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Equipment News and ReviewsDec. 29, 2008--up-dating always in progress Housings for Olympus E-520, Nikon D700, D300 and D3 cameras now in stock! We are your best source for housed SLR systems. Cameras Olympus E-520 SLR with housing--LOW COST, really low cost, with great versatility Fully tested, fully in stock. Aquatica housings coming soon Lens choices for the D3 . Housings Sea and Sea MDX housing tips for Nikon D300 Strobes Ikelite TTL Archive: Nikon D200 in several housings Cameras First glance: You can get the camera, two lenses, housing, one port, strobe and arm for UNDER US$3300.00!!!!! One of the lenses is the 14 - 42mm that focuses to just a few inches away. It is the fastest camera on the market and focuses in a blink. ("Blink" is a technical term for "I don't know the actual fraction of a second, but it is impressive.") The strobe works from a fiber optic cable and allows remote control from the camera to allow you to increase or decrease your TTL exposure. CHECK THIS OUT! If you have two strobes, you can control them separately from the camera. So you can tell one to produce more or less light than the other during the TTL exposure. That is very sophisticated for this low price, and a valuable tool in controlling light balance for soft fill, versus equal, or any other combination you like. While there are ports for the Olympus proprietary cords to work directly with the camera, it is cheaper and less risky to use the fiber optic cables. The ones sold by Olympus are more expensive than the ones sold by Sea and Sea. We recommend the Ultralight arms and when you come to Cayman to pick up your complete system, we will work with you to customize the arms to suit your particular needs. The Olympus strobes will operate at shutter speeds up to 1/1000 second! That is a real bonus. They are a little complex, so be sure to understand your owner's manual before you head for the water. The housing is compact and rugged, and allows easy change of both shutter speed and f stop. It has both SLR and live view. The focusing is slow in the live mode, so I use it only when there is no room for me to work with my eye to the viewfinder. Focusing in normal view is incredibly fast, fast. As always, if you do not have enough light to focus quickly, adding light from a flashlight helps a lot. The built-in automatic aiming light is not very effective and cannot be turned on manually. Since the strobes use only two batteries, I recommend that you add a flashlight. There are plenty of great lights to choose from and they can be strapped to the strobe or attached to the accessory shoe on the top of the housing. The magnifying eyepiece allows decent viewing of the viewfinder, albeit nothing is as fine as the Subal magnifier, but the Subal eyepiece alone, at around $1200.00, is more than this entire housing body! IT GROWS: If you want to expand to other lenses, there are choices from 180º fisheye to 50mm macro that shoots a picture area 1 1/2" x 1". Add an extremely high quality wide zoom that ranges from a diagonal angle of 114º to 75º and the port, a second strobe, and anything goes. It handles beautifully in the water--the holding system is easy to keep a grip. For the price, this is the best there is. Of course it is not a Nikon D3, but it doesn't cost $15,000.00 either. The photos are very good quality, and I have decided to stock this item. Nikon D3--this is top of the line. The large viewfinder makes aiming and composing easier than with the smaller viewfinders of the other SLRs. Also, the full frame 12MP cmos sensor allows us to return to using the 60mm micro Nikkor at its full width. I missed this The newest D3x is a stunning 24.5 MP, and should still use the same housing. We are just now looking into the differences. At a suggested retail of only $8000.00 it will be a great tool for the serious photographer. (I say only because a few years ago this many megapixels was over $30,000.00.) D3 and D700 lens choices: We are back to the original film format lenses, so you will want the Nikkor fisheye AF 16mm f/2.8D to get full 180° of coverage. For a wide zoom lens, the main choice is the Nikkor AF-S Zoom 14 - 24mm f/2.8G ED lens with an angle of 114° to 84°. Like all pro Nikons, you can view the highlight warning while the photo is at full size. Many other cameras reduce the playback image to show the highlight warning and the histogram side by side, making it difficult to study your photos. The ability to study your photos is the whole key to taking advantage of shooting with digital. Without seeing your image clearly, you are more likely to miss flaws in your photo that you should correct and this slows your progress underwater while shooting. There are no disadvantages that I can think of to the D300 except the size of the viewfinder when compared to the D3. Lens choices for the D300 remain the same that we have used for previous digital models. The 60 and 105mm for macro photography, the 10.5 mm for extreme wide angle, the Tokina 10 - 17mm for extreme wide/zoom and there are lots of choices for the zoom range in between, including the Sigma 10 - 20mm (not available for Sea and Sea housings), the Nikkor 12 - 24mm and many more narrower ones. Check to see which lenses are supported by the housing of your choice as the zoom gears are proprietary to the housings. Olympus SP350 in Olympus housing (October 19, 2006, still pertains May 2, 2008)
We program the short cut key to toggle through the My Mode settings. This key (labeled AEL) sits right by your right thumb as you hold the camera. It is very easy to use. The Super macro setting focuses about an inch away so that a tiny subject about an inch and a half across will fill the frame. The photo on the left is a full-frame, untouched photo of a pregnant male pygmy seahorse, about the size of a grain of rice. It is sharp and I cropped it, edited it in photoshop, and it looks TERRIFIC in the full resolution size.
