New Housing Advice

Currently shoot topside with a Sony a7r4a and UW with a Nikon D500 Aquatica rig. Looking to migrate fully to Sony-- I can't justify working with two different sets of lenses, gear, etc. Not sure if I should house the a7r4 I've got now or wait out the next generation of releases from Sony (likely 2024), or perhaps even house the a1 once I get my hands on it. Bringing an a1 underwater makes me a little nervous, even though I've never had a flooding issue with Aquatica. 

A frustration I currently have with my Nikon are the limited video capabilities. The a7r4 has good video capabilities, but I haven't really explored editing log files from that camera yet. I guess my question is-- should I house the a7r4 or the a1? Or a third option altogether? Just interested in what others think! Thanks!

You'll never be happy until you get your best camera underwater.  Go for the A1.

I know what you mean about Nikon video - I tried it with a D850.   I don't know much about video yet, but I can say for sure that autofocus was ... a disappointment in video.

So now I have a Z9 in a new Nauticam housing.  

The A1 is a great camera, but you might want to look at the A7RV as a slightly less expensive alternative.

Agreed that Nikon DSLRs aren't great at video - not what they were really designed for. If you are interested in staying with Nikon, you might consider waiting to see what they next (post Z9) will be... lots of rumors... might fit what you are looking for.

I would suggest reading the fine print on the available video options in Sony.  Certain options on some models are achieved by cropping, losing some field of view.

22 hours ago, Arianna Skipper said:

Currently shoot topside with a Sony a7r4a and UW with a Nikon D500 Aquatica rig. Looking to migrate fully to Sony-- I can't justify working with two different sets of lenses, gear, etc. Not sure if I should house the a7r4 I've got now or wait out the next generation of releases from Sony (likely 2024), or perhaps even house the a1 once I get my hands on it. Bringing an a1 underwater makes me a little nervous, even though I've never had a flooding issue with Aquatica. 

A frustration I currently have with my Nikon are the limited video capabilities. The a7r4 has good video capabilities, but I haven't really explored editing log files from that camera yet. I guess my question is-- should I house the a7r4 or the a1? Or a third option altogether? Just interested in what others think! Thanks!

Hi Arianna,

I would not house the A7RIV. The housing costs more than the camera and the camera has been already replaced by the A7RV that sems to perform clearly better UW. You have, at present, everything you need. Of course one should switch to one system if possible, but you have time and can be patient until the time is ripe...

You need to decide whether you want to use FF or APS-C for underwater: for APS-C, neither Sony nor Nikon have, at present, modern models that makes the acquisition of camera plus housing attractive. For FF one could switch to Sony A1 (when video is important) or A7RV (photocentric). Nikon has Z9 (but this camera needs a very big housing!). If I were you, I would wait for the next generation of cameras and then decide which system I would continue to use...

In case you cannot effort to loose many thousands of $ because of flooding, you can make a contract with an insurance company (this is what I do)...

Wolfgang

22 hours ago, oneyellowtang said:

The A1 is a great camera, but you might want to look at the A7RV as a slightly less expensive alternative.

Agreed that Nikon DSLRs aren't great at video - not what they were really designed for. If you are interested in staying with Nikon, you might consider waiting to see what they next (post Z9) will be... lots of rumors... might fit what you are looking for.

I’m starting to think I’ll just wait things out… but I’ll probably remain with Sony due to the fact I have all of my glass with them. I’m down to 1 Nikon lens, and I’m not looking to buy more! 
I’ve looked and agonized over the a7r5 as a replacement for my a7r4. I use that camera for large landscapes and other big prints. But I’m 90% sure I’ll be acquiring an a1 for video capabilities and its stacked sensor, and I don’t think I’m willing to buy TWO new cameras right now, even if I sell the a7r4. 

Thank you for the advice. I’m committed to FF for my next setup. I mentioned in another reply that I’d like to stay with Sony due to all the glass I have with them. Not looking to buy more Nikon lenses, I don’t think. I suppose if Nikon releases something really fantastic in the next year or so, I could reconsider, but of course that would be an added expense. Video and video editing are important to me. That’s the primary reason I’ve been leaning toward using the a1 UW, although I’m not super keen on using the same camera topside and UW. Might have to consider insurance, as you said. 

Perhaps a Z8 with an adapter?