Final personal conclusions on D800 + Sea&sea

After few dives with this rig :

Camera - it's not D700 but yet, it's a good camera that can work very nice underwater. The video is a great bonus.

Housing - love it. Works great !

Macro - Works wonderful. I work with the 56201 105 DX Macro Port Base + the 56221 NX Compact Macro Port and it works like a dream for the 105 VR, 105 VR + 1.4 TC and the 60 2.8 macro.

Super macro - Use the 105 + 1.4 kenko TC + X5 or X10 wet diopter.

Fisheye - Using the Sigma 15 Fisheye with the 6' compact dome is possible, but using it with the 240 Dome is much better, even without any ext' ring. (I haven't tried an 20' or 40' ext ing yet).

Wide zoom - Using the 16-35 with 60 mm' ext' rings with the 240 Dome port got much better resolts then without any ext'. Yet, it's not good enogh for me ( Sea&sea recommends using this lens with 2 X 40 mm' ext' rings!!!) and I gave up on this lens for now.

My personal decision - Sigma 15 2.8 + 60 2.8 macro + 105 2.8 macro.

Love to hear your personal thoughts.

Agreed - but add a dry leak detector to the housing!

I've installed the Aquatica leak detector - now I have visual and vocal alert.

Hi,

Nice rapports guys!! I am useing the same gear right now and are testing it out. I have upgrade from D300s to the D800. In the same time almost change every lens...

Right now I am using...

D800

Sea and Sea MDX Housing

Dual S&S YS110a strobes

TTL Converter III

Optical port and diffrent macroports.

Lenses is 60mm, Nikon 105VR, Sigma 15mm, Nikon TC 2.0x III Converter. ( I have sold my Kenko converters, both 1.4x and 2.0x)

So far I have just tested the equipment in pool and alot on land of course. My opinion is splited. When it works, results i magic! I have compared directly with D300s, and the different i clear! Specially on land, with Nikon 70-200/2.8 the pictures is eyecatching! But on the downside I find it more diffcult to put focus perfect.

I am trying out the D800 quite hard. Right now in snow and really cold conditons. I let camera even to be in the snow just to check the weather sealing. The more I use the Camera, the more I lovet it. Specially the DR and resolution. I will go to Norway in end of Januari and really try the camera out in cold water.

Its a really minus that S&S didnt include leaksensor in this housing!

Here is an picture from D800 + Nikon 70-200.

Enjoy and report please !

As you said, the resolution is the plus and minus of this camera - when you hit, you get great results, but you don't score that much (it's even worse with the D7000).

udi62,

can you explain your statement:

Camera - it's not D700 but yet, it's a good camera that can work very nice underwater.

Chris

Well, Chris, it's only my personal insight, but, after using the D300, D700, D7000 and the D800E on land and underwater, my feeling is, that the D300 was and still is the best machine for underwater photography. Body strength, D.O.F, A/F system , dispersing of A/F points and success of around 85% shooting macro and moving objects. The only bad thing I could say about it, was Iso performance. The D700 was even better by having amazing Iso performance. and it's still, for me, the best camera out there ! The D7000 (I had 2 copies) was a nice toy, but, I couldn't get more then 20% focus accuracy and I sold it loosing a lot of money and I don't regret it. The D800 is almost the same as the D700. It has a very good focus system, solid body, colors tend to be green/blue/yellow , which is horrible out of the water but perfect for underwater photography, great video and amazing details when you hit the target,and the ability to croop up to 70% for super macro, but, the only problem with it is that every tiny movement will take the subject out of focus. It's actually a studio camera that will perform the best on a tripod or on a very high shutter speed.

I've got the measure of the D800 now. It focuses instantly and I have stopped trying to use the focus lock because it does it better than I can!

I am now having so much success with it that I have sold my DX outfit and my D700 outfit including the housings. The dynamic range and high ISO performance cannot be compared and I often crop down to only 24MP!

In fact, on my last trip (sharks, sharks and sharks), I shot from the hip and rarely looked through the eyepiece!

I now only have a D800 with 15 Sigma and 105 Micro Nikkor for underwater use.

See: http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=49825

The D800 focus system is great !!!

The high resolution harm severely the contrast and it looks some times as not sharp enough.

Adding contrast and sharpening is essential !!!

All together, I find the D800 a good camera but more difficult to handle than my old D700.

The Sigma 15, Nikon 60 and Nikon 105 vr are really good on it as John says.

I'm sure the D4 will be much easier to handle !

I have to thank you guys for all the info in this feed, as a new D800 owner, this information is so valuable to me. In the process of trying to find the right housing, and lenses for underwater, your conclusions will probably save me alot of $$. The macro is a no brainier, but wide angle and domes seem to be a bit trickier.