The housing is reliable and the controls are easy to work, even with average gloves. (Mittens, of course, would be hard, but not impossible as the keys are tiered downward to the right.) Raw shooting is available, although it does take over twelve seconds to record and thus is not recommended for the vast majority of your shooting. This small camera is great for above-water photography, too. We now have the SeaLife DC800 and strobe in stock. This camera offers a great deal--camera, housing, adjustable strobe and arm for only $800.00. Pro: Low cost; 8 MP, auto-focus, rugged easy-to-hold housing rated to 200 feet, adjustable easy to use strobe, wide angle lens, built-in macro, and video with sound. There are three underwater color correction settings and they list MANUAL exposure control. However, this is limited to just two f stops 2.8 and 5.3. However, it is enough to allow you to produce nice, dark backgrounds with close-ups. The choice of shutter speeds is fine. Cons: the strobe arm is a little too short to allow you to aim the strobe at the closest possible focus. To remedy that, we simply remove the camera from the tray and hand hold the strobe. It is not an elegant solution, but it works when you want that really close photo. Conclusion: This is the most camera for the money on the market today. Sea and Sea 1G--has one big issue: Although it has lots of great features, the screen always shows the ambient exposure--which presents a problem for underwater photographers. When you are shooting macro with a strobe where the ambient light is not a major part of the exposure, the screen goes dark and you cannot see the image to aim and focus. When you push the shutter part way, the screen does brighten briefly, but the delay is an unbearable problem. Olympus Stylus 850SW and 1030SW These great cameras are perfect for watersports enthusiasts--they are shockproof and waterproof WITHOUT a housing! The maximum depth limit of the 8 megapixel Stylus 850SW is 10 feet so it's perfect for snorkelers; free divers and SCUBA divers who keep it shallow will appreciate the 10.1 megapixel Stylus 1030SW which can go to a depth of 33 feet. Both cameras have the traditional plastic Olympus underwater housings available if you plan to exceed the cameras' maximum depth ratings and you can add an external strobe to provide full color. Olympus Stylus 1010 in Olympus housing This system is terrific--excellent value. Ten megapixels and 7x optical zoom along with a slim size makes this a great above water Pros of Olympus housing and compact digital cameras: The small cases are easy to handle--the large shutter control, color coded buttons are clearly labeled and stacked at different heights for easy use even with cold-water gloves. T . The built-in flash (used in the photos here) produces plenty of light for close-ups, and the diffuser is easily removed for longer shots (although I have not yet tested this). But, as with all underwater cameras, an external strobe should be added. After 68 photos with full flash, the battery was still fine and the housing did not fog up. Cons: There is no manual mode. Housings Sea and Sea MDX for D300. Sea and Sea has upgraded their housing style for the D300. The Add the Sea and Sea TTL converter, and you have a fine, modern, improved, easy to use digital system. Ergonomically, this is about as good as it gets compared to Canon and compared to many other housings for Nikon.
The Subal housings are still the Rolls Royce of housings, but even they do not have the buttons on the left angled quite as conveniently as the Sea and Sea. Since this is a minor difference, it would not influence my decision on which to buy. Both the Subal housings for the D300 and the D3 come with wider port openings to accommodate the new, larger lenses. If you wish to use your previous subal dome or flat ports with narrow lenses, you can use a bayonet adaptor to hold the smaller port on to the new housings. Olympus systems--housing tips for older compact digital housings Be careful with plastic housings. Sometimes screws have been over-tightened at the factory and they develop stress cracks. I recommend that you loosen all screws at least very slightly. Some people even remove the accessory fitting on the top. Beware of using the Ultralight trays with a riser on the back. If not positioned clearly away from the edge of the back door, they will cause a major flood. Be sure that the lip of the tray is either fully between the two rear feet and the tripod foot (i.e. under the housing) or outside of the door completely, holding it shut, but not under the door pressing the door upward. Also, watch the red back-door o-ring. It can jump out of its groove and cause a major flood. Visually check the seating of the O-ring as you close the door, and again after it is closed, especially if you have any difficulty closing the latches. As with all cameras, check it carefully in a tub of fresh water before heading underwater.
