for all the input.

 

[catfish]

I'll stand by my comments on the FL-20. It works quite well. Strobe positioning is essential, as is use of the diffuser. You can bump up the strength of the flash in the cameras menus if you need to, but I haven't found the need. The FL-20 has plenty of power. The FL-36 probably would be better, but the housing for it runs about $600. For that price there are much better options.

You can buy a brand new SP-350 online for as low as $189.00 after rebate. Why by a refurbished when a new one is this cheap?

 

[f3nikon]

but I've been disappointed in the flash. In tropical water, it might diffuse enough to give good pictures using the edge of the flash, but in the dark water on the California coast I light one side of the picture. It gives me a half black and half blown out shot unless conditions are perfect.

Can't blame the strobe on this, a wide angle larger strobe will do the same thing. Light falls off on a larger strobe just like the FL-20. The only difference is that the wide angle strobe is just that a wide angle coverage. The wide strobes can also blow out the picture as well. Light travels in a straight line on all strobes or any light source. In low vis. dark waters of Nor Cal, light balancing is the key. No black back grounds! Meter the open water for the green/blue natural color and the strobes should only enough to bring the colors back to the FRONT of the subject not the entire reef! And don't forget the basics...Shoot UPWARDS and get very CLOSE. Within 1 foot and an opened up aperture of 4.0@ 1/60th sec. no problem with the FL-20.

Forget that painting with the edge of the light to reduce backscatter method, its just a waste of power. Add a diffuser and aim straight on...with a catch and the catch is less a than one foot camera lens to subject distance.

 

[f3nikon]

Thanks for the input.

For the past couple of years I have been using a Sealife Reefmaster 35mm, using its own internal flash and augmenting this with a UK Mini Q40 light. This has been my UW photo 'teething' setup.

While I have been able to get some decent photos, I and it leave much to be desired. The added cost of developing mistakes is leading me down the digital path.

Having seen the Ikelite housings and spent the last 20 years in plastic molding, forming and machining, I am hesitant to spend to spend that kind of money for their products. I'm not knocking the quality, just the price for what you get. At $424 for the cheapest price I've found for the Ikelite for the SP-350, that's way more than the camera. Just to let you know, I'm not Bill Gates.

I do understand the issues with lighting. I plan on fabricating a tray and arms to hold two (2) Mini Q40's to add more light to assist the flash. Also I think the FL-36 might be a better choice?

What about refurbished vs. new? I have purchased other types of refurb items before and been quite satisfied, but never a camera. I have found the SP-350 for $193 including shipping.

Thanks again for all the input.

Check with ebay for some Ikelite MS, MV substrobes or the larger Ai 100 watt strobe from about $50 to $100. You are in the right path...more small strobes (3 or more) isbetter than one large strobe.