Still nursing the pain, my Powerbook took me to SgScuba, where I came across a post on whether to buy or rent housings for cameras.
Over the years of diving, seeing underwater photography becoming more and more popular, and with PADI launching the PADI Digital Underwater Photography, the number of divers owning a underwater housing has increased tremendously.
However, I have always been puzzled with one thing. Some divers will invest in more than SGD$1000 for their camera but not willing to invest in a better housing to protect their camera. This is something that I cannot totally comprehend.
Imagine buying a underwater housing for SGD$200 to protect a SGD$1000 camera? Where is the maths or logic to this?
Imagine you have a 1 million dollars diamond necklace. Instead of securing it in a safe, the owner choose to store it in a Milo tin 
Well, the faith of the ownership of a brand new Nikon D200 lies in the hands of Chris. He is heading to Hong Kong this weekend, and I gave him a list of contacts of camera shops in HK. He needs to grab some grey lens. And again, Chris offered to get the Nikon D200 for me. Well, I have finally given in to the darklord this time.
Told Chris that if he is able to get a brand new one for SGD$1800, get one for me. I know this price is quite impossible to get, but if luck is on his side, he will be coming back with one Nikon D200. Nevertheless, I was on clubsnap and was just surfing for gears for sale and came across the lens that John has describe, the nikon 50mm F1.8 for portrait shotting.
Hmmm, dun care lar. Get the lens before the camera. Anyway, I have already decided to get either the Nikon D200 or Fuji S5Pro, and both the sets do not come with lens anyway. So paid SGD$150 for the nikon 50mm F1.8
Filed under: Dive Travel, Life as a Instructor, Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography
Okay, as right now, we have the following participants who are ready to rock and roll at Raja Ampat.
1) Lester
2) Janice
3) Calvin
4) Andy
5) Karla
6) Pei Min
7) Wai Yin
Julynn
9) Lionel
10) Jason
11) Lawrence
12) Lloyd
13) Wei Qun
So only 3 more spaces to come. Now the next nightmare is gonna start, co-ordinating the air ticket and who is going on which trip.
Filed under: Underwater Photography
Decided to do a search on which housing is good and affordable for Nikon D200 or Fuji S5Pro (both uses the same body). A quick google shows the following brands
Subal, Sea & Sea, Aquatica, Ikelite, Nexus , Light and Motion, Hugyfot, Sealux, Fantasea, Seacam and UK Germany
My decision factor is pretty simple. The housing must allow me to use both TTL and Optic fiber strobes.
Subal - Does not meet my requirements
Sea & Sea – I like the sexiness of this housing and the total look and feel. But does not meet my requirements
Aquatica -
Ikelite – Price wise this seems good. It meets both my needs and best of all, it is really affordable. I am currently using an Ikelite housing for my C5050. However, the fact that the housing is made of polycarbonate, it means “be very careful with it or say bye bye housing and hello cracks and scratches”
Nexus – The new Nexus D200 housing now comes with two Nikonos type bulkheads and two Optical bulkheads ( for TTL operation with Inon Z-240 Strobes and Optical Cables). Chris has bought the housing. The only thing that I do not like about it is the handle which I do not really like, even though, Azman seems to love it. So this is a strong contender.
Light and Motion – The housing is too kiddish and also, it supports only TTL strobes. Bye bye L&M
Hugyfot – Reviews has been quite negative towards this brand
Sealux – I did not like what I saw on the website
Fantasea – Couldn’t find any information off their website. Even some divers claim that they do make housing. I dun trust companies that dun update their websites.
Seacam - Nothin on this yet
UK Germany – Nothing from this company
Filed under: Underwater Photography
I read with much curiosity. Over a local forum for cameras, www.clubsnap.com, people are selling secondhand Nikon D200 for the price range of SGD1700 to SGD1900. A brand new set with local warranty can be purchased for SGD2050. Why would anyone wants to bid and pay about only 10% less for a second hand set?
Well, I am still on my quest on saving up and deciding which camera to get. Any fairy godmothers that want to learn how to become a PADI Professional? I can exchange my services for a brand new DSLR from Nikon:)
While searching for more photographer tips, I came across an article which I would like to share it with divers.
Get better underwater photos and protect the environment while you’re at it.
Project AWARE’s 10 Tips for Underwater Photographers
1. Photograph with Care
Dive carefully because many aquatic creatures are fragile regardless of size. Improper photo techniques can damage sensitive aquatic life and harm fragile organisms with the bump of a camera or tank, the swipe of a fin or even the touch of a hand.
2. Dive Neutral
Camera systems may add weight or be buoyant. Make sure to secure photo and dive equipment and be properly weighted to avoid contact with reefs or other vital habitat. Practice buoyancy control and photography skills in a pool before swimming near sensitive and fragile environments.
3. Resist Temptation
Avoid touching, handling, feeding, chasing or riding aquatic life. Avoid altering an organism’s location to get the perfect shot. Many aquatic creatures are shy and easily stressed. These actions may interrupt feeding, disturb mating or provoke aggression in a normally nonaggressive species.
4. Easy Does It
While diving, move slowly and deliberately through the water. Be patient and still while photographing — allow organisms to show their natural behavior for a more significant and meaningful shot.
5. Sharpen Your Skills
Make sure the difficulty of the dive and the environmental conditions are appropriate for your current skills and comfort level. Avoid stabilizing underwater by grabbing onto the reef for a better photo. Enroll in PADI’s Underwater Photographer, Digital Underwater Photography and Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty courses to become a more skilled and successful photographer.
6. Be Informed
Be aware of local regulations and protocols regarding behavior around marine mammals and other species before entering the water. These regulations protect creatures and aim to assure their preservation for future generations.
7. Be an AWARE Diver
Consider enrolling in an AWARE — Coral Reef Conservation, Project AWARE Specialty or Underwater Naturalist course to learn sustainable dive techniques and increase knowledge about the environment you’re photographing.
8. Take Only Pictures, Leave Only Bubbles
Avoid souvenir collection. Nearly everything found in the aquatic realm is alive or will be used by a living creature. Removing specimens such as corals and shells can disturb the delicate balance and quickly deplete dive sites of both their resources and their beauty.
9. Share Your Images
Use images for conservation by reporting environmental disturbances or destruction using your photographs as evidence. Assist scientific research and improve resource management by contributing your photos to the Whale Shark Project and other monitoring programs. You may also submit your photos to Project AWARE. Your images have the power to change perspectives and influence conservation.
10. Conserve the Adventure
Join Project AWARE Foundation, the dive industry’s leading nonprofit environmental organization. Your support helps conserve underwater environments through education, advocacy and action.
Filed under: Underwater Photography
John, a Canon user, Ivan, a proud owner of D200 and D50, both prefer getting the FUJI S5 Pro if they had to get a second/third camera.
Well.. .. looks like I am fickle minded and leaning towards getting a Fuji S5 Pro
Filed under: Underwater Photography
Well, with Raja Ampat confirmed, looks like my DSLR has to be put on hold again. The damn air tickets are going to cost almost SGD1000. And with so many crews keen in going up, I might run two trips instead of one.
Almost midnight, I decided to further investigate on which DSLR is better. D200 or the FUJI S5.
It seems that Nikon D200 is still the preferred choice. The main difference between the 2 cameras are the sensor type used in the camera. From all the reviews that I have been reading, the real difference is only noticeable on land shots. Underwater, both camera performance is almost identical. As a matter of fact, you cannot really tell the difference.
Well, the Nikon D200 would probably set me back by almost SGD2000 and the first two lens that I would probably get is the 10.5mm wide angle lens and a portrait lens.