Sigma 10 - 20mm lens for Nikon and Canon SLR cameras This award-winning lens is slightly wider (102° to 64°) than the 12 - 24 mm Nikon lens (99° - 61°), but not as wide as the 180° Nikon 10.5 mm fisheye. Thus, it is easier to use as an all-around wide lens for large subjects. Compared to the 10.5 lens you don't have to get quite so close to medium-sized subjects like large pelagic rays, whales and sharks, and still have them fill the frame. The Sigma 10 - 20mm is a good choice for dives where the scenery is not large and lush and when you are not certain what size subject you will be dealing with. Because it is not a full 180° diagonal lens, like the Nikon 10.5, it is easier for many beginners to handle. They will be less likely to get their strobes in the photos, and it is easier to control image composition.The Sigma is sharper throughout than the Nikkor 12 - 24mm zoom lens. I found it to be a great lens on the last Solomon Islands trip. Check with your housing manufacturer to be sure that they make a zoom gear to fit. So far, Sea and Sea does not, but Subal does. Tokina 10 - 17mm lens AT-X 107 DX for Nikon and Canon SLR cameras Pros: 180° diagonal at widest setting to 100° at narrow setting. Focuses to a close 5.5" (just like the Nikkor 10.5 fisheye lens). The zoom allows the beautiful creative features of a fisheye lens, yet you can zoom quickly for those shy pelagics. When ultra wide includes too much extraneous scenery (like divers right beside you) you can zoom partially until they are gone. Cons: This a slower lens, (the Nikkor 10.5mm lens is f/2.8 which allows easier focus in dim conditions). It is not as sharp as the Nikkor and suffers from more chromatic aberrations. (Chromatic aberrations occur more at the corners and show up as a rainbow of colors on one side of the white areas in the photos. On one side of the lens they may appear as a blue border along light areas and may produce a yellow border along white areas on the other side of the photo.) Nikkor AF-S Zoom 14 - 24mm f/2.8G ED lens For a wide zoom lens, the main choice is the Nikkor AF-S Zoom 14 - 24mm f/2.8G ED lens with I do not currently have this lens in stock, so let me know in advance if you want one. This lens was meant to be wide and is sharp corner to corner at wide apertures. It will be beautiful for dark wrecks and replaces the 14mm full-frame rectilinear lens. It is a large lens but the new Subal housings have a larger port opening to accommodate this lens.
Ikelite has introduced a good system for TTL. Although I am not a huge fan of the Ikelite housings, (the ergonomics can be cumbersome), their TTL has been an asset for use with many cameras.
The Nikon D200 is a 10.1 MP camera well-suited to being housed for underwater use in a variety of housings, such as Subal, Sea and Sea, Ikelite, and Light and Motion. My favorite is the Subal for its reliability, durability and ergonomics. The Light and Motion housing is certainly the most ergonomically designed to offer electronic controls at your thumb and fingertips. However, I am often shy about too much dependency on electronic controls. The combination of their digital ROC strobe controls, and four programmable menu settings for different photo techniques, and a large screen on the back showing the controls that you are adjusting are powerful advantages that are worth the price tag. I do not see a magnifying viewfinder, so I shall have to research that as well. Of all of these items, it is the magnifier that counts the most to me as that is in use during every photo taking moment. The Subal housing is strictly manual, but the controls are easily worked. With the Sea and Sea TTL adaptor, you have full TTL rather than having to make adjustments. The large high eye point viewfinder is stunning, albeit pricey at over a thousand dollars just for the finder. That makes the Subal more expensive than the Light and Motion.The Ikelite has built-in TTL, but I find their arms and handles uncomfortable. It is easy to add UltraLight arms to your Ikelite housing. The ports are specific to the lenses, so sometimes you need several ports to fill all your needs. Nikon D2x and Subal housing--currently I love the Nikon D2x in a Subal housing. It is beautifully balanced. With my dome port and three strobes on buoyancy arms I can set the system in mid-water, write a note on my slate and pick the housing up again after it has risen just an inch or two! The controls work smoothly with one modification which is easy to do, and the screen on the back is large and easy to evaluate. The D2x has a lovely, large LCD monitor with an incredible enlargement capability so that you can really check the focus on the smallest detail. It is fast, of course, and the 12 mp allow great enlargements, even up to a 30 x 40 inch print!
The YS110DX has a pre-flash setting for use with digital cameras that put out a pre-flash or red-eye reduction flash. The strobe can ignore the first signal and just fire when it is supposed to on the second signal. If the camera does not have a pre-flash, then set the strobe for normal.But more importantly, these strobes have a dial to adjust the output over a six-stop range. With digital, take a picture and look at the result on the screen. If the flash is too bright, (and you don't want to fool with settings, or you can't change settings due to camera or creative reasons), you just dial the strobe to a weaker setting. You can reduce output from full power by 1/2, 1, 1 1/2, 2, 2 1/2, 3, 3 1/2, 4, 5, 6 or 7 stops. (Actually there is not much difference between the -6 and -7) Fiber
Optic Cable to use external strobes with Digital Cameras in clear housings: Miscellaneous housings: We have not had great success with several of the less expensive varieties in odd-brand plastic housings, but will let you know when a good one comes along. Some flood if you cry near them, others just don't offer reasonable controls. Last updated, Dec. 29, 2008
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feature on the previous D2x where the 60mm lens "becomes" a 90mm lens and I have to shoot further away from my subjects. The downside, of course, is the cost for the camera and housing. 
solid block aluminum housing shows many improved features. The f stop control is now a large gear on the corner of the housing which is easily reached while your index finger is on the shutter lever. The shutter speed dial is large and easy to turn with your thumb, and the focus point navigation buttons are shifted to the right and enlarged for easy use. The menu buttons are slanted to the left so that you can push them easily from the left handle. The focus CSM switch is now an easily accessible gear on the left.
