OLY C8080 and Ikelite Housing

I would love some input...I am about to purchase a new set up,I was looking at the Canon G6 with Ikelite housing and external Inon lenses (wide angle and macro) and I already have a Sea and Sea YS90 DX strobe and ultralite arm.. ( I have never used external lenses, but know that it is a potential fail point for me, ie dropped, lost, damaged putting it on and off, water and particulates trapped between lens and body while changing it mid dive, etc...)...I excluded the Canon Powershot Pro 1 from my search because I came across a few negative reviews, ie, bigger is not always better,the top of the line isn't always the best technology...

.. it was recommended that I look at the OLY C-8080, which has a much greater range from macro to wide angle without adding external lenses...I even saw that with the Ikelite housing, I can buy an add on "dome port" that will accomodate the WCON-08D wide angle conversion lense and give me even greater wide angle capabilities , within the safety of my housing,nothing to "fiddle around" with...this configuration, with the larger memory cards, extra battery, etc, should cost around 2000.00 ...I really shouldn't spend much more, but will if necessary to make sure that i don't regret my decesion later...Is this a good setup for that price range or should I consider something entirely different (I have seen some Sony fans in this forum)...for what it's worth I dive in the Kelp forest in Sothern California all year long, and once or twice yearly I shoot down to Cozumel or somewhere warm and clear...I want something versatile enough to work for me in both environments...

... I don't know very much about the "TTL" technology that Olympus (and Canon) include in the higher end consumer cameras but i do understand that my Sea and Sea strobe is not a candidate, and that i will have to set my power level manually, as i am still a novice photographer, it might be good for me to learn the "hard way"... anyway...I would eventually like to pick up the proper strobe... I welcome your suggestions as to which is the best strobe for this setup...

...OK so here is the rest of it (we're almost finished..), it occurs to me that if i select the OLY C8080, I cannot make use of the built in strobe, because it is a pop up and the housing will prevent it from opening, (the same for the Powershot Pro)...and I know that if i am doing some serious photography I should certainly expect to take along my strobe(s) and arms, but if i am on a leisurely drift dive in shallow water in Cozumel with my wife I might want the simplicity of being less encumbered...is it a mistake to purchase a housing that will not allow the use of all of the cameras functions, or , is that (the built in strobe) a function that I am better off learning how "not" to use...

OK so there it is, I am new to this forum and am placing myself in your capable hands..thanks, Kyle

The 8080 has really bad autofocus in low light. I would not touch it, myself, for underwater.

The Sony V3 is best. The fuji 810 is good. The canon G6 and Pro1 are better than nikons or olys.

Not being able to use the built in flash, is not a loss. In my experience, a single ikelite DS50 on an arm, is not much extra encumerance, compared to the housing, but makes a world of difference, in photo quality.

Don

Kyle,

While I usually use a dSLR I also use a Canon G6 (I shot the test photos on Ikelite's site when the housing fist came out.) I agree with Don Erway's assessment of AF and features. The Olympus 8080 is a full featured camera, but the Canon G6 or the PRO 1 with the recently updated firmware that speeds up AF are possibly better choices.

For a quick focusing recent sample of mine shot with a Canon G6 check out:

http://www.vintagedoublehose.com/trips/April2005/046.jpg

and also look under the "Vintage trips" areas for more UW photos all shot with the Canon G6. The most recent March 2005 trip. All shot through the standard flat port with just the camera's lens, too.

The Ikelite housing will have eTTL flash control for the Canon G6 in the near future, but also works well in manual mode using an EV Controller with DS50 or DS125 strobe. The Olympus DOES already have real TTL control.

Email me any questions. Happy to help!

David Haas

davidhaas@sbcglobal.net

Ikelite Underwater Systems Dealer AND User

Don and David,

Thanks so much for your input, I spent 24 years in the foodservice industry, and do not buy so much as a pound of pinto beans without shopping and comparing, and you guys have definitely given me food for thought...

