Coolpix 5000 Photos

I got my hands on a Coolpix 5000 last week and I think this is going to be an excellent camera for underwater use.

My take on the whole CP5k vs G2 debate is that all of the things that the "topsides" folks are touting as the CP5k's "disadvantages" are actually ADVANTAGES, when you take the camera underwater.

The 28mm lens is one of them. Here is a shot taken at full wideangle:

Nikon even makes a 19MM lens for this camera that is under $200. Take that underwater and you will have a field of view equal to the Nikonos 15mm!!!!!! No other digicam has this capability...and Nikon glass to boot.

Here's a shot taken straight into the sun. Most folks have been saying for underwater digital that you can't shoot into the sun or you will get "blown out."

The next photo (5002) was an experiment - taken using the AE/AF lock button to meter on the foreground parking lot. Then shot into the sky.

The camera has an AE/AF Lock button (do other digicams have this?), so underwater you can meter the background and use your strobe in TTL to illuminate the foreground. The camera's hotshoe hooks up to all kinds of TTL strobes. I used it with a Nikon SB28 and it worked great.

This means that if you own an SB105 or two, you'll be able to use them in TTL mode with this camera. That is going to make "upgrading" from a film setup a LOT easier for a lot of people.

Some other sample photos, from macro to wideangle can be found at:

http://www.reefpix.org/cp5ktest/index.htm

That was my second day using the camera.

Cheers

James

[Edited on 1-24-2002 by jamesw]

You will be able to do "TTL" or actually TTG (Through the Grip) if the housing you are going to use provides a small window in front of the handgrip to allow the flash sensor to be exposed to the stobes light.

Yep, Nikon moved the light sensor from right next to the lens to the upper side of the handgrip (next to the flash). With the 990, the sensor was right next to the lens, so it would "see" out through the dome port...which was nice.

At this point, only the housing manufacturers know how the sensor will perform inside a housing. Will the Ikelite housing work well as is (clear)? Seems like the aluminum housing manufacturers will need a special port just for the sensor.

Cheers

James Wiseman