Second Hand Gear - my History

[Ardy]

I've just read an article on Uwp regarding keeping diving photography cheap and it got me thinking.

I am careful (or mean) with my diving rig and always buy second-hand equipment if I can and as a corollary to that, I buy SH housings or ones being sold off cheap as no longer in demand.
My first rig was a cheap Nikonos bought by a friend in 1978 as he came through Hong Kong, unfortunately, the lens had no innards. So I wrote to the HK tourist authority and low and behold a brand new lens arrived in the post. I then picked up a brand new Nikonos 2 at an auction for $40 as nobody knew what it was.

In approx. date order, My second hand housed gear was:
1983 - OM1 in Australian Sea-tite housing.
1995 - Nikon F4 in Aquatica housing.
2008 - Olympus E520 and Oly housing (new camera!!! sh housing & 50mm macro)
2014 - Olympus EM5 in Oly housing (sold all 4/3rds gear and went M4/3rds all 2nd hand)
2019 - Olympus EM5 mk2 in Oly housing (both second hand)

Looking back over this time since I went digital, I am not sure that my current rig produces better shots than I got with my E520 and 50mm macro.
So for those of you on a tight budget or just a tight arse like me. The second-hand market offers a lot for a little compared to what you can shell out. With my older stuff, I never cared if they got flooded but I had a small water intake in Bali due to fine dark sand (my first and only flood) that forced me to upgrade. I am now more concerned with my current gear as it was not that cheap as it was recently released gear.
With any luck, I will leave this setup to a younger diving buddy of mine. Who will most probably sell it for peanuts and buy a new setup!

 

[hedonist222]

My narrative is similar to yours.
I've always wanted to photograph while diving. Contrary to the common diver with camera, I am a diver who happens to have a camera and not a photographer. In the sense that when all the variables, backscatter, current, subject position, lighting, are in alignment I'll take a picture. If not, no worries. I log eventful experience in my dive log for memories.
I used an action camera (Sony FDR X-3000 / an excellent video system), but could not focus as close as I liked.
I then picked up a second hand Olympus TG-6. Fantastic considering its a point and shoot. Well done Olympus. I read somewhere they collaborated with Olympus laboratory microscopes to come up with the TG series. Very evident.

But I've always yearned to use a DSLR. A proper full frame camera with precision lenses.
I'm not in a place to absorb the cost of a more recent model plus housing - even if second hand.
I've been back and forth about using my Canon 5D mkii. I don't intend to purchase a DSLR in the next decade. The 5D mkii is still very good. In fact, the model has been revived in the form of youtube photographers singing praise. Something along the lines of how the 5D mkii is a superb purchase in 2020. But if it were to flood then I would or may not have a DSLR.
I was passively keeping an eye out for an underwater housing and Poseidon's fortune bestowed on me. Not only was the Aquatica housing reasonably priced, in good condition, and recently serviced, but the seller was in my backyard. There aren't many underwater photographers here and considering the 5D mkii is almost thirteen years old - very rare to chance upon one anywhere.

Also, thanks for reminding me of the word corollary!
I intend to use it soon.

 

[Ardy]

My narrative is similar to yours.
I've always wanted to photograph while diving. Contrary to the common diver with camera, I am a diver who happens to have a camera and not a photographer. In the sense that when all the variables, backscatter, current, subject position, lighting, are in alignment I'll take a picture. If not, no worries. I log eventful experience in my dive log for memories.
I used an action camera (Sony FDR X-3000 / an excellent video system), but could not focus as close as I liked.
I then picked up a second hand Olympus TG-6. Fantastic considering its a point and shoot. Well done Olympus. I read somewhere they collaborated with Olympus laboratory microscopes to come up with the TG series. Very evident.

