What camera capabilities?

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Shasta_man

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Buying a digital point and shoot camera. Use for 80% land, 20% underwater photos. No plan to use strobes, due to high expense. Looking for good quality camera which I can also use to get some decent pictures underwater with low maintenance, to show what we see.

My question is what camera features do I need specifically for underwater photos? What do you manipulate underwater to take the photos?

I understand shutter speed and aperature but what else do you adjust such as white balance? What capabilities do I look for in the camera so I can make a evaluation of the features I'll use (which I haven't learned yet)?

The camera decision is not clear cut as I was looking for wide angle lense on the camera and the Olympus 5060 seems the only one to fit that bill on a lower end point and shoot. I also looked at Canon but can't evaluate them because I don't know what feature I need. Not flooding housings, except for the higher end Ikelite, also doesn't have a clear winner with too many reports of 5060 floodings but also some Canon floodings too.

Many thanks.
 
I am reading the "what camera" sticky too...


Shasta_man:
Buying a digital point and shoot camera. Use for 80% land, 20% underwater photos. No plan to use strobes, due to high expense. Looking for good quality camera which I can also use to get some decent pictures underwater with low maintenance, to show what we see.

My question is what camera features do I need specifically for underwater photos? What do you manipulate underwater to take the photos?

I understand shutter speed and aperature but what else do you adjust such as white balance? What capabilities do I look for in the camera so I can make a evaluation of the features I'll use (which I haven't learned yet)?

The camera decision is not clear cut as I was looking for wide angle lense on the camera and the Olympus 5060 seems the only one to fit that bill on a lower end point and shoot. I also looked at Canon but can't evaluate them because I don't know what feature I need. Not flooding housings, except for the higher end Ikelite, also doesn't have a clear winner with too many reports of 5060 floodings but also some Canon floodings too.

Many thanks.
Click to expand...
 
You sound like someone not just new to UW photography, but photograpy in general.

Any camera made that I've found with optional UW housings have more capabilities built in then you are ready to deal with UW.

Here are some thoughts:

** That flash you are quick to discount, is likely the best feature you could want UW unless you plan on shooting in the first 15 feet on bright days... Sunpak makes one BTW that is under $200, and has the features necessary, but with slow recycle times.

** All housing can flood. Based on what I've read, it's rarely build quality, rather user error.

** RAW would be a VERY big plus but ONLY if one can adjust WB in software (Nikon and Canon CAN, Oly can not as of recently, but I don't keep up/shoot oly).

** Wide fast lenses are a plus.

** Housings that accept W/A attachments are a good thing.

** Shutter lag is huge in lower end camera's. So know the limitations of what you buy.

** The best thing any camera has going for it is the OPERATOR!!

The 5060 is *hardly* a low end point and shoot. It has more features packed into it than most consumers will ever use.

The Sony DCS-V3 would be my choice in a prosumer PnS, but for UW it lacks an inexpensive housing option, and at a 34mm eq at the wide end, it's NOT all that wide even if the lens has a VERY nice range with a good f2.8-4 max aperture. OTOH it does have about the fastest focus and shutter response in a Non-DSLR made.

Good luck,
Ron
 
Thanks for your comments and time.

I'm not quick to discount the flash. I'm quick to not want to pay for it or lug it along with the rest of the gear.

yes, the V3 would be nice except I would like a little more wide angle but the biggest problem is price. Point and shoot should mean less than my SLRs.




RonFrank:
You sound like someone not just new to UW photography, but photograpy in general.

Any camera made that I've found with optional UW housings have more capabilities built in then you are ready to deal with UW.

Here are some thoughts:

** That flash you are quick to discount, is likely the best feature you could want UW unless you plan on shooting in the first 15 feet on bright days... Sunpak makes one BTW that is under $200, and has the features necessary, but with slow recycle times.

