Move to digital - suggestions please

I've been a lurker at wepixel for over a year, enjoying the comments. I've been using a Sea & Sea MX10 with strobe for about 2 years, have gotten some decent pix via scanning to digital and post-processing, but am interested in moving to digital images directly.

I've been doing photography since 4x5 press cameras were the norm and currently have a Canon Digital Rebel and an older Canon S50. I've been looking at the various housings for the Rebel but by the time I get that and a strobe it gets pretty expensive. I also wear a bifocal mask, and the small viewfinder on the Rebel housing vs using the 2.5" LCD on a point/click gives me pause.

I was thinking about getting a new Canon S80, Canon housing and Ikelite DS125 or possibly the Inon D2000 - total would be about $1500 or so. That's barely the price for the housing on the Rebel. Typical uses for the picture are prints - up to 8x10 or so, slide shows, etc. - not looking for publication. Smaller size is always a plus. I typically do 2-3 trips a year in Cozumel, Grand Cayman, etc.

I'm somewhat confused about the strobe sync issues surrounding the compact cameras - Ikelite seems to claim that only its manual controller/flash sensor will work well. Inon seems to tout fiber-optic sensors. Opinions please? One thing I like about the Inon is the focusing/aiming light - I've seen this in use and it seems really helpful - especially for dusk/night dives.

Opinions regarding Ikelite vs Inon for this type of application? Other choices for small camera in similar ($500) price range? Stick with the Digital Rebel and house it?

Appreciate any feedback or suggestions.

Al

Hi Al, welcome to wetpixel!

I think that with a compact you will be better off with an Inon strobe, which is a lot smaller than the DS125. Also, since compacts are usually stuck in pretty wide apertures, you won't need the power of the DS125.

I don't know much about compacts, but one thing I hate is shutter lag. So, if I were you, I would buy the compact with the shorter shutter lag.

I am sure more knowledgeable members will give you advice on the flash sync issue.

Luiz

For that price think about the Fuji E900. No shutter lag, great pictures, similar price. I don't know much about the S80 though so maybe it also has minimal shutter lag. Also the Ike DS50 for a strobe is something to think about it. Nice and small but very powerful.

Just thought I'd post a brief update here:

I did get the Canon S80 w/Ikelite housing and used it on a recent dive trip to Grand Cayman's East End. I had also ordered an Ikelite D125 strobe, but decided that it was way too heavy when it arrived and returned it unused.

Got some fairly decent (I think) pix with just the internal, diffused flash. Unfortunately, lots of particle bounce which I expected using the onboard flash. Think I'll probably get the Inon strobe before my next trip. I was VERY pleasantly surpised at the quality of the 640x480 video that I shot, almost as an afterthought, on a couple of dives. The camera gives about 8 minutes of .AVI on a 1 GB card.

Al