LX3, G10 or G11, and which housing?

Hi everyone,

I'm still using the good old Nikonos V with the original 15 and 28 mm Nikonos lenses so far, also used to have a Minolta SLR with 100mm Macro in a Hugy housing and a Subtronic strobe. I had the Nik V mounted on top of the SLR housing and both were connected to the Subtronic so I could shoot high quality wide angle and macro in the same dive. I did this for almost 20 years, until in 2006, the strobe and the Minolta gave up.

Since then I'm using only the Nikonos V with a SB-105. I'm missing a good macro setup though. I do have the Nikonos V close up kit and use it occasionally, but it can't replace the SLR with 100mm macro.

Now I want to switch to digital. Because (D)SLR housings are so big and bulky, and also because of the prices (not only for the initial purchase but also for the airfares to my favorite dive grounds) I'd prefer to use one of the better compacts. Ideally one that allows (fairly) wide angle and macro in one camera, to avoid a bulky 2 camera setup as I used to have.

The question is, will I get pictures from those compacts anywhere near the quality I'm used to from my analog equipment?

When I zoom to the wide end, will pictures still be fully sharp, even in the corners? Nikonos lenses do a phantastic job in this regard...

Compacts have their best macro capabilities at the wide end, which scale can I expect at the more practical long end, under water? How much will screw on macro lenses deteriorate quality, and how much closer can I go with them? (I think there aren't too many different ones to choose from, right?) When I think about it, I hate the idea of screwing on a macro lens to take a close up then remove it in the next moment to shoot a passing tuna or manta ray. Is there any way to overcome this?

What do you think? Do I expect too much if I believe to get the quality I'm used to from my Nikonos and SLR?

Which compact would you suggest? I know these 3 are all very good on land, question is how good are they under water, and how practical in use?

I did read many of the posts here, including the pinned ones, but the one on quality is close to 5 years old which can hardly reflect today's compact's quality and performance.

Any advice, hints, recommendations etc. are more than welcome. Tell me straight if you think I'm asking too much.

Thank you all!

Hi everyone,

 

I'm still using the good old Nikonos V with the original 15 and 28 mm Nikonos lenses so far, also used to have a Minolta SLR with 100mm Macro in a Hugy housing and a Subtronic strobe. I had the Nik V mounted on top of the SLR housing and both were connected to the Subtronic so I could shoot high quality wide angle and macro in the same dive. I did this for almost 20 years, until in 2006, the strobe and the Minolta gave up.

 

Since then I'm using only the Nikonos V with a SB-105. I'm missing a good macro setup though. I do have the Nikonos V close up kit and use it occasionally, but it can't replace the SLR with 100mm macro.

 

Now I want to switch to digital. Because (D)SLR housings are so big and bulky, and also because of the prices (not only for the initial purchase but also for the airfares to my favorite dive grounds) I'd prefer to use one of the better compacts. Ideally one that allows (fairly) wide angle and macro in one camera, to avoid a bulky 2 camera setup as I used to have.

 

The question is, will I get pictures from those compacts anywhere near the quality I'm used to from my analog equipment?

 

When I zoom to the wide end, will pictures still be fully sharp, even in the corners? Nikonos lenses do a phantastic job in this regard...

 

Compacts have their best macro capabilities at the wide end, which scale can I expect at the more practical long end, under water? How much will screw on macro lenses deteriorate quality, and how much closer can I go with them? (I think there aren't too many different ones to choose from, right?) When I think about it, I hate the idea of screwing on a macro lens to take a close up then remove it in the next moment to shoot a passing tuna or manta ray. Is there any way to overcome this?

 

What do you think? Do I expect too much if I believe to get the quality I'm used to from my Nikonos and SLR?

 

Which compact would you suggest? I know these 3 are all very good on land, question is how good are they under water, and how practical in use?

 

I did read many of the posts here, including the pinned ones, but the one on quality is close to 5 years old which can hardly reflect today's compact's quality and performance.

 

Any advice, hints, recommendations etc. are more than welcome. Tell me straight if you think I'm asking too much.

 

Thank you all!

After doing extensive research I chose the Canon S90 and FIX housing. As an old time Nikonos/Nikon SLR person I can tell you that the answer is no, no digital camera of any sort (I can afford) gives the result that Kodachrome did. Digital camera photographs look, well, digital, kind of forced, as if they are trying to hard to be a real photograph.

That said, after deciding I wanted to return to taking underwater snaps instead of like the old days when I thought I was like an "amateur" I purchased a Canon 570 and put it in a housing and was immediately struck by the ease of getting really good shots from such a cheap camera, so much so that I am now willing to considerably advance myself and expenditure by going with the outstanding S90 and FIX combo. The lens is fast, the camera shoots great, the FIX housing is a marvel and while I just got it, nothing has felt as natural in my hands since my Nikonos III as this beautiful FIX housing. It actually has full manual control and the interface is rotary knobs, one for f stop and another for shutter, wow!

Oh, it has a "Kodachrome" (color positive) mode and I like the result, I like the JPEGS it shoots (it has RAW also), the camera is fast and shoots and works like a Canon is expected to, nearly flawless. It does not have the HD video engine but I could care less, I don't shoot video and the compromise is that you get full manual, fast lens, dual control rings, super great.

I am shooting an Leica D-lux 4 in a UK Germany housing. This camera is the same as the Panasonic LX3 and there is also a 10 Bar housing for it as well. I posted a review a while back in this forum. The camera is nearing the end of it life, I think Panasonic may already have a replacement. I am very happy with my set. It is compact but I can get good photos from the system. I see you are in Germany I bought my system from Stephan at http://www.uw-fotopartner.de. I was very pleased with his assistance. My second choice would have been the Canon G series.