** All housing can flood. Based on what I've read, it's rarely build quality, rather user error.

** RAW would be a VERY big plus but ONLY if one can adjust WB in software (Nikon and Canon CAN, Oly can not as of recently, but I don't keep up/shoot oly).

** Wide fast lenses are a plus.

** Housings that accept W/A attachments are a good thing.

** Shutter lag is huge in lower end camera's. So know the limitations of what you buy.

** The best thing any camera has going for it is the OPERATOR!!

The 5060 is *hardly* a low end point and shoot. It has more features packed into it than most consumers will ever use.

The Sony DCS-V3 would be my choice in a prosumer PnS, but for UW it lacks an inexpensive housing option, and at a 34mm eq at the wide end, it's NOT all that wide even if the lens has a VERY nice range with a good f2.8-4 max aperture. OTOH it does have about the fastest focus and shutter response in a Non-DSLR made.

Good luck,
Ron
Click to expand...
 
What about the Olympus C-5000 5.0 megapixle with the PT-019 Housing, I've read some reviews on the 5000 is a little slow on the picture to picture speed (3 sec) but it does have a lot of user adjustable features, and is relatively cheaper and more compact than the 5050 and 5060. I've found the camera for around $220 the Housing for $150 and a slave strobe with tray and arm for $160. There is also the adaptability of this camera to use a wide angle/macro and 2x telephoto lens with an adapter for above water shooting.
 
You will want complete manual control including manual white balance available in the housing.

For wide angle, you might want to look at making sure the housing can take a WA lens externally (wet mate).

Not sure that all of your needs can be met with a basic set-up.

I love the Canon A series cameras.

As you are going for 80% land, I would concentrate on the features you must have for that and then treat the uw stuff as secondary and accept the limitations that might impose.

Ask away as you have more questions!
 
A good DIGITAL SLR is a Minimum 1K. You can hardly compare a digital PnS with a film based SLR which are on the way out, and prices are reflecting that trend.

I have labored over the decision of Pns for UW. I am rather used to large pro camera's, and I shoot MF as well.

At this time IMO there are two choices for me, unless I go with a D70 (which I might), but expensive to add a UW housing.

Canon S70. Canon's noise reduction is about as good as it get's in DSLR's anyway... even if some don't like the more *plastic* look. The PowerShot S70 looks like a rather top contender with a 28-100mm lens, but the f2.8-f5.3 is a bit of a letdown. 7mpix, a plus. It does not look like additional lenses can be added to the housing. The housing also does not appear to have double orings, and the oly seems a bit more impressive. Shutter lag is reasonable, but not great (about 1 second from nothing to image, and about 3/10 from a half press). Full RAW support allowing one to change WB is a BIG plus IMO UW.

Oly 5060. 27mm WA lens is about as wide as it get in the PNS world, but is only a bit wider vs. the Canon. Live histogram maybe very useful UW, but no first hand experience. The lens is a bit faster (f2.8-f4.8) vs the Canon, but not much. RAW maybe a VERY useful tool for UW, but I'm having a hard time learing if the RAW processing on this camera allows WB control. 5mpix is no longer the standard, but good enough for print sizes to 11x14... Housing and options are better than the Canon.

I have not, and likely will not purchase either of these for a while yet.

Neither of these solutions is ideal IMO. The D70 IMO IS the ideal solution, however the housing cost is rather prohitivite, and if one goes that far, 1K in strobes are soon to follow.

Ron
 
Just a note on the one o-ring thing...I know far more flooded Olympus housings than Canon housings.

Is this because of their design? Probably not. It's user error.

All of my camera systems, video & still, from 1995 have been a single o-ring. I've had one minor flood and one major flood - the first a mystery but defiinitely user error and the second after a good jolt to the housing and user not checking the seal adequately again.

Floods happen - remember, not if but when.

For me, being able to add external lenses and strobes would be more important that RAW. I love RAW and only shoot it now, but I can live without it to get the features I want in a small, relatively inexpensive camera.

For sure if you want the same control you have on land, then a dSLR is the way to go...
 
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