New equipment dilemna

I'm in a quandry. I recently sold my d/rebel, planning to upgrade to an XT, until I realized how much smaller than the Rebel Canon had made it. Instead, I bought a20d (spending a lot more than I had planned) and now I am torn between getting a U/W setup for it or settling for a lesser point and shoot setup. A lot of the money I had budgeted for a U/W kit , I spent on the pricier Eos 20d, and I about choke when I tally up the cost of a hosusing and strobe, etc. for the dslr.

My questions are 1) Will I be satisfied with a P+S of say 5mp or better for underwater?Or should I save up to buy a housing for my 20d? I know without a doubt that above water I want the flexibility and control of an slr, but is that as important underwater where (from what i have seen) most shots are relatively close with as much DOF as possible.

Secondly, if going with a P+S , what inexpensive models/brands do you reccomend?

Lastly, if going with the 20d, what brand housings and strobes would be best, and best for the money??

Thank you in advance to all who can give me some input and advice. Roy

That's a hard call without a bit more information. What sort of experience do you have with photography? I know that my wife has a great deal more flexibility on land with her D100 than I do with my Nikon 5400. However, I have found through some experimentation that my 5400 takes some great shots inside the housing in the TIFF format with the Ikelite DS-125.

A little background:

I was using a sealife setup last year. I was relatively happy with it, but I found the strobes not very flexible and the camera not great for anything but slideshows on the computer. I already had the coolpix 5400 and have been very happy with it. Given that my wife is a PRO above water photog, I have some insights into what to and not to do with the camera and if I ever get something worth printing, I will have her do in on her pro printers - so, in that respect I am set.

I just spent 1300+ on the ikelite housing and strobe for the 5400. Of course, the strobe will be useful for the future no matter the camera. I have a feeling that when she upgrades to the D200, I will inherit the D100 and eventually get a housing for it.

I know there are less expensive setups out there, but in my limited experience, I feel the Ikelite strobe is superior to anything I have attempted thus far.

Best of luck and please let us know what you end up with....

I am a fairly adept photographer on land, but have zero experience below except for the disappointing results of a cheap film 35mm housing with built in flash (that only served to ruin most shots). I have been shooting over 20 years with a canon 35mm film slr, purchased my first digital P+S several years ago. This year I sold my D/Rebel (after a two year love affair) and moved up to the 20d. I really want to outfit the 20D for uw shooting but can't really afford the $2500 or so clams it would cost . On the other hand, I don't want to spend half that amount on a sealife or sea and sea system and then be disappointed or regret not having a true dslr and alll the features of my 20d.

As far as housings go, Ikelite seems to be the least expensive. Is it one of the better ones? Is the strobe(s) as good / better than others brands?

I am definitely leaning toward scraping up the extra dough for housing my Canon, I just am not sure it will be worth the added expense.

Hi Scubadad and welcome to Wetpixel.

My wife shoots the 20D in an Ikelite housing and I've had the chance to shoot it a few times. The setup really "comes together" and is a pleasure to use. With 2x DS125 strobes and set up for macro, the housing is nearly neutral in the water. This helps offset the bulk of the setup a lot.

The only downside is that you need to look through a smaller SLR viewfinder as compared to a point and shoot camera. For most situations, this is actually BETTER, but when shooting tiny macro, it can be hard.

Over all, (and especially since you used a D-Rebel) I think you will be MUCH happier housing the 20D than going back to the point and shoot with it's associated slow writing time and shutter lag.

Cheers

James

I agree with James; you'll be far happier (albeit poorer ) in the end if you house your 20D (which is a GREAT camera!) than getting a p&s. The two most affordable housings are Ikelite and Aquatica, and I'd consider only getting one strobe initially (after all, that's all you'd have with a p&s). You can always add a second strobe later. Granted, housing your 20D is considerably more money, but in the end you'll likely be happier.

If you decide the money simply is prohibitive, consider one of the Oly p&s's - e.g., their 5050, for which you can get an Oly housing CHEAP, and add one external strobe (e.g., a S&S YS-90). I've seen some great photos taken with that setup, and it'll run you considerably(!) less than housing your 20D, plus you'll be able to use the strobe with your 20D if you later DO decide to house it. The p&shooters can give you more input if you do decide to go that route.

What lenses do you already have for the 20D?

Try looking for a used housing. Perhaps a Wetpixel member, or someone on eBay has a housing for sale.

Here's a Drebel housing w/ strobe:

http://cgi.ebay.com/IKELITE-DIGITAL-SLR-CA...1QQcmdZViewItem

I just bought a 15mm UW Nikkor from the same seller.

Maybe you should have kept the Drebel?

Yeah, I agree with James too. Having done P+S and DSLR, there is no doubt which is more satisfying.

You know your own mind far better than any of us: is there a chance that you will put the money into a P+S system (which is still not cheap) but always regret it -and be hankering after the DSLR? If so, my suggestion would be to really shop around and see if you can find a 20D housing which is affordable. Have a look at the second hand offers in the Classified forum.

Good luck with it! Not an easy call.

I had the same decisions to make about three months ago. I ended up buying a Ikelite housing to my 20D together with one Ikelite strobe (a second strobe is on my wish list for Santa). I love the camera and the housing and would not trade it for a P&S camera. Go for a housing for your 20D!

Just my $0.02.

/Anders