Will Most P&S Camera Divers Eventually Want Dual Strobes?

[geek]

My position is that occasionally I might want a strobe, in which case I'd prefer two (and own them), but that most of the time I choose not to use them as I regard them as too bulky. The feeling that there is an inevitable progression from simple to complex (and expensive) pervades many activities, not just underwater photography, but out in the real world is often not applicable.

One of the few areas where I have been chasing technology is in land stills photography, where I've invested a fortune over the past year or so (well over $10k), and have more to spend. I bought myself an HD video camera & housing, but literally haven't touched it in over 6 months - it doesn't "grab" me. I haven't bought an underwater housing for a DSLR because I believe I can get good results (not as good, obviously) with a compact camera that almost fits in my pocket. In fact, when I go out I always carry a camera with me "just in case", but 95% of the time it's a compact in my pocket, not the $8k DSLR I bought a few months ago. That only gets an airing on special occasions.

Another area where I've aimed pretty high in the past is sound recording equipment, but that aspect of my life is currently dormant. As is the love of fast motorcycles - instead I bought one that goes quite slowly, is light to move around, and uses very little fuel, as being far more appropriate to my current needs. And there are other areas. I have decided what level to pitch my experience at, and then try to do the very best with that level of equipment. That's the philosophy I apply to underwater photography.

I read that article on DiveIndia about compact vs dslr for UW photography and it sold me on compact, but the question remaing was do I need a strobe? Although I'm completely anal about quality and doing things right (I'm still pissed I didn't have the money for an E-3 and faster glass before my rainforest and machu picchu trip last December), I think I agree with you that diving should be mostly about diving though and I'm glad I read your posts.

I have a good knowledge about photography and equipment as it applies to taking pictures on land. I'm taking a 4 month South America trip next year and I'm upgrading to an Olympus E-3 with the new SWD lenses for the occasion. However, when I looked at the prices of housing (1400 for the ikelite!), ports, and strobes, I was horrified. I can't imagine most compact users ever even considering spending that kind of money. For my part, I'm now looking for a good compact that will allow me to take good pictures in a cheap and compact package that won't get in the way.

On that note, I'm having some trouble figuring out what I want. I'd like something as small as possible that I could throw in my pocket for land photography when I don't want to lug an E-3 or even e-330 around. But I also want RAW ability. I PP everything and underwater, as a new diver, i don't want to be screwing around with things like WB. So far, I see the Canon G9 as my best bet and am tentatively leaning towards it with the Canon housing.

Oops, didn't mean to derail. Personally, I'd love dual strobes at some point, but I won't buy the tray until I reach that point. A good compact will always be useful on its own. The first time i go to the Galapagos, Blue hole, san andreas, however, i think i want to focus on diving and just bring a camera along to record the experience and show people without too much focus on photography. Sometimes, even on land, I regret spending too much time looking through a lense instead of taking it all in.