Help please

Hi,

I just bought a canon eos 350D and I use it with EF28-70 lens I already had.

I am looking at getting a housing, strobe and lens to take it underwater but I have too many confusions

1. I want a 1 lens solution to start off with so that I am ready to shoot anything I see underwater. It does not have to deliver the best wide angle and macro photos but shud be able to handle both decently.

With this mindset, I am looking at 17-55 EF (maybe L)lens and I was wondering if it can handle some level of macro photography as well. DO u have other suggestions?

2. I was seriously considering a fantasea F350D housing but now I am confused .. Everybody in the forum says it does not have full feature capability but when i looks at the specs I am not able to find out what it is missing. Also does fantasea has enough strobes and ports for 350D.

I have also started considering Ikelite. Do their strobes have full eTTL capability. Can u use an ikelite strobe/port on fantasea and vice versa. Can i use a housed 580 EX with an ikelite housing. is that a good idea anyway? (how about when used with a powerful second strobe)

How about using a nice video light instead of a strobe? What r the advantages or disadvantages.

This is a recommended fantasea setup.

http://www.fantasea.com/downloads/2006_system_dslr.pdf

There is a place for attaching an LED light. Can u do something similar with an ikelite. What will it buy me anyway?

3. Overall, can someone spoonfeed me with a nice underwater setup for a 350D. Trust me I am doing my research but I am only getting confused all the more.

Hi,

A good all around lens for the 350D is Canon's 17-85 EF-S lens.

If you get the Fantasea housing, the only way to to eTTL would be to house a canon flash, or use a Heinrich's TTL converter circuit board.

If you get an Ike housing, and their strobes, they have a eTTL converter built into the housing that works quite well.

The other choice, a bit more expensive is the Sea and Sea housing for the 350D, and a Sea and Sea eTTL converter box. Then you can use many different brands of strobes and get TTL. I bet you could use that same box w/ the Fantasea housing, but you'd need special wiring and a 6 pin bulkhead.

Or you could just forget about TTL - you don't really need it when you're shooting digital and can see your results right away.

I hope that helps,

James

I use an Ikelite housing for the Rebel XT, with DS-125 and the stock 18-55 lens. I'll be picking up a 100mm macro at Christmas to add to the mix. I am quite happy with the setup and how easily the eTTL works. The modelling light on the strobe is quite bright as well. I have never felt the need to add additional focusing lighting. However, I'll probably add another DS-125 at some point.

If you get the Fantasea housing, the only way to to eTTL would be to house a canon flash, or use a Heinrich's TTL converter circuit board.

 

James

We have a 6 pin to 5 pin converter that allows most nikonos TTl strobes, ie Inon 240z, to work fine. The housed Canon speedlight is pretty attractive, as then you have a great above water strobe as well.

Here's a link to the 350 manual, it might answer your questions, I don't see anything missing, however I don't own the camera:

Fantasea 350 housing manual

Jack

One lens that will let you do a lot of things is the sigma 17-70. Follow this thread and then Gudge´s links to see the pics he has made:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=14835&hl=