Help with camera selection

[ramasule]

Alright here we go.
First of all a little back story on me. I am new to cameras, I find the more I use cameras the more I like them. I have not yet actually gone scuba only snorkel multiple times, but I will be getting my padi soon. I believe most of my time I would like to be shooting macro.

I have a sr-12 with the cheap cannon snorkel housing and a w30. I loved shooting and it was great. This year I got the wife a TS2 for Christmas and was thinking of getting a underwater rig for myself.
I have done a lot of reading over the past week and I think I have concluded the following:

For compact camera I have 2 choices the s95 and the dx-2g
The reasons I like the compact camera: both have decent above land shooting, both have decent underwater. They both can take wet lenses such as the ucl-165(Macro), uwl-04(Fish), and the uwl-100 (WA)
Reasons I like the dx-2g, can get a good setup for 2500 bucks, this would include strobe, a couple lenses, and adapters.
After much reading regarding the s95 it seems pretty much the only case to get that makes it worthwhile is the recsea case.
So for a basic s95 combo it would be around 2200 for the camera housing and strobe lenses would be extra not to mention adapters :/

But here is the part that threw me for a curve ball.
I have been looking at getting the NEX-5 and it looks like a good camera.
One can acquire the camera with the 16mm and 18-55mm lenses for around 800 bucks.
The housings are expensive but they are not that bad relative to other dslr housings.
Of course to get a setup is the price of a vacation for my wife and I so I am hesitant to get one.

Couple questions:
Any suggestions?
If I get the NEX-5 and housing, what else do I need for macro?
With the NEX-5 and flat port is there any type of wet lens? (IE the uwl-04)
Thank you for your input.

Derek L

[bvanant]

A couple of points. The NEX-5 is an interchangeable lens camera. For macro you would use the macro lens like the Sony 30 mm macro lens or the Sony alpha 50 macro. Unlike the P&S housings you typically won't use add on lenses for shooting macro or wide angle just use different lenses with different ports. The exception to this is if you are interested in super macro then you might add a SubSee adapter to your rig. I disagree with your belief that the RecSea is the only housing to get for the S95 but it depends on what you want to shoot. The canon housing is not bad at all and with the Dyron adapters you can add on the same lenses as the RecSea if budget is an issue.

The two housings for the Nex are the Aquatica and the Nauticam. Both are great but both are lots more money than the S95 systems you talked about.

Bill

[ramasule]

Yes I've been looking at the housings. I want the nex-5 for a topside camera, one of the things limiting me from getting it is the underwater housing price. The other is the risk of doing macro and something cool stops by to visit. So theoretically if I purchase the nex-5 I would also need that AtoE lens adapter and the A series macro lens .. This seems silly to me. This would allow me to do macro .. how macro is macro? By that I mean how large can the subject be before it is impractacle to do macro. It almost seems like one would need 3 cameras down there to capture things. Would it be better to wait for someone like canon or nikon to release the next gen of thier evil cameras for better lens support?

[ramasule]

I guess I could say if you had around 3000 to spend on a setup which camera / housing would one get?

[ramasule]

or maybe this?
Olympus E-PL1 PEN Camera, PT-EP01 Housing and Sea & Sea Strobe Package

[bvanant]

I would start with the Canon T2i $700
Add the S&S or Ike Housing $1500
Get the 60 macro $400
Single S2000 strobe and arms.
That way I have room to grow and the IQ will be a lot better than any of the P&S systems.

Alternately, Olympus EPL-1 $400
Olympus Housing $500
Lenses (macro and WA) $180 for macro, $480 for 9-18
Dome Port for housing $500
Strobes and arms , 600
That will be $2700 or so. You can grow easily with this system.

Bill

[ramasule]

Thank you,
I will aquire the camera and learn how to use it, become adept at my bouyancy, and by that time hopefully I can get the UW housing and combine the two.

[scottg]

Derek,
that's a lot of choices you are looking into! They all have pros and cons, depending on your own goals and preferences.

Give me a call if you want to discuss any of them in detail, the number is on the Bluewater Photo website.