Nikon D3/D3x and Maui

I've been working the last couple of days to find a place on Maui to rent underwater housings preferably for my D3/D3x, but even finding a good housing for a D700 (and a D700 to rent also) would work.

You'd think that a place like Maui would have somewhere like this, but I certainly haven't been able to find it.

Any ideas?

I don't want to rent for a week for something I'll need for a day...

I don't know. I think you are going to have a very tough time finding what you are looking for. First of all the equipment you are looking for is very specific and very high end and very complicated. So I doubt that anyone has them for rent. The best I could find was a D2X or a D300. You can rent them from Cathy Church in Grand Cayman, Stephen Frink in Florida, or Backscatter by mail order. Perhaps some of the specialty live-aboards that do photo cruises have high end gear to borrow. But A D3/x? In any case its expensive, upwards of $350/day and over $1800/wk even for these older systems. That includes shipping time.

But I think the better question is what do you hope to accomplish with the system if you had it for a day? These are very tricky tools to use with a lot of task loading. To get your money's worth on these cameras you really need to know what you are doing and have some practice with it beforehand. I doubt that you will achieve what you are looking for by having such a high end camera for a day unless you are really familar with that camera, underwater photography, and the housing/strobe system.

This is why Cathy Church's camera rental comes with a dive guide included @ $60/hr. I think this is wise. In any event I can highly recommend her school in Grand Cayman. You can shore dive right off her dock and her instructors are top notch. She helped me figure out my point and shoot digital camera and Ikelite strobe years and years ago (before dSLRs existed). She spent a couple hours figuring out how to make it sync and I had a 1 hr dive with her instructor. She only charged me for the dive. I hadn't bought the gear from her but she was a very nice lady.

I think you really have 3 options: Take a structured course, buy your own high end system and take the time to learn it, get a point and shoot renrtal and practice. You can buy a point and shoot rental with strobe for what you'll pay in rent on the system you are seeking.

I don't know. I think you are going to have a very tough time finding what you are looking for. First of all the equipment you are looking for is very specific and very high end and very complicated. So I doubt that anyone has them for rent. The best I could find was a D2X or a D300. You can rent them from Cathy Church in Grand Cayman, Stephen Frink in Florida, or Backscatter by mail order. Perhaps some of the specialty live-aboards that do photo cruises have high end gear to borrow. But A D3/x? In any case its expensive, upwards of $350/day and over $1800/wk even for these older systems. That includes shipping time.

 

But I think the better question is what do you hope to accomplish with the system if you had it for a day? These are very tricky tools to use with a lot of task loading. To get your money's worth on these cameras you really need to know what you are doing and have some practice with it beforehand. I doubt that you will achieve what you are looking for by having such a high end camera for a day unless you are really familar with that camera, underwater photography, and the housing/strobe system.

I own the D3 and D3x, both, and I'm a very experienced professional photographer. I'm looking for a housing, not a housing and a camera, although I'll do with a housing and camera if I can find a set to rent for a day.

As for the idea of renting a camera/housing set, cameras are essentially the same. Get your ISO right, get your aperture right, get your shutter speed right, and you're in business. It's not rocket science. I can do, and have done, it with borrowed Canons and even once I borrowed a Kodak.

This is why Cathy Church's camera rental comes with a dive guide included @ $60/hr. I think this is wise. In any event I can highly recommend her school in Grand Cayman. You can shore dive right off her dock and her instructors are top notch. She helped me figure out my point and shoot digital camera and Ikelite strobe years and years ago (before dSLRs existed). She spent a couple hours figuring out how to make it sync and I had a 1 hr dive with her instructor. She only charged me for the dive. I hadn't bought the gear from her but she was a very nice lady.

 

I think you really have 3 options: Take a structured course, buy your own high end system and take the time to learn it, get a point and shoot renrtal and practice. You can buy a point and shoot rental with strobe for what you'll pay in rent on the system you are seeking.

I hope whoever else responds to this thread actually reads what I write before they respond.

Thanks anyway, though.

I read it a few days ago and thought to myself it's a pity your not in Cairns Australia as I have one available for rental.

Happy to ship it out to Maui for you but you would have to cover shipping in both directions.

I've been working the last couple of days to find a place on Maui to rent underwater housings preferably for my D3/D3x, but even finding a good housing for a D700 (and a D700 to rent also) would work.

 

You'd think that a place like Maui would have somewhere like this, but I certainly haven't been able to find it.

 

Any ideas?

 

I don't want to rent for a week for something I'll need for a day...

You can contact http://www.mauidigitalimaging.com they may have something that will work for you. Other than that no one really rents high end camera gear on the island. Are you using it for diving or do you just need a "splash" housing?

...I hope whoever else responds to this thread actually reads what I write before they respond.

Thanks anyway, though.

Kind of a nasty reply for a guy with only 3 posts. Good luck getting any more replies.

I own the D3 and D3x, both, and I'm a very experienced professional photographer. I'm looking for a housing, not a housing and a camera, although I'll do with a housing and camera if I can find a set to rent for a day.

 

As for the idea of renting a camera/housing set, cameras are essentially the same. Get your ISO right, get your aperture right, get your shutter speed right, and you're in business. It's not rocket science. I can do, and have done, it with borrowed Canons and even once I borrowed a Kodak.

 

 

 

I hope whoever else responds to this thread actually reads what I write before they respond.

 

Thanks anyway, though.

Do you mean you've shot underwater with borrowed canons & a kodak, or just shot topside? Have you ever shot underwater before?? not sure what you need to shoot, but anyone on here will tell you its much more difficult to get a professional quality photo underwater than just getting your iso/ss/aperture right. its a different ball game in the drink. forgive me if you have UW experience but you'd be amazed how difficult it would be to achieve pro results on your first day. and i am a full time pro btw.

UWphotoNewbie has a good point so please don't respond rudely to his valid & thoughtful post. cheers,

chris