Why move to dSLR?

Please help me make my mind up if to upgrade from a G9

Cheers

Woody :-)

Hey Paul, if you are asking the question then the devil is already sitting on your shoulder and his hand is getting closer to your wallet... Surrender to the Madness and go without a struggle!

Hey Paul, if you are asking the question then the devil is already sitting on your shoulder and his hand is getting closer to your wallet... Surrender to the Madness and go without a struggle!

I'm not going that easy

Some advice would be good first Tim!

Quicker response is a must, but being able to have he best glass for each occasion is nice.

Just jump!

When one looks at images posted here by guys like EdMan using a point and shoot like a Canon G10 and Lumix LX3, it's clear one can take images every bit as good as a DSLR with a P&S.

Having said that, if you want to have fewer pictures of a fishes behind because of shutter lag and you want to be able to do real wide angle or supermacro, the extra size, cost and complexity of a DSLR is the only way to go.

I'm not going that easy

Some advice would be good first Tim!

Don't believe him Tim - he's already made up his mind to move, its just a question of how much he can get away with spending.

Shutter lag and focus hunting drived me. Also on the macro side, i could go supper macro with Inon stack, but chromatic abbreviation on these shots left me wanting a better setup. Just not nice to get a good photo, but it is missing the boat because of gear. Having said that I was shooting the Canon S80 and i am sure this segment has developed nicely since then.

This was also an important question for me to answer. On trips and at home what do i want to shoot above water. If this is going to be different from what i use in water am i willing and would it be possible to transport both setups when traveling. (I guess in the end most things are possible - but would it mean i need to pay sky high prices for over weight.) When i did this study i took into consideration that i would want a back up camera should there be a leak.

Its important to know that dSLR would not by definition = better pictures - simply those things that you didn't like about the P&S will be gone (maybe there will be a few new ones;)) And as Lotus has said just look for example at Edman's photos - and the question is answered if great photos can be taken with P&S systems (personally i don't thinkthat is the right term to use for these compacts with full manual capabilities)

What i also do think is true, is that the compact is more likely to preform better in good diving condition compared to what i normally find myself in.

Size matters dude....bite the bullet and start forking over those clams!

My theory is if I'm going to travel to exotic locations I want to bring home the highest quality images I can 'afford' plus it makes me look cooler even if I don't know what the hell I'm doing!

Shutter lag was just one reason:

1. I can shoot as fast as the strobes can recharge (1.8 seconds on a full dump).

2. More sophisticated focus locks on quicker, more shots in focus.

3. Battery life - Card Size....though most of the time you don't do this, I have taken over 300 shots on two dives without opening the housing.

4. Glass - sophisticated optics.

5. Full manual control with easy/quick access to changing both the shutter and aperture.

6. Shooting RAW+Jpeg doesn't slow me down.

7. No fogging issues - unintended but nonetheless if I shot too quickly with my P&S it seemed to fog...especially while snorkelling

8. Economic Stimulus - The minute you jump you boost the economy.

glass glass glass!!

and shutter lag, glass, AF, noise, and umm, forgot the last one... o yeah, glass.

i give the same advice as for dive gear (skimp on the BCD, splurge on the reg) - skimp on the camera, splurge on the glass.

also important to note that a dslr is just a tool and you must learn to use it. its not a set-everything-to-auto-and-fire-away thing.

Just do it

Ok, I know you need more. So we need more. How often do you dive? When you dive, do you usually take a camera down (ie are you a photo nut)? What is your G9 rig?

I have a G9 and spend ~$2K to get used dual DS125's and an Ike housing. I used it on 2 trips, the second being a LOB in Turks & Caicos. But the end of the trip I was fed up with the slowness of the G9... too many butt shots (I prefer critters to scenics). I sold the Ike housing planning to get a DSLR. I just returned from a 2wk trip to Indonesia - Bunaken and Lembeh. My intent was to get a housed DSLR for this trip - I want to upgrade from my D70 anyway. But I spent so much time trying to decide between D90 / D700 / D300 and if to house it I ended up not doing anything - I took my G9 in OEM housing with no strobes, and rented a D200 rig from one of the mangers in Lembeh.

The G9 without strobe was a PITA to use. Getting close meant blocking the light. I have some decent shots but a ton of half lit crud. First time out with the D200 (w/ dual S&S 120's and Nikon 60mm) was FUN! Pygmy Seahorses were on the adjenda and it was just fun to use. Second day brought frustration as I had a pretty steep learning curve to get used to underwater settings and strobe positions for macro. Overall I can only see using the G9 as bringing more frustration due to its response time and the limitations of one (small) lens.

Why I didnt get the DSLR - mainly because I only get to go on a couple dive trips a year - 3wks underwater would be a good year. So a $4K (min) rig to play with just doesnt make sense. I convinced myself I would just use my G9 and rent a DSLR whenever I can. An overall cheaper solution. I imagine I will get a housed DSLR someday. Probably sooner than later. I say if you are a photo nut and you get to dive more than a couple sporatic times then get yee a housing ASAP. If not at least get an external strobe for your G9 (I plan to get something I can trigger optically).

Jeremy