But I've always yearned to use a DSLR. A proper full frame camera with precision lenses.
I'm not in a place to absorb the cost of a more recent model plus housing - even if second hand.
I've been back and forth about using my Canon 5D mkii. I don't intend to purchase a DSLR in the next decade. The 5D mkii is still very good. In fact, the model has been revived in the form of youtube photographers singing praise. Something along the lines of how the 5D mkii is a superb purchase in 2020. But if it were to flood then I would or may not have a DSLR.
I was passively keeping an eye out for an underwater housing and Poseidon's fortune bestowed on me. Not only was the Aquatica housing reasonably priced, in good condition, and recently serviced, but the seller was in my backyard. There aren't many underwater photographers here and considering the 5D mkii is almost thirteen years old - very rare to chance upon one anywhere.

Also, thanks for reminding me of the word corollary!
I intend to use it soon.

HI Hedonist,
To be honest I don't think you would be amazed at the quality of a serious full frame camera underwater, as opposed to what you can do with your TG6 particularly in macro. Most professionals are in a different league to us in terms of the time they will take on a single image and what they spend on lenses. I understand they plan what they want to take, what gear they need and go out to get that image, they are not like us swimming around and enjoying the environment and hoping to see something worth taking a photo of. Much of my diving is done (hopefully in the next 6 months) in Bali and the dive guide will not hang around if you take too long on a photo and then I get to thinking 'what am I missing', hardly professional!
My land camera was an Oly EM1 and I got all wound up about a full-frame so I bought a s/h Nikon 810 and a long zoom lens for land/bird photography. It produced images that I couldn't tell from my EM1 and weighed about double. After about 6 months of use I sold it on for the same as I bought it for.
I think the common idea that it's the person behind the camera and not the camera that holds water????

 

[tursiops]

I think the common idea that it's the person behind the camera and not the camera that holds water????

Reminds me of the story of the pro photographer who was invited to a dinner party by a lady who gushed about how wonderful his pictures were, and commented, "You must have a very good camera!"
At the end of the dinner the guests were all saying to the hostess how wonderful the food had been and the photographer commented, "You must have a very good stove!"

 

[hedonist222]

Reminds me of the story of the pro photographer who was invited to a dinner party by a lady who gushed about how wonderful his pictures were, and commented, "You must have a very good camera!"
At the end of the dinner the guests were all saying to the hostess how wonderful the food had been and the photographer commented, "You must have a very good stove!"

 

[hedonist222]

HI Hedonist,
To be honest I don't think you would be amazed at the quality of a serious full frame camera underwater, as opposed to what you can do with your TG6 particularly in macro. Most professionals are in a different league to us in terms of the time they will take on a single image and what they spend on lenses. I understand they plan what they want to take, what gear they need and go out to get that image, they are not like us swimming around and enjoying the environment and hoping to see something worth taking a photo of. Much of my diving is done (hopefully in the next 6 months) in Bali and the dive guide will not hang around if you take too long on a photo and then I get to thinking 'what am I missing', hardly professional!
My land camera was an Oly EM1 and I got all wound up about a full-frame so I bought a s/h Nikon 810 and a long zoom lens for land/bird photography. It produced images that I couldn't tell from my EM1 and weighed about double. After about 6 months of use I sold it on for the same as I bought it for.
I think the common idea that it's the person behind the camera and not the camera that holds water????

I understand your point. But in my case I solo dive and therefore can take as long as I need to get a photograph right.
Also, the tg6 is excellent but I can see its limitations compared to a full frame sensor.

It just cannot capture the resolution of a full frame (but it wasn't intended to either)

A sample photograph from the internet utilizing my camera + lens:

 

[Ardy]

I understand your point. But in my case I solo dive and therefore can take as long as I need to get a photograph right.
Also, the tg6 is excellent but I can see its limitations compared to a full frame sensor.

It just cannot capture the resolution of a full frame (but it wasn't intended to either)

A sample photograph from the internet utilizing my camera + lens:

View attachment 669123

Hedonist, I have seen better macro shots on the top article above. What pro's do is bring another viewpoint to the shot that makes it stand out it doesn't then it won't sell. See here http://seaunseen.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/macro-underwater-photography-7-swm.jpg