This is the first in a series as I move my above water passion for digital imaging to below the surface.
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About Me
As many of you know, I've been shooting for the better part of 30 years. By shooting, I don't mean I have a camera and shoot a couple of rolls at Holidays and outings. I mean I'm the geek with the camera. Hundreds and hundreds of shots every week - sometimes thousands. I shoot a lot.
I got my first digital camera in the summer of 1998, and have been shooting digital exclusively since then - and exclusively the Olympus line since 1999. I'm very familiar with the Olympus C-line. Started with the C-2000 in 1999, and have been upgrading ever since - within the line with about each model succession. I've been shooting external flash (FL40) mounted on a Stroboframe bracket since about 2001, simply affixing the cam du 'jour to it.
This summer, I sold my C4040 and moved to an Oly e20, and all of the lenses and hoopla that goes with that unit. Shot thousands of images over the summer and winter. Loved the DSLR system. It was like returning home to a warm place (you know, actually holding a camera like a camera again and composing a shot through a viewfinder and not on an LCD screen!!) I'm going to miss it.
The Change In Me
But I realized that my imaging has changed, and my subjects and motivations are changing. I used to just go and shoot. Shoot and shoot and shoot. For the love of it. For the experience, and for the knowledge. But in going through my drives a few months ago, I realized that shooting is no longer the motivation for an event...no longer the reason for the event. I'll bring the rig on vacation. I'll bring it to a family outing. I'll bring it on a road trip. But I bring the rig to capture the event and the memories, I no longer plan the event for a shoot. Its hard to explain, but as I went through my portfolio and my drives, I could see this change. Shooting was no longer the thing, the thing was now the thing.
This is important to know - because this drove me to take the plunge. Diving has assumed a much larger role in my life over the last year and a half. Its the endeavor which receives the greatest amount of my free (and sometimes, not so free) time. And in looking back over the last 18 months, I realize that all I can do is tell stories. I have no photos of the wonderful things I've seen. I've always communicated in great part with my photos - they're the gifts to my family and loved ones... but with Ken the diver, there is this gaping hole in the photo story... there is simply no photo trail of Ken the diver. Its sad.
I've also put this off because I wanted to become more confident and competent with my watermanship before adding another "thing" to my diving. So I've been a little afraid to take this step, leave the familiar (shooting top side) and start again as a newbie photographer.
I've been wanting to make this move for awhile. Not being one to possess two complete outfits (land and sea), and after getting out of denial that the L&M housing for my e20 was never going to be within reach (best price: $1500...not inclusing the ports, lenses or any lighting), I recently sold my entire e20 rig (Cam, lenses, filters, bag - keeping my batts, cards, beloved FL40 and Stroboframe, of course) and am "downgrading" from the DSLR back to a C-series P&S UW rig.
Equipment Config
The rig is the C5050. Bang for the current buck (you know me.... Johnny eBay) its the best thing going - and as I've only been out of the C-series for one model change (after being in the series for close to 5 years) my learning curve will be essentially nil. Got a great deal, its in route and should be here Thursday 1/29.
Housing is the PT-015. I briefly owned a PT-12 for my then-current C-series a couple of years ago, but never did get it wet - so I rolled it. The Olympus PCU-01 Close Up lens came as a package with the housing (Another eBay unreal deal.) Housing is in hands. Its different (button wise) than the PT-12. I like it - but can't imagine using it with cold-water (5mm) gloves without a handle and tray. Seems like its designed for bare hands... we'll see. I may end up moving to another housing if this doesn't knock me out.
The Fisheye tray and handle, UltraLight arms, and D180 strobe are all in transit and will be here soon. I looked at all the trays and handles out there, and I really like the design of the Fisheye. It feels good in my hands and I'm very comfortable with it. I'm a huge fan of external flash above water, so an external flash is a must for me underwater, too. And of all the strobes I read about and saw, I really like the interface of the Inon - especially with the C5050... its just a natural. The triggering is really nice. For now, I'll be just using the one strobe. I need to fill a few cards to get a feel for things before I consider a second one. And I'm not sure about the W/A yet... but as a W/A lens has always been in my bag for every camera I've ever owned, I'm confident I'll get one before too long.
What's Next
As the stuff rolls in, I'll be sharing my thoughts, my experiences, my foibles and questions with you nice people. I have a 2 day trip planned on 2/7 - 2/8... and I really hope to get in the water with the thing before the trip, but it looks like I'll be away on business the week leading up to the trip - so the first time I'll get to use it isn't the calm serene of a dive park but in the real ocean....
So this is part one - the stuff is on order and rolling in. I'll post again when the cam gets here this week.
This is scary. This is going to be fun.
