Upgrade opinions

[cageybob]

I currently have a Canon A630 in the Canon housing with a Sealife SL960D strobe. Results have been fairly good. I have an upcoming trip to the Galapagos and thinking about a possible upgrade. Primary reasons for the upgrade - HD video; ability to do wide angle; better quality pix.

Options so far:

1. Do nothing. Obvious cheapest option. Camera has manual controls and I am used to the setup. However, video quality is subpar and I can't add on lenses to the WPDC8. Even if I could, it has the longer lens port on the housing, which greatly reduces (if not eliminates) wide angle

2. Canon S100 in a Recsea housing along with either a wide angle or fisheye lens (Dyron 16mm?). Pros: less costly than option 3; Rig size is still manageable; HD video; wide angle options; can use my existing strobe (though I know it's not a top of the line strobe, it does help). Cons: Trustworthiness of the S100 - still lots of lens error issues out there. Hopefully it's resolved and existing suspect stock is being depleted; Learning curve of a new camera; Still not that cheap - guessing around close to 2k by the time I'm done.

3. House my T2i/550D - Sea&Sea RDX550D. Pros: Best quality option- pix and HD video; Already comfortable with camera and its settings. Cons: Most expensive; rig size bulky; most likely cannot use my current strobe (it uses fiber optic cable, so I might be able to). Add on lenses are very pricey

Also if I decide to upgrade, do I go fisheye or wideangle? Opinions welcome. Thanks.

 

[Interceptor121]

The dyron lens for recsea is not produced anymore it was withdrawn for quality issues

Definitely fish eye the way to go

The lens error on the S100 and other issues should not be anymore appearing in the latest units on the market

 

[cageybob]

I would love to house the T2i, but the cost is just getting out of hand and the size issue bothers me as well. I am leaning towards the S100 with Recsea housing. I should be able to reuse my exisitng strobe (fiber optic cable attached). Possible setup would be the Recsea S100 housing with either as Inon UWL-H10028LD or Inon UFL165AD.

Should I go wide angle or fisheye if I also want to do video? I see different opinions on fisheye for video. Some say it's sickening to watch video with a fisheye.

Reviewing the Inon lenses, what really is the difference between AD and LD mounts? I believe I want LD for an easy on/off attachment, however the AD mounts mention the same capability, just not locked. Is that correct and if so, how secure is the AD mount?

Are there any US shops that sell both the Recsea housing and the Inon LD lenses? I checked bluewater, backscatter, and reefphoto. None seem to offer the Inon LD mount lenses and the Recsea housing. One has the LD lenses, but don't offer the Recsea housing. I would prefer to get all from one vendor if possible.

 

[Scubanomad]

I would love to house the T2i, but the cost is just getting out of hand and the size issue bothers me as well. I am leaning towards the S100 with Recsea housing. I should be able to reuse my exisitng strobe (fiber optic cable attached). Possible setup would be the Recsea S100 housing with either as Inon UWL-H10028LD or Inon UFL165AD.

Should I go wide angle or fisheye if I also want to do video? I see different opinions on fisheye for video. Some say it's sickening to watch video with a fisheye.

Reviewing the Inon lenses, what really is the difference between AD and LD mounts? I believe I want LD for an easy on/off attachment, however the AD mounts mention the same capability, just not locked. Is that correct and if so, how secure is the AD mount?

Are there any US shops that sell both the Recsea housing and the Inon LD lenses? I checked bluewater, backscatter, and reefphoto. None seem to offer the Inon LD mount lenses and the Recsea housing. One has the LD lenses, but don't offer the Recsea housing. I would prefer to get all from one vendor if possible.

Consider Mu4/3 like the Olympus E-PL2 or E-PL3 and 9-18mm lens (=18-36 in 35mm format) in a Oly housing with a ZEN wide angle dome.
I use it and its on my website with review http://scubaphotoschool.com/best-beginner-underwater-camera-options/