The depth of immersion into underwater photography should be seriously considered before you go to far. Some questions I have asked myself as I have made my progression.
Q1: How much time will I spend doing it? If you are going to dive in a camera-friendly environment once a year do you really need a $5,000 camera system? Many of the new point and shoot systems are great for those who do a single trip a year.
Q2: How will it impact my diving? This was an interesting question that I had not asked myself before but I have seen the impact on my dive trips. If you plan to do live-a-boards and dive with other photographers then you can fit right in. If you are going on a crowded dive boat in a tourist area you should leave the rig at home. Between the crowded boats and being herded by divemasters you will not get any good shots.
Q3: Can you actually enjoy doing it? This is a question I ask myself before I get into anything major. The obvious answer is yes, or why else would I do it. But ask yourself honestly if it will actually be more work and hassle than the enjoyment you get from it.
Q4: What kind of diver am I? This another hard question you have to ask. If you are an aggressive diver or one that has rusty skills you are not going to want to drag along a big rig. You really don’t realize the drag of a large housed camera and strobes until you have a long swim against a current back to shore. In this case a nice point and shoot around the wrist is no problem.
** more to come**
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