5D Mark II - Underwater

[Michael_Lambert]

Hey guys.

So the 5D Mark2 has resolved all my issues for shooting underwater i have always stuck with the point and shoot G9 and Olympus SP-350 for my underwater needs only because i find i tend to shoot video clips too.

So now that there is a SLR that shoots Vide0 HD video for that fact i am going to jump all over it.

My question is What are the odds that there is going to be a major flaw with this and what are the odds that Canon is going to release something better with in the next 6 months.

Reason i ask is that it is a large investment $2500+ for the body $3000 for the housing $1000+ for a port and then any other extras that i might end up wanting.

I would hate to make such an investment on something that is replaced before the manufacturers actually release the housings.. lol

[Michael_Lambert]

I have gotten a couple of Pm's asking how a underwater housing could cost $3000.. lol,

Well i am an avid scuba diver and at the recent DEMA ( Divers Equipment Manufacturers association ) event.. last month in Vegas i was told that the housings where in the works and they estimated $3000 however when the 1D Mark3 came out they suggested $3200 for the housing which is currently selling for $6100..

Keep in mind thats for only the housing.. Then depending on what lens you are using you need to buy a port..

Examples below

ID Mark 3 Housing (http://reefphoto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=2156)

Dome Port (http://reefphoto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=80_130_47&products_id=2523)

[tonylong]

Hey, this is interesting!

I've looked at underwater housing and, boy, the price for DLRs is intimidating, but what a cool idea to have the still and video of the 5D2!

I guess that things to consider looking forward are pretty much the same as above-ground stuff. The next Rebel will likely have video, so you will have a smaller body and smaller/less expensive housing, so if size/weight and/or price are a consideration, well, that's something to consider.

Another consideration might be ruggedness. The 1D series of course takes the cake there. Will the next 1D have video? I know that some underwater gear is pretty hefty, so if you are prepared to spend more and are used to a big rig, it may be worth while to wait and see...

[Michael_Lambert]

Oh it is well worth the wait.

Where the problems come in are flooding the gear, now i have great insurance on it so i am not worried i tend to flood my housing at least once every couple of years.. And thats if i have not already dropped my tanks on it, or got the camera damaged from it being slammed in between me and the boat during a rouge wave :D

Where the problem comes down is when it floods my insurance will repair or replace the camera which is great until the camera is no longer availible.. then they give you the cash back ( full value of the purchase price ) which is fine but then you are stuck with a housing that is useless and cost the same if not more than the body :(

So if the 5D Mark 2 is going to hold ground like the 5D has i have no issues with the investment, however if its blows up in every ones face and is replaced and become scarce i would be worried.

[ngray77]

Holy crap I thought my regs and bc were pricey.

[Michael_Lambert]

Holy crap I thought my regs and bc were pricey.


haha,

Yea wait and see if you ever get into technical diving. Diving double tanks with stages. ( 4-5 sets of regs just for one dive )

[ngray77]

Yeah, reading aboout this dive sends chills up my spine every time. Twin Dees is about a half hour from my house:
http://http://www.mejeme.com/dive/articles/twinds.htm

[neumanns]

And that my friend is the $64,000 question...I am strongly considering one also. Looks to be a quite a camera. However canon dissapointed me with dropping the release cycle to 12 month's on the 40D/50D. Prior to this they had an 18month (+-) release cycle on the xxD series bodies.

The last 5D was around about three years (before 5dII release) and my concern is a lot like your's. What happens if they release the 5dxx in 18 months?

Should we as consumers be able to expect some lifespan between model #'s If the 40D is any example the answer is no!

[gooble]

So what if they release an update in 18 months. Do you want to wait 18 months to get a camera? Then when it comes out are you gonna say when will they release the upgrade to that? A new camera coming out has no detrimental impact on the camera you have does it? So sell it and upgrade.

What are the odds that there'll be a major flaw? How could anybody possibly know? I'm not sure why you even ask the question?

[Southswede]

haha,

Yea wait and see if you ever get into technical diving. Diving double tanks with stages. ( 4-5 sets of regs just for one dive )

LOL! When I go diving, it's for fun! This sounds too much like work to me! LOL!!

[neumanns]

[quote=gooble;6705817]So what if they release an update in 18 months. A new camera coming out has no detrimental impact on the camera you have does it? So sell it and upgrade.

[quote]

Sure it does, It affects the value. Not only used value but it also affects retail pricing.

If money was not a factor I would be shooting a 1DIII and an extensive collection of L primes!

[Michael_Lambert]

A new camera coming out has no detrimental impact on the camera you have does it? So sell it and upgrade.



It does,

If canon introduces a new model to replace it quickly that makes the model hard by and when you invest 5 grand in a underwater housing and it floods two years later and your insurance company says sorry no more 5D MArk 2's around but this is the model that is equlivant.. You are up a creek with out a padel cause now you have a new camera ( Yeehaww) however you now have a 5 thousand dollar housing that is no good to you and chances are no one will buy it cause the body is hard to come by.. lol

Unlike say the 5D which has been around for years on end.

[ckhorne]

You might want to check out wetpixel.com - there's a lot of information over there.

