In November 2004, I decided to switch camera systems from Nikon to Canon. Over the last few months, I have been selling and buying cameras, lenses, and underwater housings. Now that my switch-over is complete, I thought I would share my thoughts and experiences in case other photographers are considering doing the same thing I've done. In this article, I'll cover the “why,” the “how,” and the “impact” of the process so that the reader can understand my motivation, as well as what's involved in the switch. Please keep in mind that I'm not arguing that this switch is right for everyone, even if it may sound like it at times. One thing that always irritates me when I read camera discussions (and even some of my old posts!) is the connotation "I bought Camera X since it's the best, if you bought Camera Y you made a poor decision." My choice to switch was a personal decision and one that I think depends a lot on an individual's taste and shooting style.

Background:

A photo from my first dive with a digital camera – a Coolpix 990 in an Ikelite housing, no strobe.

Many people began underwater photography with an Olympus 5050 and are now deciding to upgrade to a digital SLR rig. To say that my story is a bit more complicated would be an understatement.

I began underwater photography with the best-in-class 3 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 990 in an Ikelite housing. About a year later I upgraded to the newer version of the Coolpix – a redesigned body with a 5 megapixel sensor. Both of these compact cameras retailed for under $1,000 and there were excellent compact Ikelite housings available.

My first photo taken using an external strobe. Nikon Coolpix 990, Ikelite Housing, Nikon SB102 strobe

Eventually, I decided that I'd like a camera with interchangeable lenses and a better sensor. At the time, there were only two cameras available in my price range, the Canon D30 and the Fuji S1pro. I decided on the Fuji because I liked the Nikon system and a friend was selling his camera body in anticipation of the upcoming S2pro. I sold all my Coolpix equipment and bought the DSLR body and a 60mm Micro lens. I didn't think I'd house the S1pro, but I thought it would be a good chance for me to learn about SLR photography – and that I could sell it to purchase the upcoming D100 or S2pro. That first DSLR with its no-lag shutter and great image quality served its purpose – it had me hooked! When the Nikon F-mount D100 and the Fuji S2pro were announced, I had a hard time deciding which body to upgrade to, but I decided that the TTL flash-metering and higher resolution made the S2pro a better camera for me, despite the $400 additional cost and the fact that the camera had a stupid “Finepix” logo on the prism, instead of the more popular Nikon emblem. Somehow I ended up #1 on the Ritz preorder list for this camera and I think I might have gotten camera #1 in the US – which I promptly sent off to Ikelite to see if it would fit in one of their housings.

A photo from my first dive trip with the Coolpix 5000 – by this time, I'd learned to use a strobe. Coolpix 5000 in Ikelite housing and a Nikon SB102 strobe.

I remember calling Ikelite after they received my camera and talking with professional photographer Franklin Viola and Brett from Ikelite who were working to house Franklin 's Nikon D1x. I remember Brett telling me that he thought the images from the $2,400 S2pro beat the stuffing out of images from Franklin 's $5,000 D1x. After using the S2pro for 2 years it was time to upgrade while the S2 body still had some good resale value. Nikon and Fuji wouldn't be releasing a new body for what looked like at least six months to a year, so I looked at the full frame Kodak. Their new ProSLRn was out and users were reporting that many of the bugs in the original Kodak 14n had been fixed and this full-frame 14 megapixel camera looked to be a significant upgrade over the S2pro. Since the bodies were so similar, I was already familiar with the controls and Aquatica had plans for a housing, so the camera would serve me above and below water. I was also gearing up for a major offshore project where I knew I would want to shoot lots of photos for my clients. I shot over 3,000 topsides photos and really loved the image quality from the camera, but after two dives with the Kodak, I decided it wasn't what I was looking for in an underwater camera system. I sold all of my Nikon gear, including all of my lenses and switched to a Canon 1DmkII and a stable of Canon lenses.

Testing the Fuji S2pro in the prototype Ikelite housing. I found out that the Sigma 14mm lens could focus within the Ikelite port

A photo from my first dive with the S2pro and Ikelite housing

Why So Many Different Cameras?

So why have I switched cameras so many times? Why aren't I still shooting with my 3 megapixel Coolpix 990? These questions strike to the heart of digital photography - as we all know, it's a “fast developing technology” but what does that mean in real life? Well, of course, cameras have changed from using film to using a digital sensor but the bodies haven't changed much. A compact digicam still looks and functions the same as a film point and shoot, and digital SLR bodies are very similar to their film counterparts, but there is one HUGE difference – with a digital camera, the “film” cannot be changed.

