New Set Up <US$5,000 - What would you get

[bghazzal]

10 hours ago, Davide DB said:

We forgot to add it on the about page

You guys also forgot the banner for the kidney bank sponsoring Waterpixels.

[TimG]

2 hours ago, bghazzal said:

You guys also forgot the banner for the kidney bank sponsoring Waterpixels.

An extremely good point. I do believe that there is an automatic membership for all Waterpixels contributors.

[wetdreams]

Hi Marc

There is another brand within the apsc spectrum, which has not been mentioned, and perhaps may be an option to consider, and that is Fujifilm.

Unlike Sony, whose best lenses are made for the full frame system, Fujifilm makes its lenses specifically for aps-c (and they are very, very good) which implies smaller size and cost than its full frame counterparts.
At 40 mp, the X-t5 and X-h2 are excellent mirrorless cameras, comparable in construction, sealing, technology and reliability to their full frame counterparts. As for optics suitable for underwater photography, there are quite a few options:
Macro:
Fujinon 80mm macro (120 FF) that is a fantastic lens, fast and accurate, that produces great image quality (I own and love this lens)
Fujinon 30mm macro (45 FF) hope I will test this lens in a few weeks
Zeiss 50mm macro (75 FF)

 

Rectilinear Wide Angle
Fujinon 8-16mm (dome port)
Fujinon 10-24mm (dome port)

 

There are also a lot of native lenses that combine with the complete range of Nauticam wet lenses, just take a look at Nauticam's N100 Fujifilm port chart and you will see many options.

The only native lens not available from Fujifilm is a fisheye, but with the Viltrox adapter you can easily adapt the Canon mount Tokina 10-17.

When considering Fujifilm as an option, there are two issues to keep in mind.
Firstly, being less popular than other brands, the second-hand market (housings) is more limited.
On the other hand, there are few housing brands for Fujifilm. Nauticam, Ikelite, Seafrogs, as far as I know, which can be a little limiting.
But if you look closely, Nauticam has been betting on Fujifilm for a long time, having made housings for its flagship cameras, both the X-t and X-h series and for their full-format older sisters, the Gfx. I guess this gives a little more confidence.

As for the budget, $5000 is insufficient if you want to buy new, so you would have to search the second-hand market.
X-t3 and X-t4 are excellent options, with "only" 26Mp, and tons of technology and reliability, and with a large second-hand market.

I understand that Fujifilm is a somewhat risky option, but in my point of view better than Sony, which has long ago stopped making efforts to manufacture quality lenses for its APSC cameras.

Lots of options to think about, I guess, and here's one more.
All the best.

[John E]

In case it is of interest, I am planning on putting my Olympus OMD EM 1 ii with Isotta housing up for sale and will be looking for around 60% retail value for the housing and AU$850 (440 pounds sterling) for the camera plus extra battery. I'll be selling the Olympus 8mm fisheye, 7-14mm with Isotta gear, 12-40 Pro and 60mm macro lenses too. The gear is all in excellent condition with original boxes and around two years old. I needed high resolution (research and coral recruitment monitoring zooming in lots to see small coral recruits) so ended up with a Sony A7RV. 

 

But.... I am in Australia, although I have relatives visiting from UK in Feb March who could bring the housing to the UK and post locally. I have a reef tour business called Wavelength Reef Cruises so that could handle payment transaction. I was planning on posting in the classifieds here when I get round to it.

[Mark Don]

@wetdreamsI did look at Fujifilm but discounted on cost, it seemed a great set up but was too much of a stretch

@John E would be interested to see what you've got, did not look at the EM1 closely, will start that study

Has anyone used the Tokina 10-17 lens with a Sony a6700, read some reviews that AF was a bit inconsistent with previous versions of the Sony, but AF has supposedly improved with the a6700

 

[zvonimiri]

I am in the market for a new mirrorless set-up migrating from a FF DSLR and recently explored a lot of options to limit my spending and try to get the most value out of a set-up in this new mirrorless world. Therefore, my suggestions will be towards newer models that are currently available. My main aim was to find the mirrorless set-up without losing much image quality and dynamic range and by gaining more camera capabilities (eye tracking autofocus and etc.) with a smaller package.

