I cracked.
\nThe Olympus E-410 made it look like about the right time to go DSLR – small and lightweight and – most importantly for my aging eyes – the LiveView function means that I can still use the LCD.
\nThe cost of the kit (including a basic lens) is actually less than the cost of my Oly C5050Z 4 years ago.
\nBut that’s only the start, now, because there isn’t a \u00a3150 housing for this baby …
\nStill, the housing cost is significantly lower than for previous SLRs, with the Oly housing + basic port kit running out at about \u00a3800. This isn’t without some strings, though …<\/p>\n
The decision I had to make was about the housing system.
\nThat’s the main difference to compacts- each lens you buy can mean a new \u00a3300 port for the housing as well.
\nThe two main alternatives (supported in the UK) would be Olympus’ own offering and the Ikelite system (only just announced).<\/p>\n
So … here were the criteria I used.<\/p>\n
The Ikelite system was marginally cheaper, but not significantly so.
\nIke lens ports are quite a bit cheaper.<\/p>\n
The Ike housing is rated to 60m, the Oly to only 40m. This was probably the clincher for me. Another big factor – and one which I think will become much bigger. So what’s really interesting is that we’re starting to get third-party products to fit the housings – something that has really only happened because these are badged (if not actually built) by a major photographic company. So I guess the questions are : I’ve gone and bought a DSLR at last – the Oly E-410 – but which housing did I go for ? And why ?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[17],"tags":[65,137],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224,"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions\/224"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/muttznutz.net\/muttzblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nHowever, I won’t be taking this past 40m – I’ll take a compact (in an Ike case !<\/em>) if I’m taking a camera to that depth.<\/p>\nStrobe connectivity<\/h3>\n
\nI’ve two INON strobes (only one of them capable of a “wired” connection) and the Olympus housing can work with these. The Ikelite housing will only control Ike’s own strobes through TTL – that would mean using manual control of both strobes.<\/p>\nSupport<\/h3>\n
\nWhereas Ikelite has a limited number of outlets (possibly only 2 in the UK), Oly’s underwater products are being sold through mainstream dealers.
\nThat means there’s a much bigger dealer network – and will probably mean I can get parts in (e.g.) Sharm or Malta.
\nOlympus revolutionised compact housings – the first camera manufacturer to release a housing as standard on all their compacts. So they have a lot of credibility in the underwater photography “space”. You get the feeling that they’re in it for the long haul.<\/p>\n
\nAthena<\/a> have made ring flashes and dome ports – and now we’re now getting TTL converters to join up INON strobes.
\nAnd now INON<\/a> are getting in on the act. They’ve got dome ports for wide angle and (now a macro port with a magnetic colllar for focussing – a bit improvement, I suspect, on the Olympus mechanism).
\nAnd of course, with the Four Thirds format, there are third party lenses to think about. INON make a port for the Sigma 105mm macro lens.
\nAs well as these, there’s the TTL converter from Matthias Heinrichs<\/a> – who’s been doing this sort of stuff for a few years now.<\/p>\n
\n– Is the E-410 the true successor to the much-loved C5050Z – in terms of redefining the marketplace
\nand
\n– As the E-series housings have common ports, will someone else make a housing that can use the same ports ?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"