Strobe Nikon D70 Questions

Hi,

I currently use an Oly c-4040, ys-90 dx strobe in a PT10 housing and ulcs arms. I don't get out to dive as much as I would like and will continue to use this setup for awhile. I will be upgrading to the Nikon D70 (mainly for land shots for now) then work on buying the housing and strobe. Will my YS 90DX work with this camera or will I need to buy a new one? It sounds like many of you use the Aquatica housing, is that the best of the lot right now? I have weighed the pros and cons and cost to upgrade and I beleive this is the best way to go instead of the 5060 or 8080.

Thanks,

Wendy

Yes, this strobe will work well with the D70. You will have to use it in manual, like you are used to doing with your 4040.

It's not a tremendously wide angle, but should be sufficient for use with anything save the 10.5 fisheye.

Cheers

James

That's good to know I can keep my strobe. One less item for now to buy. Are housings more or less personal preference or are some for this camera definately better than others?

Personal preference. Housing costs range from $1,200 all the way up to $3,000. The more you pay, the better the housing, the smaller it is, the better the port, the easier to use etc. The cost/benefit decision is the personal preference.

But you have to balance that with the fact that you're spending $900 on the camera, perhaps it's not worth spending a "mint" for a housing that you'll want to sell to get the next latest and greatest in 2 years.

Cheers

James

Personal preference. Housing costs range from $1,200 all the way up to $3,000. The more you pay, the better the housing, the smaller it is, the better the port, the easier to use etc. The cost/benefit decision is the personal preference.

Little Geek, my "cheap" $150 PT-015 housing, is insulted by your demeaning statement! Especially considering the fact that it's been down to 200 ft., goes diving every weekend, stays submerged in a rinse tank for over a week (every week), takes a beating as I screw and unscrew a ton of lenses off the port and hang it from my makeshift lens strap with a 2lb dome lens hanging in front.

If you're going to make statements like this at least back them up with unbiased (poll?) facts stating the pros and cons of each housing. Don't lead some new photographer into the ends of a money pit for nothing more than a BOX.

Hi Laz,

Did you read what I wrote? I never said anywhere that one housing is better than the other. Just that you get what you pay for.

My grandpa taught me that one and I think most people would agree that he was right.

I also said that sometimes it's just not worth spending a lot on a piece of equipment if you're not going to "get your money's worth."

Dangit, I've had to go back and edit this post 3 times Laz because I'm so bummed out by your rebuke...:-/

Cheers

James

The more you pay, the better the housing,

Yowza!!!!

Guys, let's not read too much into our posts......As Rodney King asked: "Can't we all just get along?"

Here's my summary so far:

James believes more expense equates to "better" and as most Wetpixellites know from his previous posts LOVES aluminum for housing material. Yes, they cost more and in a few cases may have controls or features certain users like.

Laz (and yours truly) believe plastic is a better material with usually lower cost and are equally usable to make great underwater images.

I think Laz's point is to not equate cost with "better". Is a Mercedes "better" than a Toyota? To some people, but not all.... Some view "luxury" priced items as wasteful and an example of overspending. To each his own...

As I've stated many times only more time diving and shooting above and below with your camera will make you a better shooter. The box with usually the same o-rings on any brand housing ain't going to make that much of a difference. Nor is analyzing corners on various dome shots, big dome, small dome, sunball rendering and other minute things that I believe don't usually define the impact of a photograph.

I think when recommending equipment to new dSLR UW photographers who are looking at spending quite a bit more than a consumer camera housing as Laz states, PROS and CONS need to be defined and then the buyer can make a decision based on his or her pocketbook.

David Haas

Charter Member PUPHU (Plastic Underwater Photography Housing User

Guys,

One more thing.....A Smaller housing IMHO isn't an asset.....No room at all for flood error guarantees you'll be buying a new digicam.....If you check the specs on some dSLR housings there is barely an inch or two separating many brands. Not enough to make a difference in or out of the water...

David Haas

www.pbase.com/dhaas

Hmm... I don't care what the housing is made of, it can be composed of pressed horse-manure, as long as it keeps the water out. Plastic is nice because you dont' have to worry about dissimilar metal corrosion. What matters is how well designed the housing is.

Here are just a few questions that I ask myself when evaluating a housing. You may be able to tell that I've tried out a few housings and I've thought about this a little bit.

1 Does the form follow the functions on the camera, or is it more of "We can fit that camera in our box?"

2 Is the way the camera is mounted well thought out - making the system easy to use?

3 Does it require you to totally take everything apart to change the memory card?

4 Are the controls at your fingertips, even if that means there are a few more gears and shafts to transmit that force to the button or dial that matters?

5 Does the port selection let you use the lenses you own or want to use?

6 Can you switch from manual to autofocus underwater?

7 Is the viewfinder big and bright?

8 Does the housing give you tennis-elbow when you are trying to shoot macro?

9 How is the customer service?

10 Is it easy to mount your strobe arms to the housing where you want them to go?

11 How easy does everything break down for packing?

12 How long does it take to get the camera out of the housing to take a land photo?

13 Does the housing offer some kind of digital TTL circuitry?

Based on a mix of answers to all of the above, it's up to you to decide what's best for you. As Laz kindly highlighted for me in red, you usually get what you pay for. Is it always worth the money you pay for it? Of course not! :-)

Cheers

James

James,

Here's my take on some of your criteria....(and you interupted me at 11:25 p.m. in Ohio as I was trying to design the logo for PUPHU (Plastic Underwater Photographers Housing Users

Sorry in advance for the CAPS to seperate my responses....

