Underwater photographic kit?

Wail

Wail

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Wail
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I am looking to get into this big time, as I've been diving for close to 3 decades but never put the two hobbies together and now need some help to focus what I buy so as not to go overboard, and to make sure I get the best deal for my money.

If anyone here is into underwater photography, I would love to hear what kit you use, what do you recommend, what you suggest I steer well away from etc.

Now, I am a Nikon D700 user but I would be more comfortable to get another body for my underwater shoots which does not necessarily have to be a Nikon. I've been thinking of the Canon G10 (Ikelite make an offer for the G10 with case etc. for a lot less than the case for the Nikon D300 alone!).

Any feedback and pointers would be appreciated.
 
What ever housing you buy make sure you test it without the camera in first.:naughty:
 
:lol: good head's-up on that.

Thanks :)
 
I know a guy who taks UW photos professionally. He used to pay a fortune to take his DSLR with twin strobes etc.

By the time he paid for everything he was barely making a profit. He decided to buy a compact and housing with a single low powered strobe. he know take very similar photos and sells them for the same price by saying he took them with his DSLR still (when he tried to sell them as a P&S no-one was interested)
 
Well, I always believe it's the photographer that grabs the great shots and not the equipments.

That aside, I am not looking to making money from this. As stated in my original post, this is just a hobby as is my diving.

What makes me think of a DSLR is that I am very familiar with the dials and settings. I know the limitations of a number of these DSLRs that would make my learning curve all the easier.

I was looking at getting a D300 with the casing and strobes. The thing is, the D300 is about £850. The casing for it is about £1,000. That's 1,800 for these two items. While the Canon G10 with casing is just under £800.

Now that's a huge difference. However, I have no experience with the G10 and I'd hate to buy that kit only to find that I am not too pleased with it. Selling 2nd hand underwater photo gear isn't exactly a big market, and I'd lose a lot if I'd have to sell that and "upgrade" to the D300.

On the flip side of that, I want a D300 for many reasons ... silly that I sold mine, but I had to at the time; and I am very familiar with the setting and limitations of this.

Hence, I am keen to go with this option, even though it will run at about 3x the price of the lesser set-up.

Still, I don't know which of the cases to go for? Ikelite seem to run at about £1000 (ex. VAT), but other cases are 2x as expensive! How come? I have no idea. What's in these other cases that qualify for the extra price?

Also, what kind of lens should I be looking to get? Fisheye, wideangle prime, or zoom? Are there limitations to either? Then there is the issue of the strobe(s), what to get? What kind of power output should I be looking at?

There are the things that I am bugged by. I wouldn't mind if you could ask your friend to pitch in, if that's ok ... as a matter of fact, I'd appreciate it big time.
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
I know a guy who taks UW photos professionally. He used to pay a fortune to take his DSLR with twin strobes etc.

By the time he paid for everything he was barely making a profit. He decided to buy a compact and housing with a single low powered strobe. he know take very similar photos and sells them for the same price by saying he took them with his DSLR still (when he tried to sell them as a P&S no-one was interested)
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what's P&S?

any links to a good, effective, but not huge cost:
compact and housing with a single low powered strobe
 
P&S .. Point and Shoot cameras.
 
Check this site out. They have a good range of stuff, but which to get :shrug:, that's the problem.
 
Point and shoot.

I suppose it depends on what you would like to photograph, where and at what depth. There is a fab chap from Bristol who has won the tog of the year award many times over, I'll try to find his details for you.

I used a little Fuji p&s on the basis that I was very often too busy trying to maintain buoyancy rather than togging! lol

In Uk waters if you want to photograph much under 10-15m you will have to look at some sort of strobe and the colour balance is unreal!
 
Thank you AliB.

Actually, this would be used in Saudi Arabia. Visibility there is outstanding almost everyday. Still, a strobe, or two, would be important since I do (used to when I was there) a lot of night dives, when creatures' colours come out best too.

As for depths, I usually don't go much bellow 20m ... unless there is something really wow to see, and even then I limit myself to a maximum of 30m.
 
Great :thumbs:, thank you for the link :)
 
thanks, and cool link

my thought would be only for fun and people shots in pools etc.

good luck, as this isn't a priority, but like to know a little about options.
 
yup, i have a sony DSC-T10 compact with the sportspack. I can snorkel with it, but not scuba with it! Still, more than happy with the type of shots i took!

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Cameras underwater are probably the best place for advice and are just about the cheapest accross the board but keep an eye on 7dayshop as they have some absolute bargains (50% off camerasunderwater) but they do sell out fast.

