Siaoon, now u know why I cannot sell u my C-5050
There is really no suitable replacement at the moment. The next up will be a DSLR, but I already have that and I do not have the money to own a second DSLR rig simply as a backup. I only dive twice a year, if i get lucky.
Is the after sales service really so crappy? I guess all are the same as they are trying to deter u from repairing and encourage u to replace instead.
For all those who are looking for a digital camera either as a first time buyer or upgrader, read this. I wrote this yesterday in oxxxxe. :bsmilie: Adapted from my first installment.
All I want for Xmas is a New DC (digital camera)
Recently, I have the reasonable good fortune of a fellow diver offering to buy my back-up camera set-up. Since I would not be diving for at least the next 6 months, it seems an attractive proposition to get some good cash back and buy a new set-up 6 months down the road. Afterall, as with all electronics, there is considerable depreciation with age and technical advancement, regardless of mileage you get out of your rig.
I decided to check out the latest on offer last weekend, naturally excited to see what is on hand since my current camera, an Olympus C-5050z, has been discontinued.
Having been shooting digitally for a little more than a year, I have a pretty good idea of what I want in my new camera. I love the Olympus C-5050z, but I can make do with a few refinements. What I am looking for is a camera with similar functions and controls, but better colour output (pre Photoshop), less bulk and better video capability. Little did I expect the mammoth task at hand.
So if I, an upgrader, has great difficulty in choosing a digital camera for underwater photography, I am sure a newbie will face even greater dilema in making his/her first purchase. Furthermore, the proliferation of new models almost every month does not help the cause at all!
Hence, I decide to write down and share with anyone who is interested, my thought processes in deciding on a digital camera. Hopefully it can help in your decision making and make the experience a whole lot more enjoyable.
Budget
Dont we all love the new, top of the line DLSR on offer? But we all have limited means to satisfy our insatiable needs. Generally, a 3 mp DC will be more than great for a 4R printout. Of course, if u need to crop a lot of your picture, it would be a different story. Also, an in-house housing (Canon, Olympus, Sony, Fujifilm, etc) will be much cheaper than a 3rd-party housing (e.g. Ikelite, 10 Bar, Tetra, etc).
Controls
Because of the tricky underwater conditions, you would want a DC with full manual control (shutter speed and aperture). If set to default, the camera will almost always set itself to f2.8 (or whichever its widest aperture), giving you too shallow a depth of field.
Functions
Manual white-balance and ISO settings are two very under-rated and under-used functions. Especially in low light conditions, increasing the ISO will help tremendously given the low noise in DC. Some DCs also allow pre-saved settings which is useful for uwp and some have better video resolution than others. A great advantage of the DC is the ability to switch to video mode underwater.
General Usage
If you are looking for a general travel DC with the occasional underwater use, the program mode dials may be an attractive feature. Hence you should buy a DC which suits your land needs rather than your underwater requirements.
Power Options
Dedicated rechargeable lithiums last longer, but rechargeable Nimh batteries are cheaper and can be replaced with alkali batteries in times of emergencies. You can also share them with your other electronic gadgets.
Memory Storage Options
CF cards are more popular and cheaper in terms of per unit cost. Note some memory cards have limited max capacity, such as the smart media and xD cards. Some gadgets which you currently own may limit your choice of DCs to those using the same storage media.
Compatibility with existing equipment
If you were a film user switching into digital, there may be some accessories which you want to export into the new medium, such as add-on lenses, etc. Hence do make sure the new housing / camera is compatible.
Ergonomics
Does it work right, feel right and most importantly, look right? Will it be too big to handle / transport? The Olympus C-8080 in a housing is massive and may be difficult to handle for a female diver.
Attachment Fittings
Possibility of adding strobes, add-on lens and other accessories. Not all housing will fit all accessories available in the market place. Some will require additional adapters and hence, additional costs.
The list is of course non-exhaustive but I hope by answering the questions above, you will have a better idea of which digital camera to get. As for me, I have yet to find one which has all the functions of the Olympus C-5050, but is smaller, has nicer colour output and with better video capturing resolution.
Anything remotely close? you may ask.
I almost settle on the Fujifilm F810. Too bad it uses the xD card (max of 512 mb) and Fujifilms own dedicated rechargeable lithium, which has a rather short battery life.
Perfection, afterall, does not really exist. I guess Ill stick with my C-5050z for the time being.
Eric
copyright@2004
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