I finally had a chance to go diving with the above-mentioned setup.
My initial thoughts, in no particular order:
1/ It is surprisingly easy to use the 45 degree finder. It didnt require much effort at all to compose and shoot. Getting the eye placement just right instantaneously did take a little bit getting used to, but the learning process was hardly difficult. Based on what I had read here, I was expecting a lot harder adjustment period. Not so.
2/ With the Inon finder, you can see pretty much the entire VF image. It is a bit "tunnelly" but a huge improvement over the standard finder. Composition becomes a lot simpler when you can see everything, instead of having to guess. I got atleast a couple of keepers today because I was able to monitor the composition and shoot at the just the right moment. Same shot with the standard finder - I would have likely have lost atleast a few of those shots or captured the less-than-perfect moment.
3/ Another great benefit is comfort. It is much easier on my neck and head to shoot with a 45 deg finder than peering straight in - especially when shooting up. We have lots of cracks and crevices and bommies next to each other, and usually, I have to hang upside down and shoot with my neck at an impossible angle. After 19 years of being tossed around in jujitsu, that really isnt fun for my neck or me. Much easier now. I experienced no fatigue whatsoever.
4/ Another subtle difference I noticed was similar to the effect of shooting with a 4x5 view camera with an reversed image - when what you see is spatially different from the view in front of you (here b/c of the 45 degrees difference, with a 4x5 b/c of the reversed image), it becomes easier to think of elements in the scene in front as design blocks instead of objects - this speeds up the decision-making process in composition.
Overall, I am thrilled to bits with this finder - both b/c of the improved VF coverage as well as the 45 degree viewscreen (which, to me, is a little better than a straight finder). Best money I have spent. Kudos to David at Scubacam Singapore for doing a fast installation and getting it back to me faster than expected. He provided excellent instructions and installation on my end was very simple as well.
Really, this - along with adding the Stix buoyancy arms - has been the best thing I could have done to improve my rig for photography. Cannot rave about it enough.
I will post some photos in a few days, once we have faster internet (rumors of broadband are swirling on the island. We applied for a connection and promptly had our phone disconnected in preparation for the upgrade. It's been 2 weeks now. Sigh).
Cheers,
Vandit