 

I will be strictly speaking for the mirrorless segment as I have not looked into any of the compact cameras. As you are moving up from the TG-6 and asking for a mirrorless camera, I believe similarly priced high end compact cameras will not be relevant for you as well.

 

There are 2 options you can consider as 5k USD does not have much purchasing power for underwater photography as someone would expect compared to topside photography.

 

Although you have stated your desire to continue with Canon or Sony, I believe your first option should be another Olympus. This is where you will have to ability to upgrade the body and the housing or add another lens and port to your set-up (For example, the 90mm macro from Olympus) for keeping your overall cost low in the long run by having the flexibility of replacing and expanding rather than starting from scratch for another set-up.

 

The first option will require some second-hand purchases to meet your budget cap.

 

 Option #1: 

- OM System OM-5 Camera (1.000 USD) (alternatively, a second hand EM5 III can be bought)

- Nauticam OM-5 & EM5 III Housing (2.223 USD)

- Vacuum pump of Nautical Housing (220 USD)

- Olympus 8mm Fisheye Lens (900 USD)

- Nauticam N85 Mini Extension Ring 17 (237 USD)

- Nauticam N85 4.33 Inch Acrylic Dome Port (624 USD)

- Olympus 60mm Macro Lens (400 USD)

- Nauticam N85 Macro Port 65 (404 USD)

 

The total of brand-new equipment from the U.S. will cost around 6.008 USD. Purchasing certain items second hand will reduce your total cost below 5K. Additionally, Nauticam products are cheaper in Europe compared to the U.S. and the U.K. and if you can get them tax free, you might get all of them new for slightly over 5K.

 

The second option will be a downgrade in terms of housing quality as Nauticam does not produce a housing for this model. However, this downgrade is also where the cost savings will come from as Ikelite has a completely different market strategy. Additionally, you will have better image quality and much better autofocus (including tracking) compared to the Olympus.

 

Option #2:

- Canon EOS R10 (980 USD)

- Ikelite EOS R10 Housing 200DLM (1.050 USD)

- Ikelite Vacuum Kit (195 USD)

- Ikelite Tray with Dual Release Handles (150 USD)

- Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye Lens (469 USD)

- Canon EF-to-RF Adapter (130 USD)

- Ikelite DLM 6 Inch Port with Zoom (350 USD)

- Zoom Gear (30 USD)

- Canon RF 100mm Macro Lens (1.100 USD)

- DLM Flat Port 3.2 Inch (250 USD)

- DLM 2.2 Inch Port Extension (220 USD)

 

This option will set you back 4.924 USD. Again, you can purchase certain items second hand to reduce your package cost. Since you will be buying the EF-to-Adapter for the Tokina, you might as well purchase the EF version of the 100mm macro lens for further cost reduction. However, I would not recommend this package as it is not future proof. You will most likely end up wanting the Canon EOS R7 with the Nauticam housing resulting in starting from scratch for a package that will cost you around 10k USD.

Edited March 12 by zvonimiri

[boduoguo]

On 1/23/2024 at 10:59 PM, wetdreams said:

Hi Marc

There is another brand within the apsc spectrum, which has not been mentioned, and perhaps may be an option to consider, and that is Fujifilm.

Unlike Sony, whose best lenses are made for the full frame system, Fujifilm makes its lenses specifically for aps-c (and they are very, very good) which implies smaller size and cost than its full frame counterparts.
At 40 mp, the X-t5 and X-h2 are excellent mirrorless cameras, comparable in construction, sealing, technology and reliability to their full frame counterparts. As for optics suitable for underwater photography, there are quite a few options:
Macro:
Fujinon 80mm macro (120 FF) that is a fantastic lens, fast and accurate, that produces great image quality (I own and love this lens)
Fujinon 30mm macro (45 FF) hope I will test this lens in a few weeks
Zeiss 50mm macro (75 FF)

 

Rectilinear Wide Angle
Fujinon 8-16mm (dome port)
Fujinon 10-24mm (dome port)

 

There are also a lot of native lenses that combine with the complete range of Nauticam wet lenses, just take a look at Nauticam's N100 Fujifilm port chart and you will see many options.

