Underwater Photography - WHat to Buy?

[Lance Warley]

The information I am looking for is:

- What is a good underwater digital camera model that is comparable to the Canon 40D-50D? In other words, above entry level but below pro level? It will be used for hobbyist purposes.
- Is it better to buy a 50D and some kind of underwater housing, or a dedicated underwater camera?

Thanks.

[Phil Colla]

If you want a new rig, suggest you consider Nikon D300 or Canon 50D. Many housings available, least expensive ones are by Ikelite.

If you want used, suggest you consider Nikon D200 or Canon 30D, 40D or 5D. You can probably pick up a good deal on a used housing/camera body setup at Wetpixel.com.

I've shot u/w for about 19 years, have owned most of the bodies (Nikon/Canon) and many housings. I currently use a Canon 5D in a Ikelite housing. Excellent image quality (if used with prime lenses), inexpensive but servicable housing with good optical dome.

"Dedicated underwater camera" will not give you the sharpness and results you are expecting if you are used to shooting with good SLR equipment topside.

Cheers, Phil

[Robert O'Toole]

The information I am looking for is:

- What is a good underwater digital camera model that is comparable to the Canon 40D-50D? In other words, above entry level but below pro level? It will be used for hobbyist purposes.
- Is it better to buy a 50D and some kind of underwater housing, or a dedicated underwater camera?

Thanks.

Hi Lance,

Well the answer really depends on your requirements, 45 degree viewfinder, camera pole, super dome WA port. A top quality housing can run $10K. My Seacam housing superdome port (just a port) was $3K!

If you just want to dunk the camera, I mean use it in calm water at the surface or to about 5-10 feet get a flexible housing:
http://www.ewa-marine.com/

Check out Wetpixel.com for more info.

Robert

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Lance do a search on Aquatica Can't go wrong with it !!!

[Lance Warley]

Thanks, guys!

[susanschermer]

Lance,
As a retired underwater photographer (30years of it) I've been through most of the options. There are no dedicated to U/W cameras in digital. If you want to use an SLR the housing, ports, strobes, arms for holding the strobes, connectors can add up to almost $8000. If you're not that serious start with an Olympus point and shoot and a dedicated housing. A lot of folks I know are using them. You will need strobes as you won't get good color rendition without light.

For the best iinformation go to meetings of the South Florida Underwater Photography Society www.SFUPS.org. I'm still a member, but don't go too much anymore. 2nd Tuesdays at 7:30 at The Turnpike and County-Line Road. See the website for directions.

Best, Susan

[Amy DeStefanis]

Hi Lance,

I used to use a Nikonos, but the idea of having more than 36 shots led me to digital....

I went through a series of Underwater rigs - from a high-end digital point-and-shoot in an Ikelite housing (This ate batteries - so I was no better off than I had been with a 36-exp roll of film in the Nikonos - and the Nikonos did a better job!) ...to the Sea and Sea (assuming it was geared toward underwater use, so it would be better - NOT!), and finally rented the D70s, and an Aquatica housing, and YS 110 strobe on a liveaboard dive trip. I realized that THIS was what I needed - an SLR that I could set manually, so I ordered it - and have never looked back! The housing wasn't cheap, but as my husband reminds me over and over "that's what you should have gotten in the first place instead of spending money on all this other 'stuff' that just frustrated you."

Being underwater changes everything about how auto-everything cameras interpret what they see. You MUST be able to set what you need to. TTL really doesn't work well under water. So, manual, once again.... AND, an SLR is REALLY easy on the batteries, and doesn't generate the kind of heat (and therefore condensation) that the point-and-shoot cameras do.

I don't know about Ikelite housings for SLR's, but I found that the position of the controls on the Ikelite for the point-and-shoot (it was a Nikon Coolpix 5700) were very awkward. The Aquatica controls are very natural and easy to use - even with gloves on.

I would recommend renting various rigs if you can, including an SLR and housing.

Good luck!
Amy D.