What to expect from RX100 ii with minimal extra

[AlMitch]

Claudia reading your post it seems like your priorities are:
1) To take macro stills
2) An uncomplicated system
3) Keeping cost down

In all honesty as amazing as the RX100 is (and I have one) I think it sounds like the wrong camera for you. Why?
1) It does not take good macro shots (without added wet lenses, in which case it takes great shots).
2) It is a complicated camera to get to know and use, ESPECIALLY if you are new to diving.
3) It is expensive

I would suggest you look at the Canon G16 or S120.
The canons are the easiest camera to use and take amazing macro shots without extra lenses & the Canon housings are actually not bad at all and are cheap. The Ike housings are all boxy and ungainly and I just personally do not like them much at all.

So if you want a small, simple system that you can strap to your wrist and take the odd shot of some cool critter or coral then go with the Canon S120 in a canon housing. You can always buy a strobe or video light or wet lenses later on.

On behalf of the Philippine coral reef I would also highly recommend that you get 40-50 dives under your belt before you complicate things with a camera. I've just seen too many reefs being damaged by newbee divers trying to get a photo and their buoyancy is all over the place and they bash into the reef or grab coral to stop themselves etc etc.

Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[alien]

I have had both types of camera go with the Sony not that complicated can always start in auto mode. Great small camera for travel, etc

 

[maat1976]

Claudia reading your post it seems like your priorities are:
1) To take macro stills
2) An uncomplicated system
3) Keeping cost down

In all honesty as amazing as the RX100 is (and I have one) I think it sounds like the wrong camera for you. Why?
1) It does not take good macro shots (without added wet lenses, in which case it takes great shots).
2) It is a complicated camera to get to know and use, ESPECIALLY if you are new to diving.
3) It is expensive

I would suggest you look at the Canon G16 or S120.
The canons are the easiest camera to use and take amazing macro shots without extra lenses & the Canon housings are actually not bad at all and are cheap. The Ike housings are all boxy and ungainly and I just personally do not like them much at all.

So if you want a small, simple system that you can strap to your wrist and take the odd shot of some cool critter or coral then go with the Canon S120 in a canon housing. You can always buy a strobe or video light or wet lenses later on.

On behalf of the Philippine coral reef I would also highly recommend that you get 40-50 dives under your belt before you complicate things with a camera. I've just seen too many reefs being damaged by newbee divers trying to get a photo and their buoyancy is all over the place and they bash into the reef or grab coral to stop themselves etc etc.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Fair comments! I'm not going to be the only user of the camera. My husband who has far more dive experience than I has shown a lot of enthusiasm for UW photography, which I want to encourage. However, I don't want us to buy a camera that I will outgrown in a year once I have more dive experience, and will have the ability for strobes / video / etc.

What are people's opinions on buying used higher spec housings?

Claudia

 

[alien]

Ok


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[AlMitch]

Fair comments! I'm not going to be the only user of the camera. My husband who has far more dive experience than I has shown a lot of enthusiasm for UW photography, which I want to encourage. However, I don't want us to buy a camera that I will outgrown in a year once I have more dive experience, and will have the ability for strobes / video / etc.

Claudia

Well if that's the case then definitely go with the Sony. It is a great camera to grow into and to spend lots of cash on be warned UW photography is a black hole to your credit card!! ha ha

There wont be too many second hand housings for the RX100 ii as it has only recently been released. If they are then they will be nearly brand new so should be A OK. You can always take them to an accredited dealer and get it serviced to make sure it is ok.

 

[Interceptor121]

If you want a set up that will last invest in a high quality housing that can be serviced

I recommend the Nauticam RX100 II. There is an external diffuser as optional part in case you don't have a strobe.

For the RX100 II I would buy a wide angle lens first as that will allow you to take excellent wide angle videos followed by tray and arm, strobe and a close up lens

Shooting medium wide with this camera is really easy whilst close up is more difficult so I recommend you start with portraits without lens and wide and then move into more difficult techniques like macro

 

[Diving Dubai]

Fair comments! I'm not going to be the only user of the camera. My husband who has far more dive experience than I has shown a lot of enthusiasm for UW photography, which I want to encourage. However, I don't want us to buy a camera that I will outgrown in a year once I have more dive experience, and will have the ability for strobes / video / etc.

What are people's opinions on buying used higher spec housings?

Claudia

Hi Claudia

On the surface I have a Canon 5D III - but was unwilling to spend huge amounts of money on a housing, more lenses strobes blah blah. I wanted something reasonably compact that could do what I wanted (general critters, some coral and a small amount of macro for the odd sea horse or Nudi branch)

In the end I opted for a canon G15 with Ikelite housing. You can add strobes to this if you want, however I use 1 x Sola 800 video light which works just fine (although I am changing it for 2 higer power video lights as I do more video.

There are lots of things I like about the G15, and no real downsides for a compact. I have the shortcut button set to manual white balance.

My girlfriend liked it so much that she dumped her G12 and nasty plastic Canon housing and brought the same set up as me.

One tip. when you buy a housing whether new or secondhand take it to a pool and dive it without a camera inside to prove to yourself it doesn't leak the first time

I get my gear from Home - Cameras Underwater Ltd even though I now live in dubai and found them to be good (the camera I shopped around for in the UK

Hope that helps

 

[maat1976]

Thank you all for the helpful comments.

In not sold only on one camera and as much as I HATE going to a camera shop (and treated like some sort of moron) I might have to break down and do it. Wish I could see the housing in person as well. Anyone know a shop in London that stocks housings for the aforementioned Canon and the RX100? Maybe at the scuba show coming up?

I usually buy all my lenses/ DSLR camera used because I hate to create demand for one more "thing" for Canon to sell. Being this is a point and shoot, used is not a good idea.

Being a woman in a camera or bike shop often turns me into a raving feminist at the "there there dear, that's too much camera/bike for you". Somehow that never happened at Moto dealers though. Go figure.

Claudia

p.S: off topic but Diving Dubai, what's your assessment of the 5D iii?

 

[Interceptor121]

Oceanleisure camera within Ocean leisure at the embankment stocks both, there is a few very competent guys there

I would not recommend the Canon G series but a powershot S120 if you decide not go with the Sony

Take into account that the camera has to be felt in the housing as once is in there things are not the same as when you have it in your hand naked

 

[RVBldr]

I shoot with an Ike housing with the RX-100 and don't yet have the macro lens. The attached Leopard Driod shot is about as good as you'll do without the macro diopters - the droid was about 2" long for reference.