Comments on Canon 5D/Aquatica after first trip

I am new to digital having used film underwater for nearly 50 years. So this is a big, big change.

I used my new set-up in Bonaire for a couple of weeks and am pretty pleased with the results. A few random observations:

The switch to pure manual ( two Sb105's) from TTL, which I was dreading, was no big deal. Yes I messed up a few but got better at it over the holiday.

The big LCD is a good feature and just one quick glance was enough to know whether I had done everything right

Canon 5D viewfinder display is quite limited and more importantly illuminates rather weakly so is impossible to see when there is decent ambient light. I had to keep looking at the top deck display constantly so had to take my eye from the viefinder.

The Aquatica housing is very robust and gives me confidence. However, neither shutter nor aperture is available to the right hand while keeping a finger on the shutter.

I used a Sigma 50 macro (latest model) which proved to be excellent. Mine seems to be a very quiet and quick specimen. Also a Canon 100 macro which worked a treat and locked on easily. I also used a Canon 17/40 zoom which performed much better than I expected after everything I had read in this forum and elsewhere. I largely avoided using it at 17mm and also stopped down well. I used it both with and without a 2X dioptre and after a very quick look, can't really see any difference in results

I also found the centre focussing point of the 5D somewhat hard to see in the viewfinder. It is marked quite palely and is not distinctly different from the five or six around it. I missed quite a few shots by lining up with what I thought was the centre focussing point only to find when I half pressed the shutter that it was one of the peripheral ones. As I approach a subject I now keep continually half pressing. This all may be down to me and I suppose I will get used to it

The big plus to me was the quality of the files. I was astounded how good they are - they look like medium format film!

Jim Greenfield

Thanks for the mini-review. How about posting some images.

Any further dives/thought on the Aquatica housing for the 5D? I'm trying to make the choice between Aquatica and Ikelite. Any issues or problems at all with the Aquatica?

Hello Jim!

Thanks for the mini review.

I'm very interested in your opinion of the 5D viewfinder as this is one of the main reasons I'm leaning towards the 5D instead of the 20/30D.

Did you (or anyone else here) have a chance to compare the viewfinder with another Canon DSLR?

It's quite noticeably bigger than the one on the 20D or 300D on land, but the question is if this advantage is still present underwater?

How much worse is it to your previous (film?) camera, as you claimed that it quite limited and illuminates weakly.

Thanks for your feedback.

Robert

Hi Robert,

There is another posting here on Wetpixel about the 5D viewfinder which is quite good. Have a search for it.

Since the viewfinder image from the 5D is very big, you need to get your eye close to the opening in order to see it all. Once you do, the image is quite a bit bigger and brighter than the 20D (which I used to own).

What this means underwater is that you pretty much need to press your mask against the housing in order to see it all - at least w/ the 2 housings that I have tried.

Cheers

James

Hi Robert

The viewfinder itself is very good both from the 5D's point of view and Aquatica's but I cannot compare with any other DSLR. My slight disappointment is twofold and both relate to the camera itself. Firstly the viefinder display of exposure info illuminates weakly and I found in the bright ambient light of Bonaire that I could not see it unless I was below about 20m I guess. This isn't a problem in the North Sea where I normally dive where the words "bright" and "ambient" are something of an oxymoron!

Secondly I found distinguishing the active focussing point a little bit difficult. I rarely use anything but the centre point and whilst it is just slightly larger than the eight points arrayed around it, it is not differentiated in any other way - eg by being marked more strongly. In the heat of the moment as I approach a subject, with my eye held away from the viefinder by my mask,I don't find it easy to ensure that it is the centre point that I have lined up on an eyeball or whatever before I half press the shutter lever. I am sure I never had that trouble with my F90. I therefore now just keep tapping the shutter lever as I am approaching a subject to make sure I am lining the right point up. I have just been looking at it as I sit at my desk and it really isn't a problem on land. I don't want to overplay this - it may be me - my eyes are not the best and I wear a bi-focal mask. However, I am glad it is a black one to keep out extraneous light.

Hope this helps

Jim Greenfield

Jim

I will just add my experience of using macro over the last two weeks in a not too wonderful weather window off Ireland's west coast, into these posts. One of the most useful combinations we (lucy and I) tried was the 60mm EFS coupled with the extension tube 12(MkII). This gives remarkably good results fro about 40cm to greater than 1:1. As an internal focus, usm lens it is very quick indeed and rarely had problems with focus except in very poor light (of which we did have some). Although I used a different camera/housing, I'm posting this (again) as I really think this combination is an excellent temperate waters macro set-up and I reckon it would be superb on a 5D. So for anyone working in temperate waters on FF Canon, I can thoroughly recommend this lens/extender.

I moved from EOS20D housed by Aquatica to 5D and still with Aquatica, the big change of my opnion was the 5D viewfinder, it is huge if you compare with 20D. Good for macro. The second improvement was the way to put the camera into the housing, I loved the detachable base.

5D is a good camera, rich in details, FF gave us (canonians) a true fisheye view again, but she is cruel with non prime and cheap zoom lenses.

Regards. Fabio

Any further dives/thought on the Aquatica housing for the 5D? I'm trying to make the choice between Aquatica and Ikelite. Any issues or problems at all with the Aquatica?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had the opportunity to handle the Aquatica and Sea & Sea 5D housings last week. Be sure to give the S&S a look. Beautiful housing, working TTL I think you can reach one command dial without removing hands from the handle. On Aquatica's housing neither command dial is convenient from the handle.

Finish on S&S is also excellent. Second only to seacam.

Hi Kasey,

Were you at the Scuba Show in LB? If so, you better post some pix man! :-)

Is the S&S and all metal housing, or is the back polycarb? Did you get to play w/ their TTL converter? How about the flash sockets on the housing - were they 6-pin?

Cheers

James

I've had my hands on the Sea & Sea 5D - the way it comes from the factory, it has a 5-pin socket(for manual strobe use) and a 6-pin socket for the TTL convertor (which then uses 5-pin sync cords to the strobes).

The housing is all metal - very nice finish, with excellent ergonomics. From what I've been told, the TTL convertor works very well with close-focus wide angle and macro.

I found that I could reach both the shutter and aperture dials with my right hand still on the handle, but I have large hands. It'd be a strech for some people.

No, I was on Kararu with andy sallmon - s&s rep. I didn't know the housings were not easily available yet. Agree with all Brian said - except never tried CFWA with TTL.