Teaching a D80 to dive - how much?

[EBH]

Hi,

I'm new to diving (about 25 logged dives as far as I remember, all done about a year ago in Thailand), and I'm now considering a trip with one of the reef conservation organizations. The only uw photography I've done is one dive with a rented canon P&S. I'm a bit more experienced in normal photography and own a D80, a 10-20 and an 18-135.

As you may now, a trip like the one I'm considering isn't exactly cheap, but I would hate to pay ****loads and then not pay the last "bit" to get started on uw, which I know I'd love. So my question is, what would you get if you were in my place? And what prices are we talking, roughly? European prices, that is... I realize It'd be cheaper to get a P&S and a housing, but I would just hate that...

Sorry for bothering you with the question you've probably had a million times, a link to a similar thread will do, just couldn't find one

Not sure if it's even possible to bring a camera while working on the reefs. If anyone knows, comments on that would be much appreciated as well!

Thanks for any help coming this way

/The student who shouldn't spend his money on hobbies

 

[AUTiger]

I'm afraid that having only 25 dives a year ago, you are more likely to damage the precious reefs that your trip organizer is trying to protect. At most, take a small point and shoot. Hauling around a D80 is a full time job and requires excellent buoyancy skills and situational awareness. Looking through the viewfinder can be quite challenging and also absorbing. You can be so busy trying to view the image that you are composing that you don't realized that you might be damaging the reef. At least with a point and shoot, you can easily see the image on the LCD so you can have better situational awareness.

One other point - shooting a dSLR has a bit of a learning curve. Do you want to spend your entire trip trying to find out how to use your camera instead of enjoying the reef? I recommend a Canon G9 compact camera in and Ikelite housing. If you buy a single strobe, you can use it with your dSLR when you move up.

I don't know about European prices, but here is the general minimal cost of a D80 setup

Camera - $800 (good point, Jack - the body is a lot cheaper, although OP already has one)
Ikelite Housing - $1200
Ikelite DS-125 strobe - $900 - two strobes is better
Sync cable - $100
Wide-angle lens - $500-1000
Diopter - $100
8" dome for wide-angle lense - $500
Macro lens - $400
Macro port - $125

That will get you started. Of course you can choose to go only wide angle or macro. Or you might pick an in-between lens like the Sigma 17-70 ($400 plus the 8" dome) which excels at neither wide angle nor macro.

To wrap it up, I recommend the G9. You'll get 90% of the photographic memories with a lot less pain and suffering. A last thought occurs to me - if you haven't been diving in a year, how often are you going to use this gear?

Good luck,
David

By the way, I shoot a D80 setup, but I used to shoot an Oly 5060 point-and-shoot.

 

[philmayer]

I haul around a D200 underwater system. Yes, I get some cool pictures, but........... it cost A LOT of money ($10k easy), and I've never met a baggage weight restriction I didn't violate.

I travel with 2 D200s, Ike housing, dome port, flat port, strobes, cords, spare batteries, 5 lenses, laptop, chargers......... plan on dragging around 40-60lbs of camera gear if you go the DSLR route.

 

[JackConnick]

I think the prices as outlined above are way high.

I don't disagree that with 25 dives a DSLR setup may be pushing your abilities. You might consider the P5100 to stay in the Nikon family. The D9 is a good camera, but in a housing it's not all that small.

D80 bodies are on sale for like $800 for instance, the 60mm macro lens is list at $399, and are readily available for around $325.

The Sea & Sea YS110 is only $550, list I sell it for $525.

Fantasea's FD80 housing is only $1066 including a standard port.

Jack

 

[Larry C]

Even if you can get everything you need to take your D80 uw for say $3500, which is pretty modest when you get down to strobes, arms, cables, etc. don't discount the P & S. Take a look at the results that some of our photogs on SB get. Gilligan is shooting an antique Oly C4000zoom. If you practice for the next ten years with your D80, you might not get pics better than his. Ed D_Man shoots an S70 and a G-9. I haven't seen many better pics than what he posts. Don't underestimate the additional skill load a camera puts on your diving. The smaller the gear, the less there is to deal with. There are plenty of fantastic photographers shooting old 5050's and other such stuff with great results. Point and Shoot cameras actually have some serious advantages underwater. One is that you have a physically smaller unit that can get into tighter spaces and under shelves and stuff. Another is that you don't have to swap lenses to change shooting modes, and wet lenses are available if you want to. A third is smaller lenses with shorter focal distances mean greater DOF from close-up. I can put my SP-350 so close to a subject that the port is literally touching it and still get focus and a full screen shot without having two feet of water between that I have to shoot through. I'm no expert on DSLR's but I was reading a formula for DOF at distance the other day that gave me a real appreciation for my little P & S.

