Nikon D90 - seeking feedback on housing and lens setup

I am thinking of getting a D90 and housing. Trip to Indo coming soon (2+ wks) so decision time is now I guess. Had D70 for years but never underwater. I got a G9 and Ike setup and didnt like it (slow, etc) so I sold the housing. Still have 2* DS125 + arms. So do I get a D90 and Aquatica housing? Or do I get a D300s (wait for housing) or wait and see what the D700x is all about?

What advantage would a D300s have over a D90?

If I got anything I would use the Nikon 60mm (new) and Nikon 105 AF (older) and Tokina 10-17. Should I get the AF Macro port or the manual one? Can you use the manual focus without the gears (save money for now)? Shooting topside I use AF 99% of the time.

Seems people go with the 6" dome mostly. I dont plan on over/under shots. Any reason to get a bigger dome?

Would like to eventually shoot TTL but I am fine going manual for now. Option is nice though. So I guess I order it with Ike bulkheads and get the ittl hardware later. Anything wrong with this plan?

I do really like the idea of optical flash trigger, but since I own the DS125s and 50% of people shoot with them, I really see no clear way to justify the Nexus housing. I will just wait until the next major upgrade I guess. So I guess for me its do I get this rig now for this trip or wait for a D300s or D700x getup.

Nice thing about those others is it will likely open up the world to Sea & Sea, Seacam, etc housings. What advantage do these other systems have over Aquatica? Not just in terms of their systems (ports, etc) but also accessorys by others (I know some systems will take other manufactures domes, etc).

Also what about accessory viewfinders. Aquatica doesnt have a 45deg. Is this a big downside? How useful is the one they do offer?

Also on diopters - told that to use my 105 I need a port (and that it would be nice to shoot the pygmys) - and do I need a diopter? Which? Woodies? (Anyone have a good link as to exactly how to know what diopter does what and why/when I need it).

Note I sadly only get to go diving for a couple 1wk trips a year (although this trip should be 14+ days of diving)... so this is not a heavy use setup for me.

Thanks!!!

Jeremy

Can you actually put a system together in 2 wks? Your choice of housings may be somewhat limited on this tight schedule. AF should be fine with 60 macro, but you'll want MF with the 105. The old version requires a special port to access the AF/M switch on the lens barrel. The new VR version has AF with manual over-ride, so standard macro port should work (same as for 60mm with extension ring). AF is also much faster than old 105. Don't really need diopters with these lenses you're considering, but some like eyeball shots, so they use diopters and/or teleconverters. Find a housing first then buy the camera.

What advantage would a D300s have over a D90?

I 'll leave this one to the pundits

If I got anything I would use the Nikon 60mm (new) and Nikon 105 AF (older) and Tokina 10-17. Should I get the AF Macro port or the manual one? Can you use the manual focus without the gears (save money for now)? Shooting topside I use AF 99% of the time.

As JCCLINK wrote the 60mm is OK with AF, the 105mm (old type) is a dog with AF and if you plan on using it a plenty do get the AF/MF port and gears but remember this; to house the 60m AF-S in AF will cost less than 300usd retail and to house the older 105mm in AF/MF with all the gears extension etc. you will have to spill 900usd plus on the counter. My 2 cents... stick to the 60mm for now

Seems people go with the 6" dome mostly. I dont plan on over/under shots. Any reason to get a bigger dome?

I use the 6" with the Tokina and like it very much it is a breeze to pack as well.

Would like to eventually shoot TTL but I am fine going manual for now. Option is nice though. So I guess I order it with Ike bulkheads and get the ittl hardware later. Anything wrong with this plan?

You can get TTL with the standard default bulkheads or with the Ikelite TTL version, with the Ikelite bulkhead you need their 4301 iTTL converter with the Aquatica standard bulkhead (Nikonos 5 pins) you need the 4302 iTTL, its the same converter but with a Nikonos plug.

I do really like the idea of optical flash trigger, but since I own the DS125s and 50% of people shoot with them, I really see no clear way to justify the Nexus housing. I will just wait until the next major upgrade I guess. So I guess for me its do I get this rig now for this trip or wait for a D300s or D700x getup.

See Pundits response , I can tell you that the Aquatica housing D300s most likely will have optical as well as electrical (Nikonos or Ikelite, your pick)

Nice thing about those others is it will likely open up the world to Sea & Sea, Seacam, etc housings. What advantage do these other systems have over Aquatica? Not just in terms of their systems (ports, etc) but also accessorys by others (I know some systems will take other manufactures domes, etc).

Too biased with this one, will let someone not attached and unbiased to the industry respond.

Also what about accessory viewfinders. Aquatica doesnt have a 45deg. Is this a big downside? How useful is the one they do offer?

