How far away are "really good" tiny cameras for still/video?

Scott G wrote:

I currently live with slowish exposures and really low IQ.
My real source of head-scratching is: how big is the quality gap between a bit of money and a whole lot of money? I won't be selling my underwater shots, no matter how much I'd like that. So why not look at an actual nuts and bolts comparison?

[if you have a red X instead of an image, click on the original size link]

OK, for comparison I've shown a few 'representative' shots I've taken over the years with a series of increasingly-better underwater cameras. Doesn't compare the Gopro, or the current cheap options, but you can get an idea of some relative differences.

Keep in mind that strobe makes a HUGE difference to what you can accomplish underwater. I started with an external strobe for a few shots clear back in 2009, but it wasn't until I got a Sony RX100 II that I added dual ttl strobes.

While you can see a clear improvement as the cameras got better, you can't really get a feel for autofocus performance and limitation. ALL of the point-n-shoots I've used (most modern the Sony RX100 II) are pretty much alike in autofocus performance. Too slow. Can't pinpoint the spot you want to focus on. (Focus areas too wide, too hard to move around). The DLSR's I use (D810 and D850) are just night and day better. Absolutely no compasion. Like a jet plane compared to an Amish buggy.

I started with a Canon SD630 in 2008, but I don't have a good shot to pull up at the moment. It got lost traveling from Maui to Phoenix in 2009. I was happy to replace it with a camera that offered vibration reduction (VR to Nikon, IS to Canon).

Canon SD870is:

Canon s95: About the same autofocus limitations. I shot it a lot with on-camera flash through a diffuser attached to the housing. (Canon dive housing).

Blown highlights are common with older point-n-shoots. Macro capability pretty limited.

Canon s120:

The s95 eventually was replaced with an s120, but I've not used it underwater very much. By the time I got it, I was using a Sony RX100 II underwater. The s95 failed (zoom would no longer retract, which was how both my SD870's failed.) But the s120 is clearly better in low light than the s95. Also, the (Canon, probably made by Meikon) housing came with a fiber optic adapter for external flash, which would be useful.

Pointing at a seahorse

Sony RX100 II:

I finally got sick of shooting without external flash, and I decided on a major upgrade. I would get dual strobes, a focus light, a Nauticam housing and a one inch sensor. I got all I wanted by adding strobes, but the focus speed was still pretty much the same as the Canon point-n-shoots. On the other hand, while the Canon menu system is well-thought out and implemented, the Sony's is just a nightmare of menu options and small print everywhere.

Nikon D810:

One year and three dive trips after getting my $5000 RX100 II rig, I was sick of the point-n-shootiness of the camera. Specifically slow autofocus and inability to pinpoint the autofocus spot. And I was pretty sick of trying to read the menus underwater. I resorted to cranking the LCD display to almost full brightness, which meant my shots looked grossly overexposed. (I just resorted to judging exposure solely by the histogram).

So I spent big bucks on a DSLR rig. Finally. I was able to move the dual strobes and focus light with no more expense than a new set of fiber cables, but the housing was $3400 or so, and the 230mm dome port a bunch, along with 105 macro port. All in I was around $10,000 for the rig. But the results were worth it to me.

Macro was all I asked for. Wide angle is more complicated, and I'm still working on it, but with the 16-35vr and a 230mm dome port (and a bit of edge cropping), I was getting decent wide angle shots.

Nikon D850:

After 3 years of shooting my D810 underwater, I was happy with the camera, but the housing was 'due' for an expensive maintenance. I had been shooting a D850 above water for some time, and I wanted the autofocus ability underwater. Not getting any younger I decided to upgrade to the D850 underwater, with all the same equipment otherwise. (I did replace the focus light with a new Kraken).

The new camera gave me even more cropping power - very important to me in macro as I normally can't get close enough. 46 mp rather than 36 isn't a huge change, but it's welcome. The biggest difference is autofocus performance, particularly in dimmer conditions.

For wide angle, I tried something new, and in my opinion it worked spectacularly well. I added a 77mm Sea and Sea Internal Correction lens to the front of my 16-35 (screws on like a filter), and it massively improved the edges and corner resolution. Without this lens I was invariably cropping the edges off, but this option makes that pretty optional.

Other considerations:

Lens selections: With a full frame Nikon DSLR, I'm extremely limited in my lens choices. I have but two options - wide angle (rectilinear and fisheye) or macro. There simply are no mid-range lens options, particularly zooms. This is different for DX / APS-C format cameras. I shoot mostly macro at this point, and I often wish for a mid-range zoom.

I carry my Sony RX100 rig as a backup for most dive trips as the equipment is small enough to do that. (Can't really pack two dslr housings). I had one occasion to use it between D810 dives in Jamaica last year. I shot a beachside wedding between dives with my D810 and didn't have enough time to swap the camera in and out of the housing. So I dove twice with the Sony again. Pros and cons there - I liked having the normal zoom to get 'typical dive ambiance' shots. I immediately noticed a dropoff in lens IQ though after three years of the D810. Still, I got a couple of shots I liked that would have been the wrong lens on the D810:

Sony RX100 II

Sony RX100 II. I really like this shot, but I can see clear lens issues on the left side there, compared to my Nikons

Packing considerations:

Going to a DSLR will be an exercise in travel logistics. Adding a big dome port for wide angle makes it hugely more of hassle to pack. I show how I disassemble and pack the rig here: http://www.cjcphoto.net/uwcamera/