K
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About Me
As many of you know, I've been shooting for the better part of 30 years. By shooting, I don't mean I have a camera and shoot a couple of rolls at Holidays and outings. I mean I'm the geek with the camera. Hundreds and hundreds of shots every week - sometimes thousands. I shoot a lot.
I got my first digital camera in the summer of 1998, and have been shooting digital exclusively since then - and exclusively the Olympus line since 1999. I'm very familiar with the Olympus C-line. Started with the C-2000 in 1999, and have been upgrading ever since - within the line with about each model succession. I've been shooting external flash (FL40) mounted on a Stroboframe bracket since about 2001, simply affixing the cam du 'jour to it.
This summer, I sold my C4040 and moved to an Oly e20, and all of the lenses and hoopla that goes with that unit. Shot thousands of images over the summer and winter. Loved the DSLR system. It was like returning home to a warm place (you know, actually holding a camera like a camera again and composing a shot through a viewfinder and not on an LCD screen!!) I'm going to miss it.
The Change In Me
But I realized that my imaging has changed, and my subjects and motivations are changing. I used to just go and shoot. Shoot and shoot and shoot. For the love of it. For the experience, and for the knowledge. But in going through my drives a few months ago, I realized that shooting is no longer the motivation for an event...no longer the reason for the event. I'll bring the rig on vacation. I'll bring it to a family outing. I'll bring it on a road trip. But I bring the rig to capture the event and the memories, I no longer plan the event for a shoot. Its hard to explain, but as I went through my portfolio and my drives, I could see this change. Shooting was no longer the thing, the thing was now the thing.
This is important to know - because this drove me to take the plunge. Diving has assumed a much larger role in my life over the last year and a half. Its the endeavor which receives the greatest amount of my free (and sometimes, not so free) time. And in looking back over the last 18 months, I realize that all I can do is tell stories. I have no photos of the wonderful things I've seen. I've always communicated in great part with my photos - they're the gifts to my family and loved ones... but with Ken the diver, there is this gaping hole in the photo story... there is simply no photo trail of Ken the diver. Its sad.
I've also put this off because I wanted to become more confident and competent with my watermanship before adding another "thing" to my diving. So I've been a little afraid to take this step, leave the familiar (shooting top side) and start again as a newbie photographer.
I've been wanting to make this move for awhile. Not being one to possess two complete outfits (land and sea), and after getting out of denial that the L&M housing for my e20 was never going to be within reach (best price: $1500...not inclusing the ports, lenses or any lighting), I recently sold my entire e20 rig (Cam, lenses, filters, bag - keeping my batts, cards, beloved FL40 and Stroboframe, of course) and am "downgrading" from the DSLR back to a C-series P&S UW rig.
Equipment Config
The rig is the C5050. Bang for the current buck (you know me.... Johnny eBay) its the best thing going - and as I've only been out of the C-series for one model change (after being in the series for close to 5 years) my learning curve will be essentially nil. Got a great deal, its in route and should be here Thursday 1/29.
Housing is the PT-015. I briefly owned a PT-12 for my then-current C-series a couple of years ago, but never did get it wet - so I rolled it. The Olympus PCU-01 Close Up lens came as a package with the housing (Another eBay unreal deal.) Housing is in hands. Its different (button wise) than the PT-12. I like it - but can't imagine using it with cold-water (5mm) gloves without a handle and tray. Seems like its designed for bare hands... we'll see. I may end up moving to another housing if this doesn't knock me out.
The Fisheye tray and handle, UltraLight arms, and D180 strobe are all in transit and will be here soon. I looked at all the trays and handles out there, and I really like the design of the Fisheye. It feels good in my hands and I'm very comfortable with it. I'm a huge fan of external flash above water, so an external flash is a must for me underwater, too. And of all the strobes I read about and saw, I really like the interface of the Inon - especially with the C5050... its just a natural. The triggering is really nice. For now, I'll be just using the one strobe. I need to fill a few cards to get a feel for things before I consider a second one. And I'm not sure about the W/A yet... but as a W/A lens has always been in my bag for every camera I've ever owned, I'm confident I'll get one before too long.
What's Next
As the stuff rolls in, I'll be sharing my thoughts, my experiences, my foibles and questions with you nice people. I have a 2 day trip planned on 2/7 - 2/8... and I really hope to get in the water with the thing before the trip, but it looks like I'll be away on business the week leading up to the trip - so the first time I'll get to use it isn't the calm serene of a dive park but in the real ocean....
So this is part one - the stuff is on order and rolling in. I'll post again when the cam gets here this week.
This is scary. This is going to be fun.
K
Its Hockey season. I'm gonna go shoot some fishies.