A lot has to do with line of sight, if you can get pass the initial awkwardness of looking down while tracking a subject in front of you, then they are fine, some of our dealers have third party 45 deg available for our housing (pretty much every body uses the same 45deg finder but with various attachment)

Also on diopters - told that to use my 105 I need a port (and that it would be nice to shoot the pygmys) - and do I need a diopter? Which? Woodies? (Anyone have a good link as to exactly how to know what diopter does what and why/when I need it).

Diopters are fringes and unless you are in the water often and have time to master them, then they often can be regarded as challenging more than anything else There is a lot of threading on this subject, so some reviewing of these might help, one thing to remember they are not really for the 60mm but mostly usefull to the 105mm lens (so back to that dilemma)

Note I sadly only get to go diving for a couple 1wk trips a year (although this trip should be 14+ days of diving)... so this is not a heavy use setup for me.

Vector in all the cost of a D90 package versus the cost for a D300 (very likely in the same price bracket as the D300s) and make your choice, the IQ between the two is very similar, but hey! live a little too, thinking with your brain all the time can be so boring at time its also nice to let the guts take their turn!

I probably have waited too long. Local Aquatica rep says they are ~3wks out. I guess if I begged Jean maybe I could get stuff in time. Everything I think is in stock someplace except the housing (B&H actually says housing is in stock with Nikonos bulkhead, but that doesnt help me much). Just been too busy at work to think about this trip and now it is upon me. Maybe I will just take my G9 with OEM housing and beg someone to let me take their DSLR out for a spin while I am there.

Jean - I feel you on the "live a little". Thats why I am even considering a $3.5K+ "toy" that I only play with a couple weeks a year. At least my new $3K 65" Plasma I will use almost every day

Question - TTL v/s non TTL Ike Bulkhead for the Aquatica. whats the diff? As I understand it I still need some additional electronics (which I can add later???).

Quote from Jeremy

Would like to eventually shoot TTL but I am fine going manual for now. Option is nice though. So I guess I order it with Ike bulkheads and get the ittl hardware later. Anything wrong with this plan?

Since you can get a TTL adapter for either the Nikonos or Ikelite bulkhead, would it not seem that going ahead and getting a Nikons bulkhead the better choice. That would set you up for other strobes system in the future if needed. Others on here may have other information that I do not know of.

DiverPam (heading out tomorrow on dive trip)

I got this in less then a week, no wait on anything. Absolutely enjoy this Nexus housing so far ...

2 electronics bulkhead and 2 optical. Z240 Type 4 takes both. When in optical, it support ttl.

1 macro glass port with 2 different size (40mm & 20mm) extension ring to accomodate 60mm, 105mm, +1.4 or 2.0 TC

1 specifically design mini glass dome for the Tokina 10-17, adding the extension can also accomodate the +1.4TC & zoom-able.

Can open and close the D90 flash in water.

I have no more execuse on equipment now ... just have to figure out how to improve my skill ....

Whoa! With those floaty arms, do you think it will sink in salt water?

Bob

CADiver,

have you tried out the 1.4TC with your 10-17? Any examples of results or things you can tell me about it? I have the same gear as you with different arms and no TC as yet. My first ocean trip is yet a few weeks away. Did you go with a Kenko TC or different? What extension are you using with the 1017 dome for the 10-17 plus 1.4TC, I presume its the 20mm.

Jeremyl, If you go with the Nexus, you can go with one type of strobe connectors and add the others later, if needed. Mine has the optical connections only but I can add others later if I ever switch from the Z-240...no plans to do so however. The option would allow faster delivery if something were in stock.

But using the G9 and OEM for now sounds like a good choice for you, as you mentioned.

I was a little bit worry about the mega float at the begining ... It floats in the bath tub & I have to really press it down to sink it while I had a simple 60mm in it. Given sea water float even more, I was concern I have to add more lead. But my first dive w/ the rig prove otherwise. It almot felt Newton was wrong for the first time. The rig was neutral at 30ft, it did added a little bit drag when moving it to position. Later when I think about it, it's because I have attachment to my D-ring and that kept it from floating away. Next time I will try to let it go hand free and see what happen. Regardless, I am happy and going to keep and use them, having very light load in the water made big different compare to my previous Ikeite D80 DS-125. My wrist was not as streess after dive. Dry weight on land was also a tag lighter then the Ikelite combo.

Regarding the 1.4TC on 10-17. I havn't had a chance to dive that yet. Looking forward to on this Sunday. Yes, it's a Kenko 1.4. Yes, it's 20mm tube. You do need to have a different zoom gear in order to zoom w/ the 1.4. Use to love bigger is better 9" port. Now I am in love with this baby dome port, no bigger then the flat port and make travel a lot more friendly. Best of all only 2 ports, 1 flat 1 dome w/ 2 extension tubes, 20 & 40mm and I got all my lenses cover. Well I can't dive w/ my 12-24 any more but with 10-17 +1.4X, I think I am ok with that !

Have a great long weekend.

Cheers!