Your concern over the Olympus C-8080 having a problem with the auto focus has been echoed in other forums and reviews that I have read, and it could very well be a deal breaker as far as I am concerned...I am relying on this camera to do a lot of the work for me, especially a function as sensitive as focus...a factor that I did like though was the wide range of available focus using the stock lens ( 28-140 mm )

I was considering making up for this deficit in the G6 (35-140 mm...a little lacking on the macro end) by adding the external lenses from Inon, but have developed a concern that adding external lenses to my Ikelite housing is creating a new failure point and the possibility of damage and or loss..not to mention that shooting through one lens, a housing , a layer of salt water, and then another lens must have some effect of picture quality. ,What are your experiences with the use of external lenses?

The DSR V3 has a range of (34-136 mm) still not quite as "macro" as i would like to get... but has one huge selling point for me and that is the 2.5 inch LCD screen ( the dinky screen on my Canon A70 was the source of much frustration for me )

So what do you think...am i making a mountain out of a mole hill? Do you have different cameras for the really wide shots,and close-ups or do these cameras perform those functions within reason...and shall I assume that if I really want a camera that has ALL the bells and whistles I need to quadruple my budget and buy professional equipment?

So lets assume I pick up one of these two cameras, do I put my Sea and Sea YS90 DX (new in box) on Ebay and pick up the Ikelite strobe so that I can take advantage of the TTL technology? Which one of the strobes would be the right purchase...most of my diving is here in Los Angeles in the Kelp forest ...limited vis and light , but i do go to the tropics at least once, sometimes twice annually...and while i am at it...is a dual strobe system preferable?...can I buy one now, and add one later without a lot of complications.

One last question, this is for you Dave regarding the Ikelite housings...the OLY had an available dome lens cover so that I could switch to a larger lens on the camera itself...do the housings for the G6 and the V3 have that function available?if not do they allow for the addition of those external lenses that I mentioned?(in the event that I break down and absolutely must have more range)

OK thats my next round of questions ( I cannot tell you guys how much I appreciate you taking the time to assist me in my quest...)I will look forward to your response when the opportunity presents itself...thanks again, Kyle.

Hi Kyle,

No need to email Dave with questions - unless you are not comfortable asking here - as there are dozens of experienced Ikelite shooters here who can help you in an unbiased way.

While it may be a leap at first, it's better for everyone if you can ask your questions on the forum - that way everyone can benefit from the discussion.

Now on to the questions - let's talk about lenses first. You'll find that whether you are shooting topsides, there is no 15-500mm Wideangle/Macro lens. It's just not possible. All of the compact cameras come with a mid-range zoom lens, which is great for topsides people photos. Most of the cameras have a macro mode, which let's you focus super close to the subject to get better magnification. The widest that most compact cameras go is 24mm - which is decent, but just barely wide enough to get a photo of a diver or a shark.

So some folks use add-on lenses. Many of the add-on wideangle lenses were designed to work with the most popular Oly camera which had something like a 35mm lens. With the newer wider cameras, the camera vignettes (dark corners) with the add-on wide lens. Some camera can be bought with a "dry" add on wideangle lens that may or may not fit in a housing. Ikelite makes dome ports for a few of these. Olympus also makes them, but the olympus one suck, as they have a flat glass on the front when it needs to be curved.

Cheers

James

Hi Kyle

I have an Oly C8080 with Ikelite housing and DS 50 strobe and have enjoyed the benefits of the TTL, though some would argue that manual control is better it was one less thing to learn as a newbie to digital. I realy love the improvement in my photos over my old MX10 film camera but that is probably a given with any digital .

Yes the autofocus, especially low light, is dead slow though very good over the whole range of the lens, and the shutterlag is also slow. Reports are the Sony V3 wins here but I would suggest you do a shoot out in the shop and report here.

I have been one of the complainers about the Oly's focus and shutterlag speed but as a newbie to the digital world I was probably more horrified than a more experienced digital photographer would be therefore my suggestion on the shoot out. I have grown more used to anticipating the lags and now almost produce more fish heads than buts.

If you go the Oly route I suggest you buy dual strobe handles as holding the housing steady in your right hand without a handle is tough when using your left index finger to stabilise on the reef. Also allows cheaper upgrade to two strobes. Using a DS125 that has a focus light will probably also be a better idea as it should overcome some of the AF problems. Others here will be able to give you feedback on the DS125. I found manual focus a real drag and rather set it at a distance and try to get the camera there afterwards if I have to use it:blink:.

Regards

David