 

[EBH]

Thanks a lot for your thoughts on this! No doubt you're right about getting a P&S at most, which is what I'll probably do.. The G9 looks like a good solution, but do you think I'd miss any of it's features if I went with the panasonic FX30 or FX07? Would you get any additional equipment other than the housing for a P&S?

 

[kidsdream]

Jack,

I do have to agree with Phil that when all said and done, $10K is a "real" number to dive a highend DSLR.

1. You are going to want 2 strobes
2. You will want different arm combos for WA angle and Macro
3. Even the lowest end focus light + mounting will run $100-200. And I can not consider the 44LED light an option - I gave mine away on ebay as it just was not bright enough.
4. A couple of WA lens + port adapters, etc.

I do agree that for someone with 25 dives a P & S is better options.

When it comes to DSLR housings there are two ways to go.

Molded resin. Both the Ike and the Fantasea housing are acceptable options but the ergonics are not close to ideal.

Of course the machine housings cost quite a bit more, but are much easier to work with. But it is the photographer, not the rig that makes the images.

FYI, I have had both types (including a Fantasea housing for a Nikon P & S).

Just my thoughts.

I think the prices as outlined above are way high.

I don't disagree that with 25 dives a DSLR setup may be pushing your abilities. You might consider the P5100 to stay in the Nikon family. The D9 is a good camera, but in a housing it's not all that small.

D80 bodies are on sale for like $800 for instance, the 60mm macro lens is list at $399, and are readily available for around $325.

The Sea & Sea YS110 is only $550, list I sell it for $525.

Fantasea's FD80 housing is only $1066 including a standard port.

Jack

 

[DivingPrincessE]

What are some good options for a point and shoot camera that will have decent quality pictures?

 

[AUTiger]

Like many people here, I'm excited about the Canon G9. Its got a hotshoe, RAW, and a decent zoom. Canon makes decent housings to start you off cheap, but you can easily upgrade to an Ikelite housing and an Ikelite strobe, with the camera controlling the strobe directly. Jack Connick can probably suggest a Fantasea housing option that will do something similar.

The camera's styling is pretty boring, but its got the features most people look for in an underwater p-n-s. It would be my first choice to back up my D80.

David

Off to Maui in 1.5 days!!!!

 

[JackConnick]

Jack,

I do have to agree with Phil that when all said and done, $10K is a "real" number to dive a highend DSLR.

1. You are going to want 2 strobes
2. You will want different arm combos for WA angle and Macro
3. Even the lowest end focus light + mounting will run $100-200. And I can not consider the 44LED light an option - I gave mine away on ebay as it just was not bright enough.
4. A couple of WA lens + port adapters, etc.

I do agree that for someone with 25 dives a P & S is better options.

I have used my FD80 setup, gotten good shots (I think, anyway) and have invested much less. As I outlined earlier in the thread, $3500-4500 is more than enough to get going with a two strobe system, including macro & W/A. Yes, you can always spend more on glass & ports, and sure, you can spend $10k or $15k very easily. But what does a good amateur shooter really need?

And you certainly can get started with a one strobe system, 60mm macro and a good GP lens like my Sigma 17-70 macro for much less, and add to it.

I find the LED44 works fine for close in and macro, after that I agree you have to have a much more major light. I thinking of devising a mount for my canister light head.

Jack Connick can probably suggest a Fantasea housing option that will do something similar.

Thanks AUTiger, but Fantasea only makes housings for Nikon CoolPix, the P5100 is our best P&S right now. I like the G9, just don't think, especially in an Ike case, that it's going to be that small a set up to swim. I sure wish others would go back to having RAW capabilities.

I do have lots of great new lighting packages for the G9 (or any P&S) in Canon's, or the Ike, or other housings. The OpticalOcean Ultimate Lighting System with the S&S YS110 does have D-TTL auto operation. $799 as below. I can set it up with whatever arms you like, or upgrade it to have an LED44 as well. You can add a FP5000 Housing for the P5100 for $200. (funny how the housings are becoming the cheapest part of systems now!)

Jack