Question Upgrading Camera - any recommendations?

[Arsalan]

I’m thinking about upgrading my rig to a newer, more powerful and video capable setup.
I currently have an Olympus OMD EM1 Mark 1 which I use mainly for stills. I use 2 Sea&Sea YS-01 strobes, which 1 got flooded after a service on my last dive trip.
I shoot mostly Macro and Fisheye wide angle, but have several other lenses for this camera. I also use it for topside photos.

I’m considering the Sony a7iii or a7iv, with a Nauticam housing. I also would consider Cannon as well.
Given I’ll have to get all new lenses for this next rig, I’m hoping to hear any recommendations and experiences you might have for going about this decision.
I’m somewhat price sensitive, as I plan to buy most things second hand.

TIA!

 

[Barmaglot]

Why not an OM-1? It will let you keep your existing lenses, and give you a great boost in AF performance, with its stacked sensor the rough equivalent of which is only available in A1 on the Sony side. Second hand bodies are available at ~50% off retail.

 

[rmorgan]

Why not an OM-1?

I was going to ask the same question, although it sounds like @Arsalan has his plans in place. The OM-1 (not Mark ii) is a terrific body, and the used market is in good shape since the Mark ii landed (the improvements are incremental and, I think, irrelevant to U/W work). The Nauticam housings relatively inexpensive, although there's not much of a used market for them. But the linchpin, for me (in addition to being able to use already-owned lenses and ports), would be the OM Systems 90mm macro, which is an exceptional lens. I went through the spasms of full-frame envy when I had to decide whether to go from the E-M1ii to the OM-1, and then I found nothing much to envy.

That said, the OM-1 initially had mixed reviews for video, mainly around white balance, but more recent field reports are more positive. I'm headed out next month and plan to wrestle with macro video with the OM-1--wish me luck.

 

[stuartv]

I've been shooting a Sony a7r4 u/w for a few years now.

My opinion is that the a7r5 is currently the best all-around camera you can buy for u/w work.

Many discount the value of the high resolution. All I can say about that is that putting it in Crop mode gives you several advantages:

The image is 1.5X cropped. You don't have to get as close to still fill the frame. And still get a 26 MP result.

Many lens setups get soft in the corners. At least to some degree. By using Crop mode, you are capturing the center 26 MP of the image coming in from the lens/port. That means your corners are sharper, as they are actually coming from a central portion of the image.

I have captured images of some pretty darn small subjects, while shooting with a 28-60 lens and WWL-1. The high resolution has allowed me to crop a lot and end up with a very respectable image of a pretty darn small subject. While still being able to turn around and shoot a decent Wide Angle shot in the next frame with no change other than to the zoom (focal length) of the lens.

The a1 is a better camera for land-based work, but I am not convinced that its advantages really translate into being any better for u/w work. MAYBE if a faster shutter speed and HSS mode strobes is important to you.