Opening disclaimer: I AM reading the camera manual! <_<
Took the new rig (D300, S&S MDX housing, S&S ys110 strobe plus old YS 90DX strobe, Tokina 10-17 wa with S&S dome port) on it's first dive today. Decided to start with the 60mm macro lens first since I could get away with just one strobe and didn't want to task load.
THINGS I LOVE ABOUT IT versus my old 5050 setup:
No shutter lag
Super fast write time even in Raw
Image quality is incredible
New S&S ys110 strobe is so great I may sell the YS90DX and get another to match the new one.
Makes me look cool 
There will be more things in the pro column when I understand the camera better. I was just grateful to keep the water on the outside!
My photos weren't as bad as I was afraid they might have been. I did a lot of experimentation but need to do much more. It was really a new experience being stuck with one lens with no options other than macro/closeup. That part I actually enjoyed...It was more relaxing than trying to switch back and forth between WA or macro as I often did with the Oly 5050
THINGS I DISLIKE:
Oh my God it's heavy! I may have to get flotation arms to avoid wrist fatigue.
Focus must be DEAD ON (with the 60mm) or image is a bust. A little wiggle makes for a big blur. I seemed to have lost my abillity to manage DOF and probably need to get used to the different range of apertures versus my old 5050. The attached image was shot w/my 60mm, manual mode, ISO 200, 1/500, F8, Focus mode AF-C but most times the goby was just out of focus but the nose of the eel was spot on. Any ideas what I could do differently? I thought F8 would have given me more DOF but it certainly wasn't as much as I thought it would be. I also need some serious time working with the various auto focus settings on the camera...I'm sure a better grasp of that will help with macro focusing.
I hated double arms before on my 5050 rig and so I stopped using them and only used a set of 8" arms...one on each side. I STILL hate them but now I must use them but it's just so-o-o-o hard to control all those joints!
I've attached one of a few photos I thought were okay for the first day out but again, I struggled with focus problems so many images failed in that regard.
Next week I'll take the dome port and WA. That's where my true love lies so I'm eager to work with it even
though it's more difficult. I'm hoping the dome port will displace enough water that it will lighten the load a bit because, DID I MENTION THAT IT'S HEAVY!!!!!????
