A70 + WP-DC700 casing: The results?

[malaysia-islands]

http://www.malaysia-islands.com/payar-coralgarden.htm

Here are some photos of this dive site they called "Coral Garden". Saw tonnes of Dendronephthya sp., huge groupers, a lot of angelfish and a few bannerfish + moorish idols.

Some settings that I used:
- Flash, and no-flash
- White Balance = Cloudy
- Diffuser is on all throughout the dive
- I think I used manual focus (the thing with the box in the middle of LCD)
- Occasionally did use Auto setting, but my AiAF is switched off

 

[kapula]

That's a good start. I have the same setting although it's on hold nowadays as I upgraded to c-8080. As an advice I could say use manual white balance. Take a white slate with you and set the white balance with that (func, white balance, manual white balance, show your slate in front of camera, press set). That way you can get the colors right if you dive deeper than 5 meters. Don't use internal flash when shooting with manual white balance. I don't encourage to use it at all since you get alot of backshatter. You can check my Thailand pics. They are all taken with the same setting you have.. oh and one more thing don't use zoom the camera doesn't have good enough optics for that. You only end up with a bunch of foggy pictures. At least I can't hold camera steady for half a second

 

[malaysia-islands]

Thanks Kapula. Love your turtle pic. Very much in focus!

About NOT using the zoom, you mean I can't even use the optical zoom? I always switch off my digital zoom anyway because it's really crappy. But can't imagine living without optical zoom, especially when interesting marine life pops up out of a sudden.

 

[kapula]

Yup that's what I meant. Don't use the optical zoom. Just use your arms to zoom in and out You can see the difference in taking a picture with maximum zoom (3x) and no zoom (wide). You don't need to go more than 10m deep and you just run out of light with zoom. Optics of a70 aren't that good.

 

[malaysia-islands]

Wow, that's really brand new information for me! Thanks kapula.

The problem is I tend to get excited when seeing sharks or turtles that my fingers automatically hit on the zoom button, LOL. Oh well, better luck for my next trip to Bali. Praying for good viz.

 

[Storm]

kapula,

Very nice shots.....now comes the questions.


What's your set up. Obviously you're using the A70 and a WP-DC700, but which stay are you using, what's you're strobe, and how have you slaved it?

The reason I'm asking is that I have an A80 and am thinking of the WP-DC900, with a slaved strobe for my entry level set up? Any help and advice is appreciated.

Storm

 

[kapula]

Storm,

Thanks mate. Nowadays I only shoot with my 8080, but A70 setup was plain and simple. Just the wp-dc700 and a70 no external strobes or nothing. The only thing helping me was my white sleight. That's how I got the white balance corrected. In most pics I haven't used the internal flash since it only illuminates the backsatter. I didn't shoot on manual that much mostly just in mode p. That way I could keep the flash from setting off and manually adjusting white balance. Don't know if this helped you in setting up your own system but if you don't use the plate yet give that a shot first.

 

[alcina]

Whoa there, Guys! Don't use your zoom?? I use my zoom on virtually every dive - you simply need to learn HOW to use it as it is yet another tool in your aresenal. Silly to have it and not use it!

Zoom underwater isn't for zooming in on those creatures that are simply too far away to take a good shot of (although, if it's once in a lifetime I say use the zoom, get the snap and be happy).

Zoom is great for giving yourself just a bit more working distance while still filling the frame for skittish creatures. You can also use zoom to control your background (how much there is etc).

Using zoom underwater is a skill that I encourage people to develop - it can take a ho hum shot and make it great. It can open up other possibilities for possible subjects and alternative ways of seeing a subject/shot. Experiment.

Zoom isn't a substitute for getting close, but it is a useful tool to controlling the outcome of your shots.

Of course, I am only talking about optical here - the digital zoom is a waste of time mostly.

 

[kapula]

To alcina: Don't get me wrong zooming underwater is just as important as on water. It's just that a70 has such bad optics you don't get sharps photos anymore. At least if you are below 10 metres or so. That's one of the main reasons for getting my new camera. Now I can use the zoom and still get sharp pics underwater. So if you dive with a small compact digi try to get close and closer not using zoom. If you have a decent camera with good optics you can try zooming aswell but still the most important rule is to get close. Other thing is that for example with macros you don't get good macros unless you use zoom to cut out some depth on focus area.

 

[alcina]

Hmm, I used my A70 for several years and didn't have that problem. I switched to the A75 only because my A70 was stolen and that's what insurance replaced it with! I still don't have those problems with it.

I don't think optics have to do with depth. Distance, yes.

Get close then get closer is always solid advice with any rig. Knowing the limitations of your rig and then working within them is also essential.

For strobes with the A series...I used my old, pre digital Ike 50s for a while with a slave unit. Worked just fine. With no manual controls I had to control the light with strobe distance. I then switched to the Inon 220s and fibre optic cable. I then had manual control of the strobe and didn't have to modify the housing or anything. The Inon has moved to my Oly 5050 and to the new DSLR setup, so for me, it was a good decision. HTH