The only native lens not available from Fujifilm is a fisheye, but with the Viltrox adapter you can easily adapt the Canon mount Tokina 10-17.

When considering Fujifilm as an option, there are two issues to keep in mind.
Firstly, being less popular than other brands, the second-hand market (housings) is more limited.
On the other hand, there are few housing brands for Fujifilm. Nauticam, Ikelite, Seafrogs, as far as I know, which can be a little limiting.
But if you look closely, Nauticam has been betting on Fujifilm for a long time, having made housings for its flagship cameras, both the X-t and X-h series and for their full-format older sisters, the Gfx. I guess this gives a little more confidence.

As for the budget, $5000 is insufficient if you want to buy new, so you would have to search the second-hand market.
X-t3 and X-t4 are excellent options, with "only" 26Mp, and tons of technology and reliability, and with a large second-hand market.

I understand that Fujifilm is a somewhat risky option, but in my point of view better than Sony, which has long ago stopped making efforts to manufacture quality lenses for its APSC cameras.

Lots of options to think about, I guess, and here's one more.
All the best.

You mentioned that using a Viltrox adapter you can use tokina 10-17 in Fuji cameras.
Do you have any experience with this that you can share?
Is both photo and video focusing available?
How long extension ring is needed to use this lens in XT3 nauticam housing.
I am considering this option .

[bvanant]

Yet another vote for MFT. I have shot MFT for a long time now (Olympus OM-D EM-1, through the new OM-1 mark II). All the macro lenses (30, 45, 60 and 90) and the 7-14. I am using the AOI housing after using Nauticam for a long time and then Isotta. I don't believe there are photos that I could have gotten with the Nauticam/Isotta that I couldn't get with the AOI. Built in LED trigger and vacuum system and ports that support the lenses.  In the long run (as my wife tells me) really no one cares about my or anyone's photos very much and I shoot mostly for myself. The choice of AOI was more about trying something new rather than money (at 250 dives/year x 3 years the price difference is like $3 per dive). There is now an Isotta for the OM-1 series (they didn't have it when I bought the AOI) so that might be a good option.

 

Bill (www.blueviews.net)

 

[Phil Rudin]

I can do this with $1000.00 to spare and cover most of your needs. 

 

First the only mirrorless camera line that has a fisheye lens is the M4/3 8mm fisheye New about $800.00 from Panasonic and $900.00 on sale in the US from Olympus. (Sigma does make a 15mm F/1.8 fisheye for Sony and L-mount for $2000.00 but not well suited to U/W work) I really like the M4/3 format but regardless if you go OM-10 IV or OM-1 II the 20MP image quality remains about the same as it has been over the last several years. Both cameras sync to 1/250th and OM-1 has a higher dot LED screen than the OM-10.

 

The Canon EOS R50 costs $700.00 with the 18-45mm kit lens it has a 24MP sensor which has better image quality than the OM-1 II, it uses the same LCD as the OM-1 and has the 1/250th sync speed. It also has a pop-up flash that can trigger optical strobes in manual of TTL. It has decent video, a base ISO of 100 and more.

 

Nauticam makes an interesting housing for this camera that has a fixed flat port and a builtin bayonet mount that allows you to add closeup lenses like CMC-1 and wide wet lenses like WWL-C and WWL-1B. 

 

A complete Nauticam NA-R50 Pro Package system includes tray with both grips and ball mounts and vacuum system and trigger extension for $2030.00 with camera and lens that gets you too $2730.00, CMC-1 which gives you macro capability at 45mm and WWL-C which gives coverage from 116 to 52 degrees adds 1546.00 bringing the total to $4276.00. The striped down version without the grips and tray with a vacuum system brings you under $4000.00. The CMC-1 requires a $58.00 bayonet adapter. If you want to go to WWL-1B with 130 to 60 degree coverage add an additional $387.00.

 

The big upside to this system is it travels well, only requires one camera lens, transitions well from a compact because you will likely use the LCD and havery good image quality.

[JayceeB]

6 hours ago, Phil Rudin said:

I can do this with $1000.00 to spare and cover most of your needs. 

