Forum Members Poll: Your first underwater camera

[Interceptor121 842]

We are doing a bit of research and would appreciate anyone feedback

thank you

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by Interceptor121

[tursiops 82]

I don't know how to answer. First UW camera was a Nikonos I.

[Interceptor121 842]

I don't know how to answer. First UW camera was a Nikonos I.

Addeed high end amphibious camera

[Interceptor121 842]

We have had 60 visits and only 10 entered a vote please vote or this is not very useful thank you

[lutfu 121]

a sony trv 125 in a custom housing .But if this is poll only for photo cameras than it was a compact mju from olympus

[Interceptor121 842]

a sony trv 125 in a custom housing .But if this is poll only for photo cameras than it was a compact mju from olympus

Hi Luftu

 

We are focussing on stills images camera

[Interceptor121 842]

20 votes is getting better

Can an admin pin this post please?

[Walt Stearns 54]

The first model Nikonos (some call the one) with both a 35mm and the 28mm Nikkor lenses.

[davehicks 123]

I started with the Canon Powershot S40 in the Canon housing around 2002. I eventually add an Ikelite DS-125 to it. I sold it on to someone else after a couple of years and moved to the Olympus 5050, a true classic UW camera.

[SwiftFF5 136]

Hi Luftu

 

We are focussing on stills images camera

 

This leaves me out too, since I only shoot video.

[hyp 115]

I wonder why you limited compacts to polycarbonate housings. First camera I used underwater was a Panasonic LX7 in Nauticam. First one I owned is the Olympus Em5 in Nauticam housing. I voted interchangeable lens, but if I count my parent's borrowed LX7 there would not be an option for me.

[Interceptor121 842]

I wonder why you limited compacts to polycarbonate housings. First camera I used underwater was a Panasonic LX7 in Nauticam. First one I owned is the Olympus Em5 in Nauticam housing. I voted interchangeable lens, but if I count my parent's borrowed LX7 there would not be an option for me.

 

It's a fair point it should have just said compact camera but the large majority start with a plastic housing so when I put it down that is what came to mind can no longer change however I would argue that the first camera you bought was an ILC as the other was on loan?

[Tom_Kline 143]

Another Nikonos starter. This was a few decades ago! I did not use it for diving, however. When I started doing UWP while diving it was a medium format housing.

[DSeven1923 0]

Mine was a Canon G10 with Ikelite housing and an Ikelite strobe...I really didn't like the housing at all and eventually moved on to Nauticam

[underwaterguy 1]

A Sea & Sea DX1200... It got me hooked, but it's been in box on a shelf for a long time...

[JWNZ 1]

Canon Powershot

[Devilfish 0]

I also started with a Canon PowerShot, no strobe. Took it a few places. Looking back on my pics I have lots of green and blue lo-res images of beautiful places. When I went to Truk in 2004 I rented a second camera from my LDS as a backup, can't remember what brand but instead of a flash memory card you had to insert a 3.5" disk. I hope I can make it back there and take some decent pictures now that I have a clue.

[simonK 10]

Nikonos IVA + subalwider add on wide angle lense and Morris aqua flash. All well second hand by the time I got them.

[phxazcraig 123]

My really first underwater camera was one of those disposable film ones. After that, Canon SD630 in Canon housing. Then followed a series of such Canon's: SD870is, s95, s120. Each failed with a zoom defect above water by the way. Then a Sony RX100 II with a pair of real strobes. Then Nikon D810, and D850.

[Skeptic14 3]

My first uw camera was a tg-4 (3 - Rugged Waterproof camera (Olympus tough, etc)), but I also bought the pt-056 housing and a strobe, which is more (1 - compact or fixed lens in plastic housing). So I selected 1 assuming the intent of 3 was being unhoused.

[thetrickster 328]

My first underwater camera was a Casio EXILIM EX-Z1000 back in 2007.

 

It was a very last minute purchase at Curry’s at Healthrow Airport for a dive trip to Thailand. I think it was £320 or something with the dive case.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Interceptor121 842]

Very interesting to see polycarbonate makes 50% of respondent and is something that is almost dead today except Meikon and of course Olympus

Surprise with tough cameras low rate and higher go pro

[Barmaglot 262]

On 10/13/2019 at 5:25 AM, Interceptor121 said:

Very interesting to see polycarbonate makes 50% of respondent and is something that is almost dead today except Meikon and of course Olympus

Surprise with tough cameras low rate and higher go pro

I just came off a liveaboard in the Philippines. Between sixteen divers, mine was the only ILC (Sony A6300 in a SeaFrogs housing); two carried RX100s in Sony housings without lights (one had a GoPro on top), one had an RX100M1 in a RecSea housing with twin YS-01s and a separate Panasonic compact in a Polaroid housing on a stick for macro video, one had an S-series Canon with a single YS-01 STROBE, and another 4-5 had GoPros on small handles - no tray-mounted rigs with lights; just hand-held torches at most. This lines up pretty well with the poll results, if you account for people shooting GoPros in ambient light not even knowing about wetpixel, much less posting here. 

Regarding polycarbonate - Ikelite is still alive and kicking. Fantasea is quite popular too. 

[Interceptor121 842]

1 hour ago, Barmaglot said:

I just came off a liveaboard in the Philippines. Between sixteen divers, mine was the only ILC (Sony A6300 in a SeaFrogs housing); two carried RX100s in Sony housings without lights (one had a GoPro on top), one had an RX100M1 in a RecSea housing with twin YS-01s and a separate Panasonic compact in a Polaroid housing on a stick for macro video, one had an S-series Canon with a single YS-01 STROBE, and another 4-5 had GoPros on small handles - no tray-mounted rigs with lights; just hand-held torches at most. This lines up pretty well with the poll results, if you account for people shooting GoPros in ambient light not even knowing about wetpixel, much less posting here. 

Regarding polycarbonate - Ikelite is still alive and kicking. Fantasea is quite popular too. 

Yes that is a good point. I think the polycarbonate entry level is what I was referring to. There are less and less cameras without a port system unlike Canon Powershot and ixus series. I think transition from gopro to still camera is hard if you don't have a compelling proposition

[Barmaglot 262]

There are less and less compact cameras in general, phones have taken over that slice of the market - and incidentally, phone housings (Weefine Smart Housing et al) are becoming more common. The basic compact (Canon S-series) is dead completely, and premium compacts (RX100 series, G5X, G7X) are priced out of many people's reach.

Port systems for compacts are still quite rare though, it's only RX100 M6/M7 that needs one. IIRC Nauticam made a basic port system for G7X II some time ago, but that camera functions fine with a fixed port.