6d for underwater photography?

[jimjamesjimmy]

thanks Steve w for taking the time to reply with such great advice!

why cant i get it out my head i need a FF camera!  i was gonna get a housing for my 350d once apon a time but the housings would have cost more than the camera back then! but yeah 7d 250 flash sync is way better than 180

Im ashamed to say i never really gave the flash sync speed as much thought as ishould have, being a mostly natural light photographer myself on the surface.

is 180 not good enough?, i suppose i better get into a underwater forum for this kind of in depth talk!

i really had my heart on a 6d

[crasher8]

Don't forget to account for strobes (stills) or video lights in your budget!

Ikelite

You misspelled Aquatica.

(and yes, I say the et al, just joking around)

Hey no fooling around here. The OP said no 'sarky' remarks.

[Otara]

Steve above is a very experienced underwater shooter.

One thing to mention is high ISO is less important than you'd think for a lot of underwater photography, as most of the time you're using strobes to provide light for your main subject rather than relying on ambient light alone.  Which is also why higher sync speeds are so important.  The other issue is floods which are most likely when early on with underwater DSLR as a friend of mine just found out.  Getting the most camera for your buck can leave you with no ability to replace it if the worst happens.

And finally there are some real advantages to APS-C underwater, not least is access to the Tokina 10-17mm, one of the most popular underwater lenses around.  The EF-S 60mm macro is also a fantastic all rounder.

Wetpixel would be one place to try to find out more.  It also depends whether above water or below water is your major priority.

[jimjamesjimmy]

i wonder what camera steve uses?  ( i bet its full frame

[Otara]

His profile on Wetpixel says 7D.  Same here.

Otara

[jimjamesjimmy]

i stand corrected then!

one thing about the 6d id,   if the 5d 3 went from £3000 to £2400 this quick (jessops refurbished)  then surely the 6d will drop from 1800 pretty rapidly, so not too bad for replacing a flooded housing

[Otara]

True to some extent, but theres the lens you're going to be using as well to consider - big diff between the Canon fisheye and the Tokina.  Look theres no definite answer, but overall the big trend now is towards smaller systems, as they're easier underwater, less travel problems etc and the major limit on image quality is often water rather than camera anyhow.  I find my 7D to be at the limit sizewise, and if anything find systems like the Olympus OM-5 more the direction Id be going for my next system than towards full-frame if the 7D mark II doesnt do the job.

But some people are arguing APS-C is going to move towards entry level, so its really a question of your personal priorities and really, what the reviews actually say about the 6D, so its all a bit early really.

[Steve Williams]

Otara is right Jim,  I shoot a 7D in a Nauticam Housing and carry my older 40D as backup. 

Cheers,
Steve

[jimjamesjimmy]

I managed to sneek a look at some of your pics steve!  great stuff..

Its interesting , i was looking throught the wildlife photographer of the year winners and past winners photos (underwater category)  and i was looking out for the sync speeds/shutter speeds in the info  and i believe only a few i think are using a shutter speed of faster than 160!. most are actually using natural light i do believe , unless im wrong!

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/onlineGallery.do

i suppose im still trying to talk myself into a 6d lol but to be honest. I do love experimental photography, and i dont think enough has been done underwater!

[Stewart Sy]

If you actually are diving, strobe lit shots will be a lot more useful than natural light shots.  If you are shooting for the classic Reef with Sun Ball/Rays, then a good (powerful) strobe with a fast sync speed is highly recommended. In fact, when shooting vertical, the 7D will actually sync at 1/320th due to the lower effect of gravity on the shutter blades.  Most of the time, you'd be shooting at the lower ISO (100-400)  ranges, rarely ISO 800 and up.

Listen to what Otara and Steve tell you, both are extremely experienced underwater photographers and respected contributors on Wetpixel.  I used to shoot both the 5dmk2 and the 7D underwater.  I eventually sold the 5dmk2 mainly for the phenomenal Tokina 10-17mm Fisheye zoom.  There is no Full Frame lens that comes close to what this lens does.  The Canon 8-15 only goes from a circular fisheye to diagonal fisheye while the Tokina goes from a diagonal fisheye to a 17mm rectilinear.   My other favorite UW lens is the 100 EF Macro.  You can see some images on my site: www.sls-photo.com & www.stewartsy.com (this site is also my site for selling underwater camera gear...I'm an Aquatica dealer).

Low light focusing isn't really a big deal as well, most experienced shooters mount a focus light on their system.  As an experienced diver, you know that there are lots of cool critters in the nooks and crannies of the reef, having a light on any dive is handy to spot them, so just transfer it to your housing.

The housings...  As of today, no one has announced that they are supporting the D600 or 6D.  Ikelite likely will but since they're a competing company to the one I represent, I won't say anything about their housings. But, regardless, you will want a good housing with proven ergonomics, as mentioned earlier, you don't want to have to go fumbling for with knob controls f-stop when the whale shark is heading your way.    Aquatica currently makes the 5dmk3 and is only beginning to ship the D800 housings next week.  Figure on at least 5-6 months from camera release to a housing being released. 

Best of luck, this is a slippery slope that you're going down on should you proceed.

S.

Stewart L. Sy
SLS Photography
Your Source for Quality UW Photo Equipment in Western Canada
www.stewartsy.com
Aquatica/TLC , Sea & Sea, ULCS, Magic Filters
When Your Image Matters.....

[kirispupis]

Very nice shots Stewart.

I apologize for stealing the thread a bit, but for the photos where part of the frame is underwater and part above water, did you use a strobe?

[jimjamesjimmy]

a slippery slop indeed lol

I take any advice very seriously and i really do appreciate everyones comments! and ihave seen some amazing shots with the 7d and it really does seem to be a favourite of the water world! so i am seriously considering it, i guess it will be price at the end of the day and what deals and setup works out best value. well see.

I love the photos stew, especially a couple of the reef shots, but i must say that black and white of the whale shark is awesome!  whale sharks are what got me really hooked , a fe wyears ago in mexico i was lucky enough to go snorkelling with a 'herd' ??  of them , must of been 40-50 odd , was quite a life changing experience!

[Stewart Sy]

Very nice shots Stewart.

I apologize for stealing the thread a bit, but for the photos where part of the frame is underwater and part above water, did you use a strobe?

Not all required strobe, but the one with the trees and blue sky had no strobe, I had the benefit of a light coloured bottom and very shallow water (3 ft) so light was able to penetrate and the bottom acted as a fill card.

S

[jimjamesjimmy]

i love those half in half out the water shots.  maybe ill just start out with one of those bag type housings and do these for a little while.

[Otara]

I looked at the 2011 page, out of 8 shots, 2 were 7D, one was a 500D, ie 3 APS-C sensors.  Half of the shots used a strobe.   Many of the rest were older cameras, that site should at least show you dont need the latest and greatest to win prizes.

The prize is oriented towards 'nature' so is looking for 'natural' pictures rather than the many other forms of underwater photography. 

Splits generally need a reasonable sized dome.  If you're trying to do that with a bag, you're probably going to find it tough going.