I personally have an underwater rig for an XTi (Hugyfot aluminum housing, TTL adaptor, Inon Z240 strobe, multiple ports for several lenses). I should warn you that the housing is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to u/w photography- my housing was ~$2000, but all my equipment tips the scales at around $10,000 (I know only because I had to fill out the insurance list, and about had a heart attack). And that's just an XTi setup- the housing manufacturers know people with more expensive cameras will spend more, so they jack the price up.

Anything marked for underwater use - whether filters, ports, lighting arms - whatever- gets marked up at least double. My modelling light (mostly to be able to focus for night u/w photography) was $450... It's very rewarding, but just be prepared for what you're getting into.

Having said that, I'd love to switch my gear to use a 5DmkII, but I can't lay down another $3500 for a replacement housing. Keep in mind that the housings are manufactured for only one camera, since the buttons, etc, move from model to model. Underwater video with the 5D would be awesome, too, although lighting would be a huge pain..

Some pictures from last year's Indonesia trip:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1321/1211334830_f05515e3bf.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1067/1343352592_91fecb6e8a.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1283/1342522285_3ff16e1996.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1409/1210755923_b1e2654a2d.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/1342528337_921a2347b9.jpg

[Michael_Lambert]

Great pictures,

Yes i am well aware of the cost of underwater photography we do have couple of rigs on the go now. Which is why i was asking about the 5D mark 2 and if people think its going to be like the 5D and be around for years to come.

My concern was like you said dumping close to 4 grand into a housing to have the camera replaced with in a year and then get stuck with a housing and no camera in a couple of years when it does flood and destroy the camera.

[tonylong]

I can definitely see your concern there! I guess if it were me I'd get the 5D2 setup, then when an update was announced, shop for a lightly used model (or a discounted new one).

I just don't think we can accurately predict how often upgrades will be released -- the 50D showed us that "18 months" is not a reliable timetable.

[Michael_Lambert]

yea its a crazy thing i guess.

Just drives me nuts cause you get into the DSLR housings for the depths and kind of diving i do we have no choice but to buy the aluminum housings. I mean if i where diving the local reefs in 100 feet of water i could buy a acrylic housing for 1/2 the cost from Ikelite. But you have no choice but to buy the Aliminum when you start diving the 250+ feet.

[ckhorne]

Great pictures,

Yes i am well aware of the cost of underwater photography we do have couple of rigs on the go now. Which is why i was asking about the 5D mark 2 and if people think its going to be like the 5D and be around for years to come.

My concern was like you said dumping close to 4 grand into a housing to have the camera replaced with in a year and then get stuck with a housing and no camera in a couple of years when it does flood and destroy the camera.

Ah - so you've been taken in by the Dark Side more than I have. At least you know what you're getting into!

It would be nice for the housing manuf's to put a little more thought into making them more modular. IE- reuse the front part and replace just the backplate to accomodate a different model. It wouldn't be $100, but it wouldn't be $4000 all over again, either.

yea its a crazy thing i guess.

Just drives me nuts cause you get into the DSLR housings for the depths and kind of diving i do we have no choice but to buy the aluminum housings. I mean if i where diving the local reefs in 100 feet of water i could buy a acrylic housing for 1/2 the cost from Ikelite. But you have no choice but to buy the Aliminum when you start diving the 250+ feet.

I ended up buying an aluminum, even though I only do sport diving and rarely go below 120' or so- the extra rigidity was worth it, in my opinion. I can highly recommend Hugyfot (http://www.hugyfot.com/) - it's the advantages of aluminum without the huge enclosure.

[Michael_Lambert]

Honestly Aquatica (http://www.aquatica.ca/) is the way most of us go up here only because we dive in large drysuits with large bulky gloves so the larger handles and such are nice.

The group i dive with mostly shoots nikon. One shots a D3 and we have 2 D200's and a d300 full on DS125 Strobes with all the bells and whistles. I have stuck with shooting the point and shoot side of things for the movie mode :D leaving the high end imagery up to them but i am looking to get more into the game here.

We also dive deep cold steel ship wrecks so there is a lot of banging the gear around and catching it one sharp edges so the metal housings are a must.

[gooble]

It does,

If canon introduces a new model to replace it quickly that makes the model hard by and when you invest 5 grand in a underwater housing and it floods two years later and your insurance company says sorry no more 5D MArk 2's around but this is the model that is equlivant.. You are up a creek with out a padel cause now you have a new camera ( Yeehaww) however you now have a 5 thousand dollar housing that is no good to you and chances are no one will buy it cause the body is hard to come by.. lol

Unlike say the 5D which has been around for years on end.

What I was saying was a new model coming out does not keep your current model from working.

[tonylong]

Michael was referring to the fact that floodings do happen, so he's concerned about a replacement model being available. He liked the idea of the same model being available for three years, something that drove the rest of us crazy, waiting for the 5D2:)!

[Michael_Lambert]

Exaclty,

My insurance covers Replacement of the camera body, SO i buy it now and spend 4 grand on a housing for it and a year from now Canon releases a mark 3 or something they stop making the Mark 2 and then they disappear. I flood the camera and can no longer get the body i am now stuck with a 4 thousand dollar housing that is useless.