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Deep6

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Posts posted by Deep6

  1. Posted

    I stand by the the d7000 being the first DSLR with a really useable great AF even in live view, and great everything else.

    Well of course; it's an Single Lens Reflex and the EVILs are not. Nits aside, I use a Panasonic GH1 for video and a light travel camera. The AF and shutter are fast enough to capture my grandson's football games. That said, my current rig is the D80 and the next will likely be the D7000 or D400.

    Bob

  2. Posted

    Now, if I might gripe for a moment based on Loftus' comment on regulator warranty, do I have to say anything more than "Scubapro"? How on earth can they get away with voiding your lifetime warranty if you don't get it serviced by an authorized dealer every 12 months. It ain't really lifetime, is it?

     

    JP

    :good:

    Oh please start a Trash Scubapro bean counters thread. I'll love to vent. I am done with them FOREVER.

    Bob

  5. Posted · Edited by Deep6

    Ditto. Thom's reviews are always very thorough. We should do a poll on whether Nikon will have a successor to the D300s. Pin it up top and see who's right next August. I'm in the camp that thinks Nikon will have a D400 DX. I'm betting on 720p/60fps, compact flash memory cards, faster and tougher than the D7000.

    John,

    Thanks for the suggestion. :good:

    and kudos to Alex for the scoop.

    Bob

  7. Posted

    I have been getting PM's asking about the laser cutting and what it does for the housing, so here goes FYI (seems some folks are too shy to ask on the forum, trust me it’s not a state secret :P )

     

    Here is a close up of the multi controller array (AKA joy pad) viewed from the inside, I colour coded the extender to make them more distinguishable and added a small descriptive menu to make it easier to locate what does what.

     

    As you can see, the shapes possible are pretty exotic and the tolerance are up to aeronautical specifications,so things can be condensed tighter and with way more precision than would be possible using metal wire bending and twisting like we did in the past.

    Zounds! That looks sturdy.

    Bob

  8. Posted

    My 10bar housing is pretty new, it has the individual pushbuttons on the back, so I assume I have the newer port. I did specifically ask if there were any problems with the 9-18mm and was told no.

     

    Here is an image which illustrates the blurry corners:

    Yes they certainly are. What f-stop is the picture?

    Bob

  10. Posted

    Ok dumb questions. Have my order in for an Aquatica D7000 housing. I have always shot manual, no experience with TTL and my strobes sport 5pin Nikonas connections.

     

    Is TTL considerably easier to shot for portrait and macro?

    What are the situations you prefer TTL over Manual?

    Are fiber optic cables the only way to get TTL with say Aquatica housings and Inon, S&S, and other non Ike strobes?

     

    Not dumb questions at all and hopefully not a dumb response. IMHO, if you have been shooting manually, the best exposure meter is between your ears! The iTTL on the inons with my D80 works best when the most critical subject area fills the exposure metering area and that EV should be the middle of your exposure. Sometimes a slight 1/3 to 2/3 EV tweaked is better. We always want to get the best exposure, but the newer sensors seem to get a good capture even when you are off a mite. Generally I use manual for w/a and use iTTL for macro and fast changing conditions. That said iTTL will work for w/a (see above exposure metering area) and I find manual exposure easy for macro. Kind of depends on what I feed like doing with a particular shot, e.g. if the main subject area is several stops +/- from 18% grey, then use your noggin.

     

    I believe the only way you will get TTL on the Inons is through the optical connection.

     

    Bob

  11. Posted

    If it was me personally, I would get the bulkheads on your new housing. If you sell the housing in the future, perhaps others buying your housing would want the bulkheads even if you do not plan on using them. I make that statement as long as it's not prohibitively expensive to put the bulkheads on the housing.

     

    My two cents,

     

    Ellen

    3.) I agree with Ellen. I've carried a back up electrical cable for 5 years, but never used it.

    2.) The 2000s would be fine for Macro. I personally would rather have 2 Z240 or whatever Inon strobe du jour than the 200s and the 2000s. Though a back up 200 might be good (see 3.)).

