Underwater housing & lighting setup help

[hammer88 0]

hi... i was wondering if anybody could help me out.

 

i currently have a sony nex 5n. but it seems the options to take that underwater are quite expensive. can anybody share their setup on which underwater housing and a basic strobe setup? i'm very confused as to which items i actually to have an off camera strobe.

 

i'm also considering buying a used canon s95 with the canon dc38 underwater housing. if i went that route, can anybody tell me what i need to get a basic stobe setup? i think i read inon has some options... but again, i'm very confused as to which items are essential to have an off camera strobe.

 

thanks!

Edited May 22, 2012 by hammer88

[scubaspud25 0]

Hi Hammer88,

 

Wow i've just looked up the housing options for the Sony nex 5n and ya they are very pricey. They will set you back the same as a full dSLR setup. The Sony is a great camera but it would be far cheaper for you to opt for the canon S95 and housing.

 

I use the s90 (its predecessor) with the ikelite housing. If i could give you one small bit of advice it would be to spend your money on a suitable wide angle wet lens before purchasing a strobe. The wide angle lens will allow you to cut down the amount of water between you and your subject whilst keeping the full scene in shot. The closer you are to your subject the more vivid the colors are and your shots will have better definition.

 

A quick check on the classifieds section should find you a nice s95 setup. You could pick up a suitable wet lens and strobe for far less than the cost of the nex 5n housing.

 

Have fun shopping around

[Stewart L. Sy 12]

Both cameras will use optical sync for an of camera strobe. You will need a means to secure the strobe to the housing (usually by means of trays, arms and clamps). Consider the plastic housing as a throw away if something goes wrong with it (i.e. a leaky control or a scratch port) Cost of admission is definitely much cheaper with the plastic housings. You are depth limited to 120 - 140 feet which is fine for recreational limits. Wet lenses are options for the plastic housings, but on the 5n, you have the option of using the fisheye conversion, wide angle conversion as well as the zoom (18-55), the 16mm pancake and the 30 macro. It really depends on what your ultimate goals are. The 5n has the same sensor as the D7000 and has great high ISO performance and also takes 1080p HD video.

 

S.

[luci91 0]

Hi i am also in a similar situation... i am looking at which is the best option camera and housing to go for myself and i have heard from friends with the s95 that it gets some good quality under water photos and is pretty easy to use particularly if it is your fist under water camera.

Edited May 28, 2012 by luci91

[DamonA 7]

The sum of the total is what you need to look at, are you willing except the limitations of the lcd view for shots?

If your budget is tight buy a secondhand 550d or d90 in good nick, lots of secondhand ports around if you get a common housing, get a mildly scratched acrylic port and polish it!

 

With a popular setup there is usually more advice available.

I think your up for $2000 to get a good second hand kit with a couple of lenses and 2 ports.

 

Once you do try a Dslr, you will quickly become addicted and it's gunna lead to financial pain for life....

Edited May 31, 2012 by DamonA

[derway 2]

Did you see this housing for the nex5n? Cheap.

 

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=46524

Edited June 1, 2012 by derway

[hammer88 0]

thanks for the feedback and suggestions so far... that 5N case looks VERY intriguing... but in the end... my wife was already upset that i once burned a Nikon D300 underwater w/ a cheap pouch. so she's not letting me go under w/ the NEX-5N. haha..

 

i ended up purchasing a cheap Canon G10 with a WP-DC28 case... all for $340AUD. hard to go wrong with that... RAW file output.. good start.

 

i think the first time around, i will forgo any external flash configurations. does anybody have tips on how to best handle the camera while diving? wrist strap is the best way to go? clip to BCD?

[ce4jesus 1]

thanks for the feedback and suggestions so far... that 5N case looks VERY intriguing... but in the end... my wife was already upset that i once burned a Nikon D300 underwater w/ a cheap pouch. so she's not letting me go under w/ the NEX-5N. haha..

 

i ended up purchasing a cheap Canon G10 with a WP-DC28 case... all for $340AUD. hard to go wrong with that... RAW file output.. good start.

 

i think the first time around, i will forgo any external flash configurations. does anybody have tips on how to best handle the camera while diving? wrist strap is the best way to go? clip to BCD?

Yeap....don't dive with something you don't want to flood. Anyway, I hate wrist straps...they always seem to want to tangle so when I carried a point and shoot, it was either in my BC pocket or on a lower d ring.

Cheers,

Gary

[Guest karlaa77]

oh, i had the same problems with my sony..

 

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[Guest patrickwilson86]

You only have two choices of camera types to use underwater, day or night: an inexpensive, disposable, waterproof camera or a waterproof housing for a standard compact or DSLR camera. The second option will obviously cost more than the first; however, any disposable camera has very limited optics and controls, which, in turn, limits the quality of photos you can take.