The future of SLR cameras in dive photography?
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DigitalNomad75
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I agree personally i think SLR's will hang around for a good while. Where can one pick up Subal housings for a good Nikon D3s
DigitalNomad75
Registered
DSLRs are I think, going to be a niche product going forward. Let’s talk about the practical realities of owning one for Scuba as a hobby.
To give my example - I have an OMD mirrorless camera and a set 3 lenses that have been lying in the cupboard (a waste of $1500 better spent of Scuba gear) since more than 8 years now because for International trips my carry-on is filled with 4kgs of electronics (all scuba related - 18650 lithium batteries, dive computers, chargers, power banks, 2 action cam and accessories etc etc). Combined with a fully packed scuba gear check-in suitcase that weighs exactly 20kg after careful planning and load distribution, I just don’t see a point in lugging a 3rd carry-on which would be a camera case, apart from my laptop/tablet sling bag. Or… paying another $50-100 per ticket over and above the extra $100 I am already paying for ferrying my Scuba gear - for excess baggage over and above my 2-piece check-in bags weighing 28kgs or more. And so - given that 3 carry-ons are not allowed universally, I will have to check-in my camera using those special pelican hard case luggage boxes with foam inserts (add $200, maybe $300 for DSLR sized boxes and lenses), which means a $500 ticket will cost me $650-700 typically - and that’s after ignoring domestic flights in the destination country. And then while a typical DSLR body only costs above $1200, the UW housings are all upwards of $2500! (That’s bare minimum cost ignoring lenses and dome ports for now)…
Totally doesn’t make sense for most middle-income people from any part of the world and certainly not for people living in non-affluent countries… For those of us for whom photography is not a livelihood or side-gig with income, cellphones and action cams are a very acceptable compromise. All done one typically has to pay less than $500 for the cam + $60 for a UW housing add a few dollars more for extra batteries and one is all set! Money better spent of diving, gear or flight tickets… What I mean is that people in non-affluent countries will still continue to buy expensive camera gear costing up to $3000 or more for bird and animal photography etc, but post the fact that you discover in you a diving addiction, and given that Scuba is an expensive hobby that requires extensive foreign travel, it is unlikely that a regular middle-income person (i.e the vast majority in the market) is going to splurge on DSLR rigs for diving going forward, given that the current levels of action cam IQ and performance is pretty decent and favourable.
As for me - I am happy to have a “point and shoot” action cam on my dives that lets me just focus a bit more on enjoying my dives rather than fiddle with intricate gadgetry all the time. With a bit of post-processing and editing effort, I am quite pleased with the results from any camera with a sensor larger that 1/2.3. To my eyes the newer action cams with 1/1.3 sensor sizes give acceptable output although even better are the 1” sensor small mirrorless cameras but with added cost.
Moreover I have always felt comfortably smug on Liveaboards while lounging that extra half an hour on the sofa with a coffee mug in hand while I watch the big-camera folks anxiously go over the vacuum tests on their large camera rigs, fussing and fretting over their gear and o-rings some half an hour before the next dive starts… not for me, No Thanks!
To give my example - I have an OMD mirrorless camera and a set 3 lenses that have been lying in the cupboard (a waste of $1500 better spent of Scuba gear) since more than 8 years now because for International trips my carry-on is filled with 4kgs of electronics (all scuba related - 18650 lithium batteries, dive computers, chargers, power banks, 2 action cam and accessories etc etc). Combined with a fully packed scuba gear check-in suitcase that weighs exactly 20kg after careful planning and load distribution, I just don’t see a point in lugging a 3rd carry-on which would be a camera case, apart from my laptop/tablet sling bag. Or… paying another $50-100 per ticket over and above the extra $100 I am already paying for ferrying my Scuba gear - for excess baggage over and above my 2-piece check-in bags weighing 28kgs or more. And so - given that 3 carry-ons are not allowed universally, I will have to check-in my camera using those special pelican hard case luggage boxes with foam inserts (add $200, maybe $300 for DSLR sized boxes and lenses), which means a $500 ticket will cost me $650-700 typically - and that’s after ignoring domestic flights in the destination country. And then while a typical DSLR body only costs above $1200, the UW housings are all upwards of $2500! (That’s bare minimum cost ignoring lenses and dome ports for now)…
Totally doesn’t make sense for most middle-income people from any part of the world and certainly not for people living in non-affluent countries… For those of us for whom photography is not a livelihood or side-gig with income, cellphones and action cams are a very acceptable compromise. All done one typically has to pay less than $500 for the cam + $60 for a UW housing add a few dollars more for extra batteries and one is all set! Money better spent of diving, gear or flight tickets… What I mean is that people in non-affluent countries will still continue to buy expensive camera gear costing up to $3000 or more for bird and animal photography etc, but post the fact that you discover in you a diving addiction, and given that Scuba is an expensive hobby that requires extensive foreign travel, it is unlikely that a regular middle-income person (i.e the vast majority in the market) is going to splurge on DSLR rigs for diving going forward, given that the current levels of action cam IQ and performance is pretty decent and favourable.