 

First the only mirrorless camera line that has a fisheye lens is the M4/3 8mm fisheye New about $800.00 from Panasonic and $900.00 on sale in the US from Olympus. (Sigma does make a 15mm F/1.8 fisheye for Sony and L-mount for $2000.00 but not well suited to U/W work) I really like the M4/3 format but regardless if you go OM-10 IV or OM-1 II the 20MP image quality remains about the same as it has been over the last several years. Both cameras sync to 1/250th and OM-1 has a higher dot LED screen than the OM-10.

 

The Canon EOS R50 costs $700.00 with the 18-45mm kit lens it has a 24MP sensor which has better image quality than the OM-1 II, it uses the same LCD as the OM-1 and has the 1/250th sync speed. It also has a pop-up flash that can trigger optical strobes in manual of TTL. It has decent video, a base ISO of 100 and more.

 

Nauticam makes an interesting housing for this camera that has a fixed flat port and a builtin bayonet mount that allows you to add closeup lenses like CMC-1 and wide wet lenses like WWL-C and WWL-1B. 

 

A complete Nauticam NA-R50 Pro Package system includes tray with both grips and ball mounts and vacuum system and trigger extension for $2030.00 with camera and lens that gets you too $2730.00, CMC-1 which gives you macro capability at 45mm and WWL-C which gives coverage from 116 to 52 degrees adds 1546.00 bringing the total to $4276.00. The striped down version without the grips and tray with a vacuum system brings you under $4000.00. The CMC-1 requires a $58.00 bayonet adapter. If you want to go to WWL-1B with 130 to 60 degree coverage add an additional $387.00.

 

The big upside to this system is it travels well, only requires one camera lens, transitions well from a compact because you will likely use the LCD and havery good image quality.

 

I've had my eye on this setup for a while now as a replacement for my wife's Canon G7XII when the time comes.  Excellent value, compact, nauticam housing quality and more camera than most people need.

[guavakal]

The FF upgrade FOMO is very infectious. For a $5000 hard limit starting from scratch, consider the Canon R8 in Ikelite. I cheated by $58 listing the Black Friday Price on the vacuum kit:

Canon R8 body, when on sale, $1,199
Canon RF 100mm macro, every day price, $999
Ikelite R8 housing, MSRP, $1,345
Ikelite Manual Flash Trigger, MSRP, $250
Ikelite Vacuum Kit, Black Friday Price, $98
Ikelite Flat Port for Macro lens, MSRP, $250
Ikelite Extension for Macro lens, MSRP, $220
Canon RF 16mm, every day price, $250
Ikelite Dome Port 16mm wide angle, MSRP, $350

For $1,700 you can add the Canon 8-15 FE later.
Canon EF to RF adapter, MSRP, $129
Canon EF 8-15mm FE lens, upper range of used price, $900
Ikelite Dome Port for FE lens, MSRP, $425
Ikelite Zoom Gear for FE lens, MSRP, $250
 

[humu9679]

On 12/26/2023 at 7:16 AM, Mark Don said:

Thanks all for the help, you have basically given me really strong directions and after lots of reading around my current thoughts are:-

1 - Look for a second hand housing for Olympus EM-1 ii or newer or Sony 6400 or newer (hopefully 6500+)  either Nauticam of Isotta
2 - If I cannot find a set up by April then will look at a new Isotta set up for probably the OM-1. The isotta set up seems to be a lot better value than Nauticam both in base unit cost and accessories
3 - Aim for small dome, if Isotta housing will be a choice between Zen and their own one in glass
4 - First lens will be Tokina 10-16 with metabones adapter, although it appears that this lens will not do AF on video with an Olympus body, so may end up with a second WA lens for video 
5 - Ensure I have a leak detection system on the housing
6 - Body will probably be second had and picked up in Japan unless a deal pops up that is better value 
7 - Pick up a 60mm macro lens at a later date

 
I have steered clear of the canon range mainly due to cost and the fact that Isotta housings fro Canon are about a €1,000 more than Olympus and Sony

It will probably change a few times more times but at the moment these are the sets ups I keep coming back to 



 

Sorry to jump in on a topic so late .... @Mark Don What gear did you pick up? Or did you get enough of a headache from all of us to throw up your hands?