1 Does the form follow the functions on the camera, or is it more of "We can fit that camera in our box?"

DON'T MATTER AS TOO TIGHT = FLOOD IN A SECOND.....PLUS USUALLY COSTS MORE FOR NO GOOD REASON OTHER THAN MAKING IT A LITTLE PRETTIER, maybe...

2 Is the way the camera is mounted well thought out - making the system easy to use?

AS I POSTED IN THE DSLR FORUM A SWISS ARMY KNIFE FLAT SCREWDRIVER BLADE IS ALL YOU NEED FOR LESS THAN 2 MINUTE ACCESS.

3 Does it require you to totally take everything apart to change the memory card?

NOT IF YOU HAVE A CANON DSLR.... WITH SIDE MOUNTED MEMORY CARD ACCESS...

4 Are the controls at your fingertips, even if that means there are a few more gears and shafts to transmit that force to the button or dial that matters?

MORE GEARS = MORE SET SCREWS AND THINGS TO COME LOOSE. USUALLY WHEN THE MAMA DOLPHIN IS NURSING HER CALF OR WHALE SHARK IS GIVING BIRTH RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU...

5 Does the port selection let you use the lenses you own or want to use?

MANUFACTURERS USUALLY HAVE MORE OPTIONS THAN USERS WILL EVER USE. PLUS MOST UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHERS NEVER BOTHER TO MASTER ONE LENS BEFORE BUYING THE NEXT "GREAT THING".

6 Can you switch from manual to autofocus underwater?

OTHER THAN 100MM AND LONGER MACRO FOR PYGMY SEAHORSES , WHO USES MANUAL FOCUS?

IF YOU BUY THE RIGHT LENS (Canon 100mm macro with USM allowing manual overide focus anytime) this isn't a problem. AUTOFOCUS AS EVIDENCED BY KARL DIETZ, MYSELF AND OTHERS IS A BETTER TOOL IF YOU LEARN HOW TO USE IT THROUGH PRACTICE.

7 Is the viewfinder big and bright?

NO DSLR IS EVER GOING TO HAVE A VIEWFINDER LIKE THE OLD SPEEDFINDERS.....THE BEST YOU CAN HOPE FOR IS SOME MAGNIFICATION, THEN BUY YOURSELF A LOW PROFILE MASK AND SMASH YOUR FACE UP TO THE HOUSING BACK AND PULL THE TRIGGER...

8 Does the housing give you tennis-elbow when you are trying to shoot macro?

DEPENDS ON THE HOUSING BUOYANCY AND PORTS, PLUS INDIVIDUAL LENS CHOICE...

9 How is the customer service?

GENERALLY GOOD FOR MOST (EXCEPT MAYBE SEA AND SEA SUPPORTED BY TABATA USA NOW (TUSA, and I haven't heard or read any good or bad on their product service here in the USA.)

10 Is it easy to mount your strobe arms to the housing where you want them to go?

ALMOST ALL MOUNT ON THE HANDLE TOPS ALLOWING EASY AIMING OF LIGHT. (Anyone know of a housing without top handle mounting? Betcha' can't get your strobe light into a hole without top mounted strobes

11 How easy does everything break down for packing?

WHO TAKES THEIR HOUSING COMPLETELY APART? MOST BASEPLATES COME OFF WITH A FEW BOLTS....MINE NEVER DOES AND DROPS IN A PELICAN 1620 ALONG WITH EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT PORTS AND CORDS STOWED SEPERATELY.

12 How long does it take to get the camera out of the housing to take a land photo?

TWO MINUTES MAX WITH MY TRUSTY SWISS ARMY KNIFE SCREWDRIVER BLADE

13 Does the housing offer some kind of digital TTL circuitry?

RIGHT NOW ONLY IKELITE FOR DSLR CANON ETTL AND ETTL2 AND SOON NIKON D70'S ITTL . PLUS FUJI S2 STANDARD TTL...NO OTHER WORKING MODELS OUT THERE TO MY KNOWLEDGE....

Whew! I'm pooped and heading to ZZZZZZZZ.......

What fun

David Haas

www.pbase.com/dhaas and www.ikelite.com "What's New" links....

James,

Your thoughts on what makes a "better" housing are fair and legit and I'm sure if you would have posted that in response to Wendy's question, Little Geek would have not been insulted. Are they the 10 commandments of purchasing a housing? I don't believe so. I can think of a couple million other features to look for.

I'm like you, I could care less what the housing is made of (although I can't see myself putting my face up to a compressed horse manure housing. LOL!). To me versatility, simplicity (I find complicated things break more often) and the final price do it. If it means having to spend a few more minutes to take the system apart or not seeing through an IMAX viewfinder then so be it. To you maybe those things hold a lot more value. So overall, better for me is not better for you or better for the next person. Each one of us have different needs.

But isn't your thorough thoughts on what you think makes for a good housing better than some vague response saying she'll get a better housing if she spends more money? Which (btw) answering some of your questions clearly point to the cheaper housings.

I can understand that you'd like to summarize it all in a sentence since this (and many more) questions are asked day after day. I highly respect you for taking the time to answer every one these (same) questions. Maybe it is time you got the opinions of everyone to write a comparison that can help someone who is making their first purchase. I'm sure you could even write a book.

I sincerely apologize if I was a bit harsh but I felt your comment was belittling to me with my $149 (plus shipping & handling) underwater housing. Just imagine how the owners of the cheaper housing companies feel when they read posts like this in a highly respectable underwater photography forum.

I figured out how to be able to take surface pictures while my d70 was in the housing. It was a little expensive but it works...I bought a backup d70 that solved that issue. Should have went with the swiss army knife idea.

Tony