As semiconductor technology advances, newer sensors are designed and used in new cameras, but it is rarely to never possible to just change the sensor in a digital camera – instead you have to buy a new one. I have observed that sensor resolution (in number of pixels) has been doubling about every two years. At the same time, noise --or what looks like the graininess in digital photos -- has been reduced with each new sensor design.

Since most people, and especially underwater photographers, want the constraining factor in their art to be the person behind the camera, there is a strong urge to upgrade when newer and better equipment is available. Of course, the age-old adage still applies that it's not the film (or in this case the sensor) that makes the photograph, it's the photographer, but there are still some constraining factors to consider. You can get take the exact same photograph with a 3 vs. a 16 megapixel camera, but you will be able to use the larger file in many more ways. Clean, big digital files are a lot easier to sell, and they can also be cropped a lot tighter and still yield usable results.

Personally, I've tried to follow a guideline of not buying a new camera until something on the camera doubles – usually this is the sensor megapixels, but it can also be a two-fold increase in lens and autofocus quality (consumer to DSLR) or a cropped to full-frame sensor (S2pro to Kodak ProSLRn). This guideline keeps me from jumping to purchase a new camera that won't greatly benefit my results.

Getting back to the main point, why did I go to the trouble of switching from Nikon to Canon, with all the hassles of buying and selling, as well as learning how to control a totally new camera? The first thing I need to say is that I didn't switch because I didn't like the camera I owned, I switched because I thought I could do better with Canon for the total underwater system of camera, housing, ports, and lenses. To best explain this, I've put together a short bulleted list:

Nikon Stagnation

For underwater use, there isn't an f-mount camera available that is a significant improvement over the D100 for Fuji S2pro. These two bodies are small and light, but they could both use bigger viewfinders and they are “only” 6 megapixels. Fuji has finally started selling their S3pro with great image quality, but it's bigger, has the same viewfinder and is still a 6 megapixel DX cropped sensor camera. Nikon has delayed and delayed the D2x and it's still not for sale. It's a big pro camera, but it still has a DX cropped sensor. Nikon hasn't announced a replacement for the D100 yet, and even when they do, given Nikon's track record, it will be 6 months to a year before it's for sale and perhaps even over a year before a housing will be available.

Clear Upgrade Path

Canon's pro camera upgrade path is clear for me, as their 1D series body has not changed significantly since the original 1D was introduced in 2001. Currently, there are four Canon bodies that will all fit in the same housing: the 1D, 1Ds, 1DmkII, and 1DsmkII. I can't currently afford the new 1DsmkII with its 16 megapixel full frame sensor, but I can afford the 8 megapixel 1DmkII. Some day in the future, the price of the 16 megapixel camera will come down and I'll be able to buy one and use it in my housing. The housings for this body are expensive, but the units made by Subal and Seacam are both excellent and I'd expect either of them to provide years of service. I think I'll be happily using the 1DsmkII through 2006 – that means a housing purchased for the 1D or 1Ds in 2003 could still be in use 3 or 4 years later – something unprecedented for an underwater digital camera system.

The Seacam housing for the Canon 1DmkII series bodies. Photo Eric Cheng

Camera Body Lineup

A side benefit of switching to the Canon system is that I can use my lenses with their bigger lineup of DSLR bodies. Currently, Canon has the consumer 300D, the prosumer 20d, and the professional 1D bodies. The 20D camera IS a D100 replacement, with its excellent low-noise 8 megapixel sensor, snappy internal software, and 5 fps shooting ability. I intend to house one of these for my dive buddy to use.

The Canon 1DmkII and the 20D. The difference in size is dramatic.

TTL Flash Control

With their eTTL2, Canon has finally developed a digital flash system that is on the same level as Nikon’s. eTTL2 is a preflash system like the Nikon iTTL, so requires special strobes, but it’s been decoded by Ikelite who offers an eTTL2 housing. The housing is small and light and with the eTTL2 circuit and Ike’s manual/autofocus port it will be easy to use for great macro photography.

That's all for Part 1. In Part 2, I'll talk about: How I Did the Switch, Camera Body Differences, Lens Selection, and Underwater Support