Starter film camera

[Mitten Diver]

Hey all,

Looking for a good starter film camera for underwater photos. My son and I dive fresh water here in Michigan. I am looking at the ReefMaster Pro by Sealife. I don't know how much photography I will be doing, but I am pretty sure that I am not ready to go digital.

Mitten Diver

 

[Diver Lori]

I started out with an Ikelite Aquashot. After several disposable cameras later, I lost it on a flight from BC to home. I never got a decent picture.....only marginal snapshots.

Earlier this year I decided I wanted to try again.....enough time had passed since owning the Aquashot that I thought I was ready. I signed up for Nikon School and loved it.

Now I'm the proud owner of a second hand Nikonos V with several lenses, strobes and framers. Wouldn't go digital if you paid me.....well maybe, if you paid me each time the current digital went obsolete........

 

[Padipro]

I picked up an old Aquashot 2 off Ebay for about $20 only to find out that you could no longer get the disposable cameras for it. I thought I was out the $20 when I looked around on Ikelites web site and found that they had a trade in upgrade to the Aquashot 3e. This housing uses either the newest gen disposables or the Fuji Endeavor 10 APS camera. The up grade was $40 and I picked up the Endeavor camera off Ebay for another $20. So for a total of about $80 I got a brand new, easy to use, housing and an automatic 35mm ASP camera that should have cost me over $150.

It takes good pictures but you have to watch out for the back scatter since the flash is so close to the lens. You can get an optional strobe for it that might help the problem though. I'm no professional at taking pictures but I've had a few decent shots form this set up, and it was cheap.

Scott

 

[cdiver2]

at the Nikonos V you can get them quiet cheap on E Bay and build up to what ever level you want with other equipment ie strobe's etc, all on E bay.
With a little work you can get exelecent pics. I just did a slide show for my lds, went over very well.

 

[Gilligan]

I'll chime in here with my two cents worth on your question by trying to talk you out of a low end or starter underwater film camera as a newbie underwater photographer as I have "been there, done that"
Here are 10 reasons to go digital:
1. No film costs or processing fees.
2. No cost for numerous wasted rolls of film and processing while learning to photograph underwater.
3. See the results immediately underwater so as to take another photo if necessary.
4. Obtain prints commercially, or at home, at low cost.
5. Ability to take more than 36 photos (roll of film) on a single dive.
6. Ease of touching up photos to your liking with a computer software program.
7. Ease of putting the photos on the internet or e mail.
8. Good quality cameras and housings are low in price.
9. Spending money on "starter" low end/low quality film cameras results in the same picture results and is money wasted.
10. Not having to find a processing lab that can properly develop underwater photos.

 

[emeyer36]

I have to say I think Gilligan just posted the best thought out list of reasons to go digital I have ever seen. I know those were all in my head when I decided to go digital. I am not sure that I could have expressed it that well.

 

[Diver Lori]

I sure hope you gentlemen aren't referring to a Nikonos V as a low-end starter film camera. Say it ain't so!!

Mitten Diver, just to clarify....the Nikonos V and all it's lens, strobes, etc are in no way "low-end" equipment.

 

[Gilligan]

No insult intended Diver Lori.
The Nikonos V is by no means a low end camera.
On the contrary, I think a beginner should learn underwater photography on a digital camera to master using F stops, shutter speeds, strobe settings, etc.
After that, if they really want a film camera, get a good camera like the Nikonos V or some other model.

 

[Seadiver5]

I have to agree with the Digital options for $ savings on a beginner basis. While I don't personally use a digital camera the initial cost of a digital camera with housing is relatively inexpensive when compared to the cost of a low end camera and film and processing.

Digital cameras could be used without supplementary lights/strobes but the colors are no where near as good.

You can be into a digital setup for under $500.00 if you look around and or buy used.

I personally still use the Nikonos V system and while I feel that my photos are superior to most digital cameras (I know how to use it and it took years to get there) the cost of the film I shoot with processing on any given 7 day dive trip exceeds $500.00

One of the best things about the digital revoloution is that due to the ease of using digital cameras and the "better initial results" the excitement for underwater photography doesent wane like it does in so many cases with people who try Film first.

Kevin Parkhurst
IDEA Instructor 3402

 

[rad21]

Gilligan is 100% on target. After 5 years of using a Sea and Sea MX10 with all the accessories, I just purchased an Oly 5050 and a Oly housing for all the reasons Gilligan stated. Sure, I took many good photos and displayed them on my wall but how about the 100's of photos I threw away? How about all the dives where I ran out of film because I shot 36 pictures before the eagle ray/shark/turtle showed up in my face? How about the roll of film that did not completely rewind into the cannister when I removed it from my MX-10? Well, I shot that roll twice (double exposed) and lost 72 photos.... 'Nuff said, when my 5050/Pt015 arrives, the MX-10 rig is going up for sale....