Is going from Tetra 5050 to G10 in housing XXX really an upgrade?

I am seriously considering upgrading from my current Tetra 5050 system (with dual Sea&Sea YS-90DX strobes) to an SLR (Canon) based system. After discussing this several times with Ryan at Reef Photo it looks like it will cost a minimum of close to $XX00 for a good SLR housing system (Sea&Sea) based around my existing equipment: Canon 50D body, Canon 10-22mm and 60mm macro lenses, three Sea&Sea YS-90DX strobes, and ULCS arms. A 50D system configured with all the bells and whistles I would eventually want comes in around $7000.

After seeing the "entry price" into the SLR world I decided to see if there was a less expensive option that would provide a reasonable upgrade path from my current Tetra 5050. Two areas I would like to see improvements are: bigger LCD and faster/better autofocus. The Canon G10 obviously provides a larger (higher resolution) LCD.

For any people who have upgraded from C5050 system to a G10 system, does the G10 autofocus work noticeably better UW than the C5050? Do you think going from the C5050 to the G10 is a worthwhile upgrade or should I just bite the bullet and chunk out the dough for an SLR system?

Another issue I have with the move from a Tetra 5050 -> G10 system is that I really like the Tetra ROC TTL functionality (especially for macro stuff I enjoy so much). Is there a reasonable TTL system available with a G10 housing (besides Ikelite because I understand that Ikelite's TTL system requires Ikelite strobes). From my research it seems like if I want TTL with a G10 system it will be limited to optical sync connections rather than Nikonos style electrical. Is that correct?

Thanks for any information or opinions.

Doug

Any way to install the Tetra ROC in a different housing? I had a Tetra 5050 & recall that I also had spare circuit boards, so it must not be too difficult to remove/replace.

From my research it seems like if I want TTL with a G10 system it will be limited to optical sync connections rather than Nikonos style electrical. Is that correct?

Not really ... just like any other setup, you need a TTL converter. You can buy external TTL converters that let you do electrical TTL with INON, Sea&Sea, etc.

That said, optical TTL with INON and Sea & Sea seems even more attractive to me than electrical - less expensive, just as good and no need to pass through the housing.

Going from a C5050 to a G10 is a huge upgrade. The autofocus and the "clean" looking lower-noise images are a big plus. Not to mention over double the megapixels.

You will be able to get TTL control if you use an optically slaved strobe or the Ikelite housing and Ike strobes. I think the Ike housing is a good comparable option to the Tetra (no longer produced) if you're looking for a compact setup w/ a TTL converter.

The YS90's are outdated now and have very limited capabilities compared to the newer SnS or Ikelite strobes.

Cheers

James

So it sounds like the G10 would probably be an attractive upgrade from my current C5050, and I could try using the optical TTL to see if I'm happy with its performance. At this point I would prefer to keep my current YS-90DX strobes which precludes an Ikelite housing. Between the Fisheye and Patima G10 housings, which one is recommended and why?

Thanks for all the quick replies so far.

Doug

I dont seem to follow your logic with the 7000 price tag. ULCS arms are great, however they are expensive and to me I find them a bit of a luxury. I bought used ikelite arms off of ebay. I also bought a used 60mm af-d lens off of ebay for about 250. there are deals to be had I guess and ways to cut costs.

However a word of warning that you will never be happy with your set up and always want to upgrade. Even if you have top of the line you will want more lenses etc.

FWIW, I went through this a year ago. My two priorities were faster autofocus and reduced shutter lag. Of course, I was looking at the G9 rather than the G10. In the end, I settled on a DSLR because the G9 didn't offer enough improvement in those two areas for my wants. It is costly. I ended up purchasing a used D200 and housing to cut costs. There seem to be lots of deals around on last generation Nikon DSLRs and housings, but that doesn't really help you since you already have the 50D. I have to say that the elimination of shutter lag is worth every cent to me. I didn't realize how much the delay hindered me.

I dont seem to follow your logic with the 7000 price tag. ULCS arms are great, however they are expensive and to me I find them a bit of a luxury. I bought used ikelite arms off of ebay. I also bought a used 60mm af-d lens off of ebay for about 250. there are deals to be had I guess and ways to cut costs.

However a word of warning that you will never be happy with your set up and always want to upgrade. Even if you have top of the line you will want more lenses etc.

Here's my calculations for the price of a 50D housing system. I realize that I can scavenge pieces/parts from E-bay/classifieds/etc to reduce the cost _some_.

Canon 50D camera body $0 (already own)

Canon EF-S 60mm lens $0 (already own)

Canon EF-S 10-22mm lens $0 (already own)

Dual Sea&Sea strobes (YS-90DX) $0 (already own)

ULCS arms/clamps/sync cords for dual strobes $0 (already own)

Sea & Sea MDX-40D $XXX9

S&S Port extension ring 40 $XXX

S&S Zoom gear for Canon 10-22 $200

S&S Compact Macro port base $XXX

S&S Compact Macro Port (s) $XXX

ULCS BA-TG T-groove adapter $24

B+W +2 closeup diopter 77mm $56

Zen 8" glass dome for S&S $XXX

S&S NX fisheye dome (replace Zen 8" glass) $XXX (optional)

Reef Photo 45 deg viewfinder for S&S $XX00 (optional)

Sea & Sea TTL converter Canon $600 (optional)

Canon 50D body (backup) $1100 (optional)

Total $XXXX

+ Reef Photo 45 deg viewfinder $XXXX

+ S&S TTL Converter $XXX

+ Canon 50D body (backup) $7289

As shown I could go with the S&S 8" plastic dome and save $650 but that still leaves the 'base' price at about $4000. Add in all the goodies like a viewfinder, TTL, and a backupo body and it's over $7000. You should see this same price list but for a Canon 5D mk2 system where I don't even own an appropriate WA or macro lens!

When I checked with Reef, Ryan had told me that the YS-90DX wouldn't provide good performance with the TTL converter. Apparently, it's not able to successfully duplicate the series of rapid preflashes the cameras use.

If you go with an Ikelite housing with 8" & macro port I expect you would cut that price in half. Leave the extras for another time when you have forgotten about this round's bills.

Or go with the g10 and an ikelite housing, and get wired, not optical, TTL.