pooley

Thanks pal, its on a D500, 105vr and the nauticam SMC-1, so I had the crop factor in my favour this time compared to the D850, but with the SMC its over 90% of the original frame Mike

Thanks Tim, never gone this low for a shutter speed before to get a blue BG, an eye opener to see what can be done with a static subject. Cheers for your help choosing the D500, I'm happy with its first outing Mike

Bought a Nauticam housing for a Nikon D500 off here and got a new Nauticam SMC-1 to go with it. This is a result from the first trip away with it - all crit welcomed and appreciated Mike edit - looks a lot better at full size

Very informative post, thankyou. As it happens I ended up with a d500 in nauticam which gets its first trip on Friday. I agree mirrorless is the future and am considering a switch to sony topside next year, so who knows about the next setup! D500 will do for now! Cheers Mike Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

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