Dominic

Reference Nexus D300, Tokina 10-17, FP170 dome, 40mm ext ring. Found a zoom gear that works with a Tamron 1.4x TC attached. Subal #5ZN007. Accurate placement on lens required - not much gear tooth engagement, but enough to work. It should work on your setup if the drive gear in the D90 housing is same diameter as gear in D300 housing. I prefer to have my system slightly negative so if I need to lay in on the bottom it will stay there. You might decide the buoyancy collars aren't really needed. It's whatever works for you.

Wow, where did you find a Nexus that fast. I do like the housing (visibility into the guts) but it does cost more. Not being able to see them in person I really would have a hard time to pick one so I go with the Aquatica since it is less money and seems more available.

I could get from B&H in stock with dual Nikonos bulkheads and then get Nikonos to Ike cables (or the spendy iTTL circuitry). Then pretty much everything is in stock and I could have it in a week.

So I am understanding... I guess the ability to open/close flash underwater is because you are triggering the optical via the camera flash. Is this true? I would have thought there would be a hotshoe to optical trigger circutiry inside. If you are launching the internal flash doesnt that give a heat issue. Or does it only do its preflash to trigger or something. Sorry - a little off my topic but I am curious.

So IF I did do this thing and wanted to get it in time I would get the Aquatica with Nikonos TTL bulkhead and for now get either a pair of Nikonos to Ike TTL cables (~$100) or a Nikons to Dual Ike TTL (~$150) and shoot manual with my DS125's. This works, right?

Also - I plan to start with just the 60mm (new) Nikon lens and just shoot AF but get the manual port. With this I can still shoot "wide" angle - as in normal 60mm (well 60x1.5=90mm) shots, right? I am not limited to just fishheads if I wanted ot take a pic of a coralhead would there be issues?

Thanks!

Jeremy

I'm thinking a small coral head with the 60mm. Anything much bigger than a couple of feet requires a wider lens I believe. Underwater a 60mm thru a flat port is really a 120mm with cropped sensor. 60 x 1.5 x 4/3 (index of refraction) = 120. 60 x 1.5 = 90 with dome port.

I'm thinking a small coral head with the 60mm. Anything much bigger than a couple of feet requires a wider lens I believe. Underwater a 60mm thru a flat port is really a 120mm with cropped sensor. 60 x 1.5 x 4/3 (index of refraction) = 120. 60 x 1.5 = 90 with dome port.

So...what would happen if you used a 6" dome port with the 60mm lens? Does that make it a 90 with the D90 cropped sensor?

Curious - may try this in the water next week while diving.

DiverPam

Yep

If you have an old 60mm lens check this table (from several years ago) for location of entrance pupil. I've found this information to be useful for a couple of other lenses I have regarding setup. The table shows that the pupil moves quite a bit depending on magnification factor with this lens compared to other focal length lenses. If this is the case with your lens it may be difficult to properly set up a dome port. The center of curvature of the dome should generally be located at the entrance pupil. A few measurements & calculations required here. If you have the new 60mm, I'm not sure how the entrance pupil is effected by magnification factor - it may or may not be an issue. I'd be very interested in how the 60mm with a dome port works out optically. Center of the frame will probably be ok, but edges & corners are the potential problem areas. Hope you can find the hot spot.

http://www.swissarmyfork.com/lens_table_1.htm

Happy holiday folks, if I missed any question, please let me know, I don't read Wetpixel as much as I want to ....

Both Nexus and SeaTool offers both electronic and optical trigger. Unfortunately SeaTool doesn't offer D90 but only D300.

I think the benefit of having muliple triggers are just having the ability to play. If you are expert in underwater photography, you will not need the optical tigger. The optical trigger offer sttl. I sort of like the optical method as you can still dial the EV down (on the Z240), it's sort of like having help on ttl. I don't know of any other housing offer this kind of sophistication. Iketlite perhaps, it has both manual and ttl. Ultimately, manual is the way to shoot.

Anyway, it was very murky day in Monterey but I remember I promise to show a picture of the 10-17 with 1.4TC in the Nexus baby dome. Here it is, not a good shot but give you an idea of the edge. It's at the 17mm end. No crop, no edit. Some days I will take better picture without backscatter ... :-)

Thank you for the nice picture.

What zoom gear to you use for the 10-17 with the 1.4TC? is it a Kenko 1.4?

Do you also use a 20mm extension?

Thank you for the nice picture.

What zoom gear to you use for the 10-17 with the 1.4TC? is it a Kenko 1.4?

Do you also use a 20mm extension?

Thank you ! It is a Kenko 1.4TC

(http://www.keaphoto.com/shop.html?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=152&category_id=25&keyword=kenko+1.4x&vmcchk=1)

Zoom gear was custom made out of a Sea & Sea, I am sure Reef Photo can figure out something for you too.

I really like the way the Nexus baby dome fit the Tokin 10-17. It has a sleeves fit between the lens and the inside of port, snug fit with only a small portion of the front of the lens showing. No flash from the camera bouncing off inside.

& Yes, use a 20mm extension ring.