As for me - I am happy to have a “point and shoot” action cam on my dives that lets me just focus a bit more on enjoying my dives rather than fiddle with intricate gadgetry all the time. With a bit of post-processing and editing effort, I am quite pleased with the results from any camera with a sensor larger that 1/2.3. To my eyes the newer action cams with 1/1.3 sensor sizes give acceptable output although even better are the 1” sensor small mirrorless cameras but with added cost.
Moreover I have always felt comfortably smug on Liveaboards while lounging that extra half an hour on the sofa with a coffee mug in hand while I watch the big-camera folks anxiously go over the vacuum tests on their large camera rigs, fussing and fretting over their gear and o-rings some half an hour before the next dive starts… not for me, No Thanks!
I can see both sides of it. Had a pretty comprehensive mirrorless setup. Yes, it was a major hassle to travel with, then COVID, so no travel, then my diving changed direction. The camera sat on the shelf for a very long time. I sold it 2 years ago (practically gave it away) . Regret that now. I need a reason to dive. I thought that a GoPro and video lights would fill the void. It does to some degree, but I do actually miss the technical side of underwater photography. I look at the photos I used to take and there is no way a GoPro, compact camera or phone in a case is going to come close. If you just want holiday snaps, then these options are fine, but it's hard to go backwards.
I haven’t owned a DSLR in 10 years, since I bought my first mirrorless. Mirrorless is truly the technical evolution of a DSLR.
That said the debate is always size. It is in land based photography as well.
It comes down to the sensor. You will ALWAYS be able to fit a better sensor (and lens) into a larger form factor. ALWAYS. This will never change. There may be a tiny sensor that delivers mass over performance in a tiny space, but you’ll always be able to fit more of them into a full size body and get a better image.
This goes for the lens as well.
So the fork:
Casual photographers will generally follow the GoPro/cellphone trend and stick with the smaller, more affordable form factors. Similar to how casual photographers favored point and shoot digital cameras up until the advent of the smart phone.
Serious photographers will continue to stick with the better lenses and bigger bodies that will deliver the highest quality image.
Mirrorless wont be going away any time soon. At least not until it’s b
That said the debate is always size. It is in land based photography as well.
It comes down to the sensor. You will ALWAYS be able to fit a better sensor (and lens) into a larger form factor. ALWAYS. This will never change. There may be a tiny sensor that delivers mass over performance in a tiny space, but you’ll always be able to fit more of them into a full size body and get a better image.
This goes for the lens as well.
So the fork:
Casual photographers will generally follow the GoPro/cellphone trend and stick with the smaller, more affordable form factors. Similar to how casual photographers favored point and shoot digital cameras up until the advent of the smart phone.
Serious photographers will continue to stick with the better lenses and bigger bodies that will deliver the highest quality image.
Mirrorless wont be going away any time soon. At least not until it’s b
Tassie_Rohan
Contributor
I want a digital version of this, please.....
John Bantin
Contributor
I think it's telling that in the heyday of photography (both underwater and in air) professional photographers rarely talked about the cameras they used any more than painters used to talk about brushes. The disappointments and misinformation from new experts that originally surfaced during the digital revolution changed all that and hardware became the top subject. Today, it's the final picture that counts - no matter what you used to get it and admirers of your work have stopped saying, "You must have a good camera!" especially since everyone now seems to view photos on a 72dpi screen. The enclosed images were shot on 10x8 Sinar,6x4.5 Hasselblad, Nikonos V, and Nikon D800 DSLR. Take your pick!
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Same here, surely at some point, maybe Nauticam or somebody else, will just get tired of chasing the newest camera release and contract with a photo company to give them the guts which they install into a purpose made external housing, an integrated but upgradeable photo machine. Like a Nikonos. With simple full manual contrrol, one inch sensor, macro capable and matched wet lenses.
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