please critique my choice

Hi All,

I am a long-time diver shooting Nikonos V cameras for wide angle and macro.

Time to join the digital revolution.

I'll continue to use my film camera for wide angle, going to go digital for fish portraits and macro. I want something that works well and is not too huge.

I'm thinking about an Olympus SP-350 (8 megapixel), Ikelite housing, arm, sync cord, and Ikelite DS-51 or DS-125 strobe.

I like that the Olumpus can be run completely manually (including focus) and that it can be directly connected via sync cord to an Ikelite strobe. I'm still debating whether to get the DS-51 (more ergonmomic) or DS-125 (more light is better, esp underwater!) strobe.

Any other thoughts? Is there a better setup than this out there? (no housed digital SLR suggestions please, I want to keep it small!)

THANKS!!

I think this is the best choice for compacts these days. you also have the choice to shoot RAW which is really a big bonus, not a lot of compacts shoot that. I would suggest the 125 over the 51 as like you say, more light the better. You can also use it with your WA on the Nik V as a backup or second strobe.

Thanks for the reply, Mike.

How well does the autofocus work on the SP-350?

I'm thinking that for moving subjects, like fish, it might be better just estimate distance in manual focus mode, and for more stationary subjects, like corals, nudibranchs, etc, the autofocus would be okay.

How much light does the autofocus need to work properly?

Thanks again!!

So I did purchase the Olympus SP350 and had a chance to play with it. I compared images created with it with identical images created using a Nikon D200 (10 megapixels) and good lens. Yes, there is a difference, the SP350 is a bit more noisy when you look closely. But basically, I like the SP350.

Now to decide on housing & strobe. I am leaning toward the Ikelite system I mentioned above. I need to make a decision and get everything before we leave on a trip to Indonesia, Lembeh Straits on the North Sulawesi Agressor, in late March.

Hopefully, the SP350 will get me close to what I am used to from the Nikonos V, for example:

B)

i think the Ike housing and a DS125 would be a great combination for this camera.

i think the Ike housing and a DS125 would be a great combination for this camera.

Mike......yes, that's the way I'm leaning. In a couple of years (hopefully not less!) the camera & housing will be obsolete, but the strobe should be a player for a while into the future......