Nikon WP-CP3 and WP-CP4

Just saw that Nikon has a couple of underwater housings for their consumer Coolpix camera lines.

http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=7

Nikon WP-CP3

for Coolpix 4600 and 5600

Nikon WP-CP4

for Coolpix 5900 and 7900

Got a couple of questions about these...

1) Will this connect to my Nikonos SB-105 strobe?

2) Will this attach to my Nikonos tray/arm from my Nikonos V setup?

3) Anyone have a link to a review on these?

4) Anyone know an actual release date? Best I could find is "March 2005"

Sorry Tuna, I've only got bad news...

The housings will not connect directly to the SB105. The only cameras that will do this via an electrical sync cord are housed SLRs and most of the DSLRs won't do TTL with the SB105 (except the Fuji S2).

You may be able to connect the SB105 to some housings via an optical fibre (like those that INON make). You could then use the internal flash on the camera to trigger the SB105. This would enable you to use it in manual slave mode so that the FULL, 1/4, 1/16 settings could be used to adjust flash exposure (no TTL).

I'm not sure that any of these Nikon cameras/housings would be the best approach for underwater photography even if you are starting with the SB105. My suggestion is that you might be better off with a camera that has a RAW file mode so that you can make white balance adjustments back in the comfort of your home, rather than struggling with it underwater. There are a number of threads on here about the other substantial benefits of shooting RAW mode underwater. You will be seriously hamstrung shooting only JPG.

As far as alternative suggestions, take a look at the Fuji F810 (RAW mode, fast AF), Canon S70 (RAW mode, good battery life), Olympus 7070 (RAW mode). Currently, only the Fuji has the option of attaching an external wide angle lens (the lenses in all compact digicams are really only useful for macro).

I doubt the Nikonos tray will mount on the housings without some modification. I've seen no reviews of the coolpix cameras yet.

Finally, if you just want to take pictures of divers faces and maybe some macro, any of the Nikon's will be fine, but it will be a challenge to get more creative pictures and even more of a challenge to have the SB105 strobe working well as a system with a compact.

Hey Bigtuna

I agree with anthp: get something that shoots RAW. It makes all the difference.

A Coolpix 5000 will do this - and as you will see in these forums there are loads of them for sale - and they are pretty cheap. I shot with a CP5000 (on RAW) in a Subal housing with an SB105 for about 2 years and got some great results - although I did have some problems with the CP5 at times.

Its an ideal combination though: fairly light and transportable, high quality results which give you a pretty good idea of whether uw photography is going to be your thing..... and, second hand, some pretty amazing deals around.

Good luck!!

Good suggestion Tim,

S/H Coolpix 5000 would be a nice setup and would certainly be a great way to start in UW photography. You should be able to pick one up for a good deal right now as people move to DSLRs.

BTW Tim, what's the diving like in Afghanistan? Sorry, don't take this the wrong way... There is actually meant to be reasonable diving of Pakistan isn't there?

To use the SB-105 strobe you might be able to use it with the adapter made by Mathias. Somewhere in here you can find a link to his website. My recommendation is to get the Inon D-2000 or Ikelite DS-125.

Inon is supposed to now have an AD-mount adapter for Canon's S70 housing. The new lenses are designed for 28mm optics and shouldn't produce vignetting.

I would like a review.

We just received our shipment of CP-4 Housings from Nikon today. First impressions: Small, rugged case which has a much thicker wall constuction than the Canon WP cases, Metal control buttons with Enlarged buttons for Zoom Control and Shutter Release, Easy to use latch design with safety lever which must be pressed first before the latch can be opened, Rubber protector over the lens barrel section for abrasion protection.

For External Strobe use the CP-4 housing will work well with the Sea & Sea YS-25 Auto Strobe Kit. I'm sure we'll be able to configure this housing with add-on lenses for wide angle and macro use as well.

I just recieved my WP-CP4 yesturday but will not rx. the Coolpix 7900 until Tuesday but..

I currently have the Coolpix 5200/WP-CP2. I already owned two 5200 for land cameras when I noticed the cases were available. I am pretty happy with their land quality. For $200 for the WP-CP2 I had an underwater camera (so I thought.

I was/am a beginner and just wanted to be able to point and shoot. I don't care about setting a bunch of setting for each picture, adjusting strobe settings, photoshop, irratatng my dive buddy, etc. I just wanted to be able to take some pictures for the memories.

After purchasing the case, well I'm sure yall know how it goes, I purchased an INON D2000. (My $200 went way up) I read everywhere I could to find for reviews on people who had actually used the 5200 w/ or w/out a strobe, but I found nothing. I took the chance because remember, I just wanted point and shoot.

My first dive with this setup was in Dominica in Feb. Took a bunch of pictures. Wow! I am amazed, I felt like a pro. By my second dive on the first day, I had setup the camera and strobe for point-and-shoot for the rest of the 15 dives. No fidling with knobs, buttons, etc. I have some bad shots but I also got a bunch of good ones. I have found that good bouyancy and skills is much more important for taking good pictures than the camera.

Admittedly, after seeing some of my bad pictures, I would of liked to be able to clean some of them up in photoshop. I did lose some good ones. But then again I probrably wouldn't have invested the time. I am very happy with the WP-CP2/5200/INON setup. I can both enjoy the dives and take pictures and get results I'm extremely happy with.

I just upgrade to the 7900 for the larger LCD and the Underwater mode. Swimming "through" and reviewing the 1.5 inch display was undesirable. Other than that and the 7.1mp, the camera and housing are identical to the 5200. The WP-CP4 case is also a perfect fit/swap for my exising INON bases and lenses... and STTL with preflash, does work. Hope this helps.

Can someone tell me if there is a standard threaded mount point on the bottom of the WP-CP4 housing? I'd like to attach the housing to my existing Nikonos tray/arm rig.

Thanks also for the reviews.

Hi Anthony

Sorry only just seen your enquiry about diving in Afghanistan - one of the joys of being out there was the difficulties of accessing the Internet.

For practical purposes there is no diving in Afghanistan. I toyed with diving the only lakes that looked reasonably safe - Band-e Mir. But these lakes are at over 11,000 feet, and three hours very tough drive from the nearest town which, believe me, barely approches civilisation. The logistics were over-whelming and frankly just not worth the risks involved. Tempting though! I had heard of a Frenchman who, according to legend, had scuba'd the lake but had been unable to find the bottom!

People do indeed dive off Karachi. But most of us Afghan hands (?hounds) headed out to either the UAE (2 hour flight), or even better, the Maldives (2+4 hours).