Evolving from Nikonos to DSLR

I've stumbled onto quite a wealth of knowledgeable photographers here. Perhaps someone may be able to help me with this problem.

I've been using a Nikonos V with a 15mm lens and a single Ikelite 100ai for the past few years. The only problem has been film processing. I've had less than satisfactory results with local developing. Compounding this problem, my favorite film company, AGFA is sadly out of business.

My wife and I have the dive trip of a lifetime coming up in November, 3 weeks in Micronesia (Truk, Yap, Palau). With the expense of this trip, it will be doubtful we'll be returning there again.

I am considering switching to a DSLR for this trip. My wife has a Canon 20d that I've become comfortable with topside. I am contemplating purchasing one as well. Perhaps using an Aquatica A20 housing with a 10 - 22 lens. As far as strobes go, I'm still uncertain, despite the posts that I've read, as to what would be best.

The question: Would it be foolish to change cameras before this trip? Or, would it be more foolish to remain the victim of film processing?

Thank you, I appreciate being able to pose this question here.

Jim

Hi Jim,

If you're already familiar with the camera, and already have 1 body, getting a spare body and housing it seems like a reasonable thing to do.

Besides, November is a long way away, and you could always do a couple of weekend trips on the coast or the local swimming pool to familiarise yourself with your housing and strobe system.

For the latter, if your existing strobe is still functional, you could stick with that. Alternatively, if you wish to get something wider and more powerful to cover your WA lens, you could look into an Ikelite DS200.

Finally, regarding accurate post processing, I'm sure you would be familiar with camera and printer profile through the other threads on Wetpixel.

Cheers,

Mathieu

Hi Jim, welcome to wetpixel!

I am also a recent (8 months) film convert, and I agree with Matt, get the digital. The difference is amazing. Keep your 100a, if you were satisfied with it and the 15 you will have no problems on using it with the 10-22. You may want to get a second strobe eventually, to make things easier.

Luiz

In this context (the film to digital transition), it really isn't about evolution - it's intelligent design!

Frogfish

Although I am for digital, you also have to remember that going digital will require certain things:

1. More photoshop skills

2. Better (Faster) computer (esp if you have an older (3 years or more) one). Perhaps an upgrade of drive and memory space.

3. Grasping digital concepts like RAW, jpeg, WB,parameter settings (sharpness, color profile etc) etc. This can be easy or very hard (some pros still can't work their DSLR well u/w),

4. Purchase of more than just camera and housing and strobes. You will need a storage device for the photos (photo displays like Epson and GigaVu) or a laptop. Otherwise you'll be buying lots of memory cards (which fortunately have dropped in price lately).

As Matthieu said, Nov is pretty far away and you have the time to use the camera with housing and understand it well. Good luck and congrats on the trip.

The above post mentions a learning curve which you seem to have time for. If you stick to film-shot some velvia 100 or kodak e-100 VS and get some A&I mailers from B&H photo. They are on special now. Good place to order film from as well. Good place to buy that new Dig body as well. If it was me I'd take both that way you will cover all bases. I still shoot film and the biggest expense is the time to run the scans and mess with all that. That said a spot on velvia shot that jumps off the slide is hard to beat with anything digital. I will make the move when the stuff out now is 1/2 price in a few years as folks move to the next greatest camera. Mark

Thank you; mattdiver, Rocha, frogfish, scubadru and onokai. I really appreciate your time and advice.

Mattdiver, thank you, you bring up an excellent point in familiarizing myself with a new rig locally, as opposed to learning on vacation.

Rocha, thank you for your support in converting to digital, and suggesting 2 strobes.

frogfish, thank you for putting my decision into perspective. Your humor allowed be to take a step back from the mind-numbing decisions, and think more clearly.

scubadru, thank you for calling attention to the post processing needs of digital photography. We have a fairly new dedicated laptop for supporting my wife's camera (20D).

onokai, thank you, B&H has been wonderful to order from the past few years, always fresh film. I tried velvia 100 on my last trip. $38 to develop, mount and scan 20 images. Ouch. Your right the saturation is great.

Thank you all

-Jim

You have a difficult choice: what lenses? The equivalent of the Nikonos 15mm will need a dome (and if you opt for a zoom, then it's even more different from using the Nikonos), but there are some stunning close-ups out in Micronesia as well as spectacular wrecks etc. I'm not familiar with Canon's lenses, but there's lots of advice hidden around wetpixel. I now use a Nikon 12-24 zoom where I would have used a Nikonos 15mm: the trick with wide-angle zooms is getting the right port (so a good local dealer is very useful).

Having said that, I used a high-end compact with Inon strobes in 2004 (ie a mid-range compact by todays standards) and the results weren't too bad. A wreck and some life from Chuuk:

Tim

B)