To get DSLR housing you also need a port for each lens you want to use (another £250-£400 depending on lens) and strobes (£200-£750 per strobe with fully flexible arms and then a tray which cost a lot for what they are)

may need synch cables for the strobes depending on manufacturer and model - they're over £100 each!
 
For the G10 you can get the canon housing and camera for just under £540, leaving you a couple of hundred extra pounds to buy and strobes you want (but with the canon housing they have to fire remotely)

Best thing to do is get along to one of the big dive shows such as LIDS (in March at ExCel in London) or DIVE (which is usually in October at the NEC)and have a word with the guys on the stall, they're all a friendly bunch of guys but expect them to have quite a queue, they tend to be the most popular stall!
 
Find somewhere tropical and take the PADI Underwater Photography course before splashing out on gear. It is not easy and not suited to everyone, there's enjoying a leisurly dive, and taking on the stress of carrying and using extra equipment.

Be prepared for being VERY accurate over cleaning and preparation of your equipment as even just a stray hair can result in a ruined camera.

As for taking pics underwater in this country ... hehehe yeah ok, possible if very lucky and in winter, in summer forget it. Once the algae blooms start ... not much vis.
 
Uneducated_Rick,

That's a lot of information :thumbs:. That you for that.

I've been looking into the kit and a D300 (which I've had and loved using). It seems, if I go without the strobes I am looking at close to £2,500 for the case, camera and lens port. The strobes are a lot more expensive than I though, and then - as you've said - I'll need to add the cost of the sync. cables and brackets. This would push the price to well close to £4,000! That's a lot more than I had expected.

Now, where did you see the G10 and case for under £550? Cameras Underwater list it for just about £800 for the whole package without the strobes!

Unfortunately, I may be not around in the UK when these two exhibitions are on. Still, I feel that a visit to Cameras Underwater will yield some good results.

Thank you for all the pointers. Oh, I've also found a site for The British Society For Underwater Photographers, I hope that will be helpful too.


GarynLea,

Thank you for the suggestion on the PADI course :thumbs:.

As it so happens, I am originally from Saudi Arabia where it's more hot than most tropical places (if that makes sense) and we have beaches that stretch to the end of the world!

I got into diving when I was 18, and I've qualified as a Master Scubadiver with PADA and have been so for over 20 years. With the exception of the Ice Dives and Instructors' courses I've done just about all that PADI has to offer.

That said, the underwater photography doesn't require an SLR; and sorry to say but just because a PADI instructor is teaching underwater photography doesn't mean that the trainer knows much about photography or photo. gear. I am not trying to put PADI down, it's just that the requirements are with a simple compact / bridge camera.

Still, thank you very much for the suggestion.

I think what I will do is pay Cameras Underwater a long overdue visit next time I am in London and see what I come out with.
 
Wail said:
I think what I will do is pay Cameras Underwater a long overdue visit next time I am in London and see what I come out with.
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Yes. Do it. They're very very knowledgeable and very very helpful.

Here's what they'll tell you. Diving with a DSLR is a very serious undertaking. The camera totally takes over the dive. With a P&S you can get some great pictures and still enjoy the dive. But with a DSLR it's all about the camera.

Given your experience, that might be OK. But if I were you I would go down the P&S route first - the guys at Cameras Underwater can advise on which model - and see whether you really need the added complication, expense and hassle of a DSLR.
 
Thank you Stewart. It's good to hear that these guys are good to deal with from someone trustworthy.

I am certain DSLR underwater will dominate the dive for me, but I am sure it is no more of a trouble as when I used to go out shopping with my D40 & 18-55VR (which is now always my D700 :p with the 24-70AF-S).
 
I've never bothered with a camera when I dive, but my buddy uses a Cybershot (unsure of the model) and has had some cracking shots of it (many of me 'tankhumping too :D). The casing's rock solid and stood up to a dive on the Zenobia going right the way down, and I believe he's pushed it even further on a tech trip (I never bothered with Tech either...Air or Nitrox is plenty!)

If I ever was to take a camera down it would be a little P&S that'll either sit in a BC pocket, or at least be small enough to clip it do a D ring and keep it out of the way.
 
Hi Wail

I started with a C4040 + Ikelite housing ans now have a D300 + Aquatica housing , I got some nice shots with the C4040

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Then I decided to go down the DSLR route , I went for a D200 initially and decided to set up for wide angle .. I bought a Tokina 10-17 Fisheye , which is not rated as a land lens but gets rave reviews underwater . I have 1 Ikelite DS125 strobe for closer WA work but on shallower wrecks I use manual white balance and natural light .. I am no means a pro at this but I think my shots are OK for an enthusiastic amature

I changed to the D300 because of the better noise handling at iso's 800 ish..

