Please help with final camera decision- Have researched for 2 weeks prior to posting

[Mark Derail]

micro 4/3 = mirrorless - Basically Canon, Olympus and Panasonic have models. Sony's is mirrorless, but not really a 4/3, in that Sony isn't following the lens standards. Lenses are probably the most important factor to consider, and housing that can have an dome port or not, for room for the zoom lens.
Would allow you to take pics from further away, if you get one or two strong strobes.

For UW use, I find the less controls the better. You don't have time to think on a "standard" dive using AL72's, with perhaps only 30 minutes of bottom time that can be used for photography, especially macro, where you want to "find" your perfect subject(s).

The T3i route - the dSLR route - is that you get a an optical viewfinder and (depending on housing) manual focusing. Or at least a focus override. Lightning fast boot-time, so fast it's "instant". Faster image saving.

For example, my Nikon D90 which was built in 2008, can shoot 4 pics per second at 12MP. However, putting it UW would cost me over 2k$ just for housing and arms. The reason why I'm starting small.

One thing you can do, do the wait game. Wait until 1-2 months before you go UW, then get whatever is in stock / on sale. Most choices are good - which is why choosing now is hard.

 

[Mark Derail]

Just had fun doing an overview of the Sealife DC1400. Neuroll, for your needs and expertise level, whom am I kidding - for myself also - this camera combined with an external strobe, simple and reliable.

The "pro-duo" is a strobe and focus light using strong LED's. DC1400 Pro Duo | Sealife Cameras
Retails in the 1,000$ range.

http://stores.ebay.ca/Submerge-Camera?_trksid=p4340.l2563

His store is well laid-out, and lots of choices.

So it all boils down to compromise somewhere....usually money first. If money wasn't a problem, you'd probably go the Rebel T3i route.

Next compromise - lenses - stick to the single tiny one of a point-and-shoot, or move "up" to the superior 4/3 - mirrorless cameras, that have at least 2x better lens quality and light capability.

More expensive camera, more expensive housing, a lens that can do macro & a bit of zooming, you're already over 1,000$.

With the DC1400 - just because of the focus light (or video light) and the strobe, you'll get better pictures than any other camera without an external strobe.

I can't see a good setup with any interchangeable lens mirrorless camera costing below 2k$, it's more in the 2.5-3k$ range for the full monty.

Another reason to go with the DC1400 "pro duo" route - resell. I'm sure you could get 60-70% of the value back after using it for a couple of years.

 

[Neuroll]

Thanks Mark, I really appreciate and value those types of responses and it's the exact reason why I'm on this forum. Recently I have saved quit a bit of money so the t3i setup is within reach but the more I read about the nex5n it just seems better suited for my needs. Im a bit of an adventurer when it comes to going underwater but i want to takes pics as I cruise around. The added lenses seem frivolous to me because I will only be getting the standard kit lens, a wide angle and a macro lens. So the idea of not enough lens doesn't really hit with me. Am I wrong in thinking this way? The cost factor between the 2 is only a couple hundred dollars if I go with the nimar housing for the t3i which comes with a port for the kit lens. I'm still in love with the nex5n, I have played with it several times and just love it!

 

[Neuroll]

I've looked at the dc1400 and just worry that once I get into it I'm gonna feel like that systems lacking and I really want 1080 video.

 

[Mark Derail]

Neuroll, if you go Nex5n route, make sure the housing you get works with the "included" lens that is part zoom / part macro, the other smaller lens is seriously BO'ed.

We were two weekends ago in San Diego, so took some shots of the sunset. I tried various ISO / F-Stops / speed settings in manual, got some nice results at ISO100. Then decided to try the "scene" mode and choose the "sunset" mode, and it just blew me away.

One thing of note - I haven't found WB settings or shooting in RAW with the Sony NEX5N. That might be a serious flaw...need to check up on that.


I've decided to buy another Oly SP350 used kit, that had 2 strobes, so now my GF and I both can shoot UW. (a fellow Scuba Board member)

Having bought used, and might either resell or give to our two respective sons later when we "evolve" into something better.

Just like our diving equipment, we will eventually evolve into better gear (like Poseidon) away from our current (Beuchat).

 

[tarjan]

I think you are stressing a bit much over this decision

If you get a camera designed for underwater, fantastic. They work great, if you want a canon s1xx, great they work fantastic. Micro 4/3? Sony NEX? SLR? All really good.

The question is just what do you want to do. Personally I decided m43 was the optimal choice, it has a fairly large selection of lenses (with more coming this year) and the sales are pretty large around the world, so the format will be here for a while. I want to use my camera underwater as well as above and wanted the choices it afforded me.

The dedicated cameras are nice (and smaller) but they have some limitations I didnt want to deal with plus I want to use it above and below the water.

 

[Neuroll]

Yeah I know def over stressing the decision. I still really like the nex5n but I am tempted by the gf2 or epl3.
It's just that everything I read about the nex5n states that I shoots better quality than te others and the only down side is lenses, but I wouldn't really be getting crazy with lenses jut a kit lens and wide angle and then wet macro lens. Will the pics of these cameras be similar and is the pic/video quality that much better with Sony? I read that the epl3 video is not very good.

 

[tarjan]

So here is what you have to consider between the nex and m43 series.

nex5 (and 7) use APS-C sized sensors, just like DSLR. This is both a good and bad thing, good because they are about 2 stops faster than m4/3. This means that, everything else being equal, if the m4/3 was able to take a photo at 100 iso, 1/100 with f2.0, the nex could take the exact same photo but with one of those numbers "sped up" by two stops.

Of course everything is NOT equal. The biggest (and I mean that in multiple ways) problem is that the sony series of cameras does not have the same lens selection that m4/3 has available. In most cases this means the nex's lenses are slower than the comprable m4/3 which kind of negates the advantage. In time this will go away as more manufacturers come on the scene, hopefully.

Here is the other side of that coin, even if they DO come along, the lenses will be much much bigger in the nex series than the m4/3 series. The bigger the sensor, the bigger the glass required to achieve "Fastness". So an f2.0 lens of a particular length will ALWAYS be bigger than a comparable lens from its smaller brother system.

You need to make the decision if that is important to you.

As for the epl vs gf2 in video, yes the video is quite good in the gf2. Better in the gh2 though, and if you are looking for video that is the body you want "now". If you can wait, you might want to consider the new OM-D oly. It won't hit the streets until april and we dont know when the underwater case will be released, though it has been announced. Price is 999-1299 depending on lens kits.

Then there is the panasonic gx1... Someone will make a case for it.

No matter which system you get, the cameras are more than capable of taking GREAT photos, so don't worry. You cant make a wrong decision.

 

[Mark Derail]

So many camera nerds in this thread...obligatory XKCD :

 

[Jak Crow]

Just had fun doing an overview of the Sealife DC1400. Neuroll, for your needs and expertise level, whom am I kidding - for myself also - this camera combined with an external strobe, simple and reliable.

The "pro-duo" is a strobe and focus light using strong LED's. DC1400 Pro Duo | Sealife Cameras
Retails in the 1,000$ range.

http://stores.ebay.ca/Submerge-Camera?_trksid=p4340.l2563

His store is well laid-out, and lots of choices.

He also charges $22 for shipping on a $22 item.