Will be in Bonaire with family in Feb and am a novice photo guy. Have used the Nikonos V with strobe on all past trips to Bonaire and like taking pictures. We have a Fuji f-30 digital purchased mainly for above water use but because the Fuji housing was not too expensive decided to give digital underwater a try. Not sure if I should bring both cameras or pack lighter and leave the Nikonos home. I like the idea of being able to see the pictures before you get home and delete the bad ones. I don't plan on investing in a strobe for the digital or if one is even available. Also I am concerned about using the same camera for above water and underwater. I would hate to flood the camera and not be able to take pictures of the kids windsurfing and all the other topside fun. Does anyone have any experience with underwater shots with the Fuji f-30 ? The camera is still new to me and have not even come close to mastering all the shooting options it has. It has an underwater scene option but any advice on taking good pictures with this new digital camera and how it compares to the old film Nikonos V with a strobe would be greatly appreciated. Thanks,

Steve from Minneapolis

Steve, your first question is easy, leave the Nikonos. You will be much happier with the Fuji digital. The advice is simple, get close (less than a foot), use the flash, and shoot gazzilions of pictures (digital is free). Do those things and you will get a few pictures that will shame the Nikonos.

Your default mode should be flash forced on, macro mode on and lens stopped down (F5.6 probably). If you shoot a distant object with natural light, you will be disappointed.

bring both cameras...you can look at the digital pics to "hold" you over til you get the film developed...and you can always get one roll developed for an additional "fix"

the nikonos with a strobe will take superior pictures i'm pretty sure. the fuji sounds like a good snorkle camera;)

Bob, do you know, I still shoot a Nikonos II. I've flooded it, rinsed it, reused it. Can't bear to give it up, it's so idiot proof. And I like figuring out the lighting, makes even the mistakes kind of fun problem solving.
I need to go digital, I know, but, good grief, the money I already have invested in lenses and strobes! Let alone what I will pay to get restarted. Don't even know where to begin1

Steve, check out digitaldiver.com and wetpixel.com - 2 underwater photography sites where you can ask a more specific audience the same questions or just search through their threads for more info. Digitaldiver.com really helped me with my new purchase (a Fuji E900).

E36 Slide processing is no longer available in Bonaire. Digital has really taken over.

having shot film (Nikon F100) and digital (Nikon D50) both recently i still see better results with film...the digital pics can be made to look as good (in photoshop) and can be blown up a lot more than the scanned pics from the fuji 400 print film i use:

FILM - TTL works - flash level is always right, colors are correct, and more depth observed...

DIGITAL - instant corrections to shooting possible (does not look right - shoot again), pictures expand without showing "grain", take a whole lot more pics per dive...

but even i probably won't come close to using all 24 rolls of 36 exposure film that is STILL in my camera bag for this next trip - unless maybe i find a dive buddy without a camera

Thanks for the replies. I think I will bring both in case my wife wants to take pictures at the same time and we will have a good comparison between the two different cameras.

I brought both on a vacation once, right after I got the digital, the 35mm never left the camera bag. Since that was a Keys trip, it did cost me in weight allowance.

On the other hand I would love to see a comparison. Since switching, I find 35mm to contrasty.