These are all taken with a D200

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You could look at second hand , with the D700 coming out a lot of people are upgrading from the D200/300 ..

This is a good forum to read ..

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showforum=6

Simon
 
scooby00,

Thank you so much for that elaborate reply, and link :thumbs:

If you don't me asking, what made you choose the Aquatica case over the Ikelite, or other brands for that matter? Espcially, why not Ikelite? There is a huge price difference between the two, what causes this difference?

How safe is it to buy 2nd hand? I know nothing about these cases and would worry that a 2nd hand case may have some leaks :shrug:.

By the way, the photos of the wreck are amazing :thumbs:, thank you for sharing these.
 
I went Aquatica because of reviews , Seacam , Subal , Hugyfot are way out of my price range for the useage the housing gets , Aquatica was affordable at the time because I purchased in the US when the dollar was better. There is nothing bad about Ikelite , I wanted a metal housing so went for it ..

2nd hand kit is normally well looked after , I don't think you would have any worries about leaks

Simon
 
Timing said:
At the risk of incurring the wrath of the mods, the linky is my sig is for an Underwater Photography forum for those that dive in typical UK conditions.
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Thank you for posting here, and mentioning the link in your signature.

I registered on that forum a while ago, but when my hard drive crashed I lost all my Bookmarks and couldn't find that site again, until now :)
 
Uneducated_Rick

Thank you for the link :thumbs:. I didn't see that casing; and while I like the price I am not sure it will serve my purpose .. but, thank you for taking the time to dig it out for me.
 
Thanks Rick :boxer: ;)

I wish I could get more time in warm water to get more practise .. I will only dive wrecks in the UK and generally the viz is too cack to bother taking the D300 on the RIB . It would probably get bashed anyway

Simon
 
scooby00 said:
Thanks Rick :boxer: ;)

I wish I could get more time in warm water to get more practise .. I will only dive wrecks in the UK and generally the viz is too cack to bother taking the D300 on the RIB . It would probably get bashed anyway

Simon
Click to expand...


Come to Saudi, then :shrug: :)

Aside note, why is it you wanted a metal casing? What advantages does it give?
 
The G10 housing is a great buy and I would think with RAW and manual white balance you will get some great shots .. the one problem for me is the housing as only rated to 40m .. I have taken some of the Roslie Moller at 44m .. it would probably be OK but ..:bonk: .. Also the D300 is much better in that light ..

Simon
 
After handling both systems I decided the Aquatica system was better for me .. personal choice really .. it felt better to handle than the Ike .. the metal build for me was more solid . If it had been Ike vs Subal , Seacam etc, price would have been the issue and I would have gone for the Ike

Simon
 
Sorry, it seems I am not being too clear this morning :)

I was asking about the metal case you got for your D300. Why did you opt for that over the Ikelite, which is a lot cheaper :shrug: ... is there any advantage to the metal case over the transparent plastic one that Ikelite use? I ask, as there is a huge price difference between the two.
 
Ok, that last post explains what I was asking about :thumbs:. Thank you :)
 
It was not the metal finish specifically why I went Aquatica .. more the whole package , functions , ports , extensions etc .. you need to look at the system as a whole to see which you prefer .. I certainly would say the metal housing are more durable at depth than the plastic one. My housing is rated to 90m .. .. Ike produce a system to a price .

You do get what you pay for a little bit . Not wanting to sound too snobby

Simon
 
If I did not get the Aquatica for the price I wanted I would have gone with the Ike system ..
 
Bigger Yes ..

Heavier .. Aquatica 3.25kg .. Ike 3.3kg .. housing only

Not much in it

Simon
 
Thank you :thumbs:

I figure I will not buy any of the cases until I handle the various available.

It also seems that I will go with an SLR case, and not the Canon G10. I've read that the G10 is poor at ISO 400 and above, and I will need something more than that. Though, I am not sure if I will use my D700, or the D300 (which I have to buy, but am buying not just for this reason).

As for carrying weight, I am not at all worried about this. I will ship this to Saudi, and I will keep it there (it's my home country where I do most of my diving and where I will use this kit). Furthermore, as I do mostly boat dives, carrying the kit into the water and out should not be a problem.

What I want is something very usable, very versatile, and of good quality.

The Ikelite, rated at 60m, seems good enough .. though 90m is even better; not that I go that deep, but the 40m Ikelite is too little depth for my needs. Still, the price difference between the Ikelite and the other cases is a bit too steep for me; especially when I factor in my need to get a strobe (if not two) and I still have to get the D300 on top of all that expense.

I will be going to London end of Jan. to have give Cameras Underwater a visit and then make my decision; meanwhile if you have any more suggestions, pointers etc. please drop them in :).
 
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