    1.) You don't say what rig & ports you are using now and how close you will get to sharks. I would think the 10-17 or the 10-17 + 1.4 TC would be good for this application. I have a 12-24 with 170mm dome both of which I leave at home. I use the 10-17, 10-17 + 1.4 TC, and can use the Sig. 17-70 all in the same 4-3/4" Bare dome. The 10-70 does reguire a port extension.

    Bob

  13. Posted

    It's the video lust, I admit it :) Well, and the high ISO. The D300 is pretty good in that respect, but the D7000 will undoubtedly be much better for those existing light photos of a shipwreck. Actually my big move over this next year is probably switching from electrical sync cord to optical strobes which will necessitate a new housing. Since I'm replacing virtually everything I will want to upgrade to the most current body.

     

    I'm fine with DX myself, so I probably won't upgrade to FX, but can I wait for a D400? We'll see.

    NAS!

    NAS

    From Nikonians Wiki - FAQs, Photo Glossary, Good Photo Locations, Help

    Jump to: navigation, search

    N. A. S. or Nikon Acquisition Syndrome. It is manifested by a feverish desire to own everything and anything which has a Nikon logo. Five decades of research have found no cure, not even acute pauperism, a heavy handed spouse, or hypnosis work. Post-hypnotic suggestions such as "Will it make you a better photographer?" get soon discarded as irrelevant when not idiotic, making the victim immune to common vaccines such as logic, harsh home remedies and even witchcraft. Nikonians is considered by many the best NAS support group in the world.

     

    Bob (Don't tell my SWMBO, She Who Must Be Obeyed).

  14. Posted

    I have reconciled myself to the fact I need to upgrade my Nikon body about every 2 years now. This time next year, we may very well be talking about a D400, but the D7000 is the one to have at the moment. I bought my D300 two years ago and although it's still a great shooter, the new bodies offer so much more. Can I wait for a D400? Probably not -- that would be another year without all the great upgrades. Life's short.

    John,

     

    Not to damped you new camera lust (I suffer from the same), the D300 is a splendid camera. Do you need video? Other than video, what beyond the D300 do you need?

    Bob

  15. Posted

    Hi Bob,

     

    Probably Capernwray in the frozen Northern UK not Cayman! It will almost definitely be a cold water review!

     

    We plan to get as many housings together as we can and get a bunch of people to try them out and give impressions.

     

    Looking forward to it.

     

    Adam

    Brrr..., I look forward to your report, but I ain't volunteering for a very cold dive. :D

    Cold water chicken in the frozen north of Illinois,

    Bob

  16. Posted · Edited by Deep6

    Alex,

     

    Really want to thank you for an excellent review. With your location and time restrains, is truly amazing in scope and detail. I seems to be a great camera for the price with 1/320 sync, higher ISO acceptability, HD video, and my fav, 100% view finder. Analytical tests aside, an “in vita” underwater test is what I wanted. I can exhale now. I look forward to the Feb. housing shoot out. Cayman?

    Bob

  17. Posted

    As you mention you have an arsenal of ports that comes from a long established manufacturers (and there is a good chance that it’s probably not your first Nexus housing either), like us and other long established manufacturer, Nexus has, I am sure, many customers that grew into their system over the years, I know of users which are up to five Aquatica housings dating back to the film days, so it’s is way more appealing for Nauticam to adapt to us than it is for the rest of us to adapt to them. As it so happen, a little known fact is that we already have adapters for the Subal, (both recent and older versions) and for Sea & Sea, in the project list of things to do are also some for Nexus :D and Seacam.

    Jean,

    Thanks for the update.

    Bob

  18. Posted

    We do not have plan for a Nauticam port adapter for our housings, they have more incentive in doing so, given the time table, there is over 25 years of Aquatica housings and ports out there, same goes to some extend for Ikelite, Sea & Sea, Subal and others, but there is barely two years of Nauticam housings on the market and of those already out, there is a whole bunch of them with ports from other brands than theirs on their Housing, so they have a lot to gain in trying to lure users of other mature brands to their camp, its a question of volume, its cool, it make sense for them right now, just not for us, at least not in the foreseable future.

    Of course, Aquatica must make a business case for the adapters. I have a Nexus M5 for the Nikon and I am happy with my current lens and port arsenal. I will likely upgrade to the D7000 late in 2011. Do I wait eons for the Nexus D7000 housing or go for the Nauticam with the adapter? I think both housings would cost about same. Aquatica could machine some adapters and sell the newly required focus and zoom gears. $$$ OR not($$$).

    Respectfully,

    Bob

  20. Posted

    i am in search of the a lens that will accomplish 80% of my underwater shooting needs, does anyone have experience with this lens, how does it work for non macro work? i use a 105 macro when i want real close up ability. i am looking for something with a wide angle capability and close focus ability , but also be able to shoot the occaisional shark , wreck form a distance etc.

    Here's what I have in my u/w arsenal:

    Nikkor 12-24 in 170 mm dome

    Nikkor 60 & 105 macro (older)

    Tokina 10-17 FE in Bare 4-3/4" mini dome

    Tokina 10-17 FE + Pro 300 1.4 TC in Bare 4-3/4 mini dome

    Sigma 17-70 in 170 mm dome + 60 mm PE or Bare mini dome + 50 mm PE

     

    My minimum kit would be the 105 (or may be the new 85 mm macro), flat port, the Tokina 10-17, Pro 300 1.4 TC, and the Bare mini dome. The Tokina with or without the 1.4 TC will give you a nice range. Enjoy the journey.

    Bob

  21. Posted

    The 105mm is not very useful in the Belgian/Dutch muddy waters I’m diving in. Too much floating debris….So i will have to look for another solution for super macro.

     

    You can use + diopters to focus closer (hence greater than 1:1), but this will shorten the 18.5 mm close focus distance (sensor to subject). My older 105 lens will A/F with the 1.4 pro and focuses closer than 31.4 mm (don't recall exactly).

     

    There is a wealth of information on this site. Please use the search function. I searched or "macro" and found this:

    Greater than 1:1 macro

    Bob

  22. Posted

    During a chat with Jack Connicks in Dema I realized I have been using a very useful control in Nikon cameras that really facilitates adjustments in the water, and would like to share this with you.

     

    Under Custom Setting Menu -> f. Controls, there is an option 'Release button to use dial' (f7 in D7000). When it is turned ON (Yes), you just need to press the various setting buttons once (including metering mode, exposure compensation, flash mode/compensation, WB, ISO and QUAL etc), and the camera will hold it in the corresponding setting mode allowing adjustment by turning the front and rear command dials. When the adjustments are done, just press the shutter release briefly to dismiss the setting.

     

    It is most handy when the Info screen is turned on and you can see all the adjustments instantly on screen. Of particular usefulness is that the AF Mode button is also supported with this function for the D7000 which is located in a rather awkward location. You can set the AF points and AF Mode easily with this function.

     

    Edward

    Thanks Edward. I'll have to try this on my Nikons.

    Bob

  24. Posted

    I'd really like to cut down on the amount of gear I bring. Bringing 100 pounds plus of gear onto a puddle jumper is a pain. I finally no longer have to have 50 rolls of film hand inspected at security and would really like to cut the burden down even more. I'm getting too old I guess. I have a Tokina 10-17, a Nikon 60mm macro and a nikon 105mm macro. I have an 8 inch dome and a flat port. I understand that I would be losing some magnification for macro, but the cropped sensor makes up for some of that. I would have to be carefull about jamming my acrylic dome into coral when getting close, but I have to be wary of that with the 10-17 also. Other things that may be a problem are lighting and getting into tight spaces. Has anyone used an 8 inch dome for macro? Will it affect picture quality in any way? Is it more of a pain to use the dome or to lug the heavy metal and glass flat port a few thousand miles?

     

    John

    I used the Sigma 17-70 in a 6-1/2" dome. Aside from the care you mentioned, works very well. I now have the Bare dome (~4+") for the 10-17 and the 10-17 + 1.4 TC. This small dome also works for the Sig 17-70 and 28-80. I have not tried the 60 & 105 lenses, but I bet ya' a Billy Goat Tavern cheesebuger & Pepsi that it will work fine.

    Bob

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