Case and camera to start uw photography

[eLzUb]

What’s the real bargain I mean not the cheapest solution but the best bargain in terms of image quality with used equipment to start uw photography?

 

 For example I found Sony a7 II 

in really good shape at 500 euro, but if I look around uw case cost around 1000-3000 euro.

 

I don’t want compact camera with small sensors,

 

at this time outside water I  shot with fujifilm x100 series … so would like to keep good image quality.

a full frame would be something really curious and happy to work with. 
because i never had and always dreaming about it.

 

for video I have already an action cam… so no need video capabilities.

 

for you….now in the market what’s the real uw bargain as camera and case? 
 

the cost to buy this used  equipment cannot exceed the price (1500euro) of NEW  Olympus E-M10 IV with Underwater Housing that now I think is one of the cheapest solution with a bigger sensor than 1 inch about new gear in the market… even the camera is old and hope to see a new model soon.

 

 

btw cheap does not mean bargain.

 

 

 

[Chris Ross]

Depending on what housing manufacturer to some extent the overall cost of housing a camera scales with sensor size.  You might be able to pickup a good bargain on a housing but you might need to spend $$ for a new port depending on what sort of deal you get.  In general smaller formats mean smaller ports which take yp less space when travelling and are generally cheaper.  I'm talking about housing manufacturers with a system - they sell housings and a complete range of ports and extension rings that are matched well to your lenses.  Wet lenses break this mould to a certain extent as some like the WWL can be used from m43 all the way through to full frame for specific camera brands that sell suitable lenses for them.

 

As far as image quality is concerned anything from m43 will provide decent image quality.  The EM-1mKII and OM-1 are very close in quality to a Nikon D500 for example and are good enough for many people.

 

Your other consideration is strobes.  For wide angle work you need a lot of strobe power , but smaller formats can generally shot at wider apertures so are less demanding of strobe power - this means you can get away with cheaper strobes, the INON S220 is a bargain in strobes and is quite suitable for wide angle work on m43 cameras, but quite marginal for full frame.

 

The main point is look at the complete picture of what you would need to house a camera, buy the appropriate ports and extensions and strobes.

 

Having said all of that a housing for a generation or two old camera should sell for about 30 to at most 50% of the new purchase price.

[wetdreams]

Hello,

Since out of the water you are familiar with the Fujifilm ecosystem, I would consider a Fuji camera in a Nauticam case.
I have been using a Fuji X-t3 in a Nauticam housing for four years and I am very happy with it, so much so that I hope to upgrade to a Fuji X-t5 and a Nauticam housing as soon as I sell my current setup.
I don't know if you will have Fujifilm lenses, since the X-100 series is a fixed lens camera, but Nauticam gives you many options in both macro and wide angle for the Fujifilm system, and I don't need to tell you about the quality that you can get with a Fuji camera and any of their lenses.
With my 26Mp X-t3 I have never missed a full frame camera, and I have printed some fairly large prints.
I do mostly macro, and I wouldn't change my Fujinon 80mm macro for the world.
If you decide to go this route, contact me and maybe we can work out a deal regarding my Fuji X-t3 + Nauticam NaXt3.
In any case, if you have any questions about the Fujifilm-Nauticam system, I will be very happy to try to help you.
All the best.

Edited November 10 by wetdreams

[cashmorephoto]

I tend to agree with Chris that m43 offers a great quality compared to size and price. As with anything else in photography, finding used gear is always going to be cheaper, but this is a very small niche and it can be tricky to find exactly what you need/want sometimes on the used market. 

 

However, there is currently a very nice Sony a6600 setup in the classified section that I would be very interested in if I were looking to start taking underwater photos. (I am not affiliated with the seller in any way so I will not benefit from the sale)

Edited December 10 by cashmorephoto

[humu9679]

On 9/26/2024 at 10:27 PM, eLzUb said:

What’s the real bargain I mean not the cheapest solution but the best bargain in terms of image quality with used equipment to start uw photography?

 

 For example I found Sony a7 II 

in really good shape at 500 euro, but if I look around uw case cost around 1000-3000 euro.

 

I don’t want compact camera with small sensors,

 

at this time outside water I  shot with fujifilm x100 series … so would like to keep good image quality.

a full frame would be something really curious and happy to work with. 
because i never had and always dreaming about it.

 

for video I have already an action cam… so no need video capabilities.

 

for you….now in the market what’s the real uw bargain as camera and case? 
 

the cost to buy this used  equipment cannot exceed the price (1500euro) of NEW  Olympus E-M10 IV with Underwater Housing that now I think is one of the cheapest solution with a bigger sensor than 1 inch about new gear in the market… even the camera is old and hope to see a new model soon.

 

 

btw cheap does not mean bargain.

 

 

 

 

There are great mirrorless systems now that are full frame. Canon, Nikon, Sony. There are also smaller sensors within those systems, and let's not forget m43. Some of the best ergonomics you will find for stills is in OM Systems, with industry leading image stabilization. And superb video capabilities from Panasonic. If you're comfortable shooting Fuji above water, why not invest in housing those cameras? They're quite good by reputation, though I've never used them. Nauticam houses the XT series, and the medium format Fujis - but this is a very expensive proposition. Seafrogs works, though I've never heard of anyone servicing them: https://seafrogs.com.hk/collections/fujifilm?page=3