Anyone using the S95 ub Cannon Housing w/o strobe?

[Warmwater Wank]

B of P--Nice score on the camera, as you get more familiar with it you'll really appreciate it. It's of course your choice not to eventually add a strobe but on board flashes will not give you the sort of results you see in many uw shots. P&S camera flashes are not very powerful, they can't be aimed and, especially when viz isn't great, you will get back scatter due to an elderly law of physics: "angle of incidence=angle of reflection". It's a fancy way of saying that when you park a flash on axis w/ the camera lens, the light goes straight out and back, lighting up particles etc. in the water column.

Most divers don't add an external strobe (or 2 or 3) to look cool. We do it because there is no other way to get the sort of results an external strobe can deliver. This isn't to say you can't get good shots w/out them, just that it is more limiting. So, get in close, zoom out a bit to avoid shading from the housing and the camera flash can do ok, especially in macro. Or shoot wide angle at distances closer to the surface (for natural light) and things can look good. Plenty of folks are happy with this approach and you may also be.

The final plug for an external strobe is not only for the strobe itself but for the adjustable arms used to position it. Adding a lot more light is one thing, being able to aim it is another major benefit. Separating the subject from the background, being able to control how dark the background gets etc. all become added benefits and just getting a different housing won't help this.

In the shot below I was able to use sidelighting thanks to the strobe arms and it helped to avoid the axis lighting I would have gotten had I used an on-board flash. (I shoot a G10 in a Canon housing and have the on-board flash blocked anyway.) Jeez, I see I already blew my one New Year's resolution: no coffee before responding on SB... Good move to be practicing topside and learning the housing controls. Enjoy the new camera! // ww

 

[bowlofpetunias]

That is a stunning shot WwW! Thanks for sharing that and the information

I've been getting some decent shots with my old Sony P93 w/o strobe

but I have pushed it to the limit to get shots like this

I want something that can get better macro.. more detail. I want more control of the camera. I am looking to add macro and possibly wide angle wet lenses.

Unfortunately I have a bit of a disability with one hand/arm so for the type of diving we do I would like to stay away from the strobe. Entries and exits are normally off rock platforms and rock rubble so being able to stow the camera to keep my good hand free is pretty important when getting thrown around with the waves. We also do a fair bit of diving in current so trying to hold a large system could be hard for me as well.

I appreciate the benefits of the external strobe. It may be something I consider if we are going back to PNG or somewhere tropical with easy in and out off a boat or jetty. I had a strobe for my ReefMaster Film camera but often wound up leaving it behind because of conditions for the entry exit.

I did my first dive with the camera today just to experiment with it. I was actually quite pleased with the results. The video is excellent. Conditions were pretty average. Viz maybe 7 Metres lots of particulate, heaps of small jellyfish and quite green to milky. I was quiet impressed with the way it worked in Auto without the flash and took a few shots in Auto with flash. I figure I will work on one setting at a time to figure out exactly what it will do. I will post some pics when I get them uploaded.

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Well, that's the ticket--jump in and start shooting! Auto is ok and certainly can get you going but consider this. The camera only has to make 2 adjustments to get a decent exposure: the lens opening size (Av or Aperture variable) and the length of time the light hits the sensor (Tv or Time variable). If you at least adjust one of these settings yourself, the camera will still be automatically adjusting the other. If you run it on Auto all the time the camera adjusts both but often in a way you won't like. The exposure will be ok (not too light or dark) but the results may be too blurry from movement or from not having enough in focus etc. By running the camera on Av or Tv you get more control on the outcome but it doesn't get all that much more complicated to operate.

For example, say you select Tv and set the shutter speed. Initially it seems like too many choices but keep it simple, select 1/125th of a second. That will stop most action/movement. Ah but the viz was low or you go deep. Ok, drop the shutter speed a little. Uh oh, you got a bunch of blurry shots. Ok but here is the lesson: learn from your mistakes. You don't even have to remember while shooting UW, just learn to look for the EXIF info in your PShop browser and see what the actual exposure settings were. You'll quickly teach yourself what works or doesn't for your needs.

If you haven't yet, check out Scott Geitler's Underwater Photographer's Guide Underwater Photography Guide Scott deserves a Nobel or a Pulitzer or some kinda prize for doing such a great public service in providing an amazing learning tool online for UW photogs.

And heck, if you're pleased now after one dive or so, just wait. Your camera has a lot of solid potential and as you teach yourself how to take advantage of what it can do you'll be even happier with the results. Thanks for the kind words about the pic, neat shot of yours w/ the starfish & critters. // ww

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Thanks. That is exactly what I need to do. I appreciate your ability to keep it simple in the explanation. I have been getting the best results with the Sony using 1/320 and f stop of 5.6 (those shots taken with that setting) but unfortunately the Sony doesn't allow any f stop beyