pooley

Thanks Matt, Great to hear you're happy with the d500 IQ, especially if you're used to d850 files as well. Some good points raised, much appreciated Mike Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

For the love of God, please avoid canon v nikon ! I think realistically the d850 and wacp is going to be out of budget by the time I add on the top side stuff and possibly upgrade my computer as well. I love my full frame gear, so having a hard time convincing myself to switch to dx but the smaller format does have several advantages underwater and I have to remember I'm doing this for fun, not profit! Cheers Mike Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Excellent write up - many thanks. One question - when you refer to the wide angle stuff you're shooting on the D850 are you talking about reef scenes or big animals? My primary interest lies with the big fish, and hopefully I'll do some trips with them in the next few years thanks in advance Mike

Only one I know of that offers multiple brands is Ocean Leisure but I've never had any dealings with them, and they don't advertise a range anywhere near what cameras underwater did

Cheers Chris, just as I suspected. Looks like that's one place I wont be spending any money - shame because last time I dealt with them they were great Mike Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Cheers for that Tim I really don't want to get into the canon/Nikon debate, just laying out the options. Good to hear you liken the D500 to the D800, not a bad starting point! It wouldn't surprise me at all if I end up with the D500! I think maybe the flexibility of the wide zoom might tip me that way, but the thought of the WACP... Agggghhhhh!! Lets see what others think but I do need to consider buying fairly soon and make a choice. Housing wise I'll probably stick with Nauticam - I actually preferred the feel of my old Subal housing but they seem to be in very short supply these days Cheers Mike p.s. Just seen you've got a house in Poynton - lovely place, I only live in Denton. Maybe let me know if you're going to City one day and we can meet up for a beer before the match

Hi all, A bit of a twist on an old question. I'm about to upgrade my gear, and intend this setup to be with me for several years. Getting to the age now where we can go diving without kids in tow, so should get wet more often in the upcoming years. Currently I have a Canon 1dx in a Nauticam housing, Sigma 15mm and Canon 100mm L I have Canon because for years it was better for topside wildlife stuff with higher ISO and better AF but the more recent Nikons have overtaken it, so I'm happy to switch if necessary. I want a system that is at least a little future proof (!) Thoughts are 1) Get a D850 and add a WACP, along with the fish and macro lenses. I see this as potentially the best for IQ but also the most expensive and will take me longer to complete the topside setup. 2) Nikon D500. Keep getting drawn to this one as I like the fisheye zoom option in a mini dome (with 1.4x when necessary) and can always add something like a 10-24 with my 8.5" dome. 3) Get a Canon 5d4 with a similar setup to option 1. I know Canon well, cheaper for me than the D850 option due to topside costs, but may feel I'm lagging behind the D50s AF which is important for me topside. 4) Buy a Canon 1dxii which I believe fits in my current housing. I'm not into video so the loss of some controls won't bother me. IQ is crucial for me - any shortcomings should be my fault! This gets me back to the topic headline - is there much real world difference in the D500 compared to full frame? I don't intend to push the ISO that much with my destinations, and if the Nikon 8-15 with Kenko 1.4x is capable of top notch results it could make my decision a lot easier. I love CFWA shots, so that is something I intend to concentrate on whenever possible, and most of my U/W stuff is shooting fish, (and hopefully sharks, rays etc in the coming years) so that will be the main focus of the new purchases. I'm not averse to other suggestions but have to balance the cost against having useable wildlife equipment topside. Packing and travel size is something I can live with - its a pain anywhere! Sorry for the ramble but I'm stuck in circles, and want to buy soon for an upcoming trip. Mike p.s. Does anyone know if cameras underwater have ceased trading in the UK? Their website has been down for a while

Unless you are major into macro stuff, I'd recommend the 8mm and the 12-40 for that trip. That should cover the scenic shots and most of the regular fish life - morays turtles blue spot stingrays stonefish etc and the reef fish. There is plenty of macro life if you look hard but it's not macro based like lembah for example. Water temperature will be nice but it's often windy back on the boat so make sure you have a couple of warm tops available Mike Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Hi jetor, I've been to the red sea a few times in November so may be able to help, but you need to tell us which trip you're going on or if land based where are you staying. There is a lot of variety - what are your main interests? Mike Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Just bought a 1dx housing off Olly (Turbohampster). Superb transaction, loads of contact and assistance from him, highly recommended Mike

Hi everyone, I'm hoping to get a nauticam system very shortly, and need a couple of accessories quite quickly, otherwise I'll need to buy new. If anyone has an external viewfinder (preferably the 45 degree but may consider the 180) or a macro 94 port sitting around gathering dust, and you're willing to ship to England, please give me a shout. I've asked one member on here about their flash trigger (for Canon) but again, I'll look to buy the first one offered thanks Mike

Cheers for that Tim, Good to hear you don't miss the zoom function too much - in an ideal world I'd definitely prefer to use a full frame camera, it may just come down to the pennies, and what housing I go for. At the moment if I buy new I was considering a hugyfot (previously used Subal and loved them but will struggle to finance one at the moment) which I can put together for a 7d2, but if I go full frame thenit'll have to be either used or Ikelite. thanks for your input though, all good to know Mike p.s. - hope you caught the match against the Hammers last night, we're finally attacking like we should be!

Cheers for that Tom. I would like to take the 1dx underwater, but have only seen 1 housing second hand. Maybe I need to bide my time. Having used both the 1dx and the 5d3 topside, the only real difference I can see for UW use would be the frame rate for ambient light shots - both have superb high ISO and whilst the AF speed is a little better from the 1dx, the difference is minimal and this is when driving the big white supertele's that require extra battery power. However, my main issue is losing the flexibility of a fisheye zoom. I won't be able to afford a 9" port for something like a 16-35mm, so should I go down the full frame route I'll be limited to a fixed fisheye and a macro lens only - possibly adding a 1.4x behind the fisheye if necessary. Mike

Hi everyone, I've been housing-less for a couple of years now as I was concentrating on topside stuff, but am keen to get restarted underwater again. Currently, topside I have a Canon 1dx and a 7d2 as backup. I hardly touch the 7d2 as the AF is too 'twitchy' for my liking with fast moving subjects. The IQ of the 1dx also knocks spots off the smaller sensor. However, I am considering housing the 7d2, and one of the main reasons is being able to use either the Tokina 10-17mm or the Canon 8-15, depending upon how much budget is left over after buying the rest of the gear. Ideally I would like to stick with full frame, but if I do so I fear I will miss the flexibility of a fisheye zoom. Also, it's likely I'll only be able to afford an 8" dome, but would only plan on using this with a 15mm fisheye. I'll get a macro lens whichever system I go for, so thats not really going to sway my decision much. I could maybe just about affording to go down the route of swapping the 7d2 for a 5d3 (had one topside previously and really liked it). The only way I could go for the 5d iv would be to sell my 1dx and I'm not sure thats a great idea with the stuff I shoot topside - could be convinced though! As an outside option I would consider going with Nikon if a good price could be had, but I am happy with my current workflow with DPP4 and photoshop, so there would have to be a significant reason - much better dynamic range or similar. So, the main question - am I likely to really miss a fisheye zoom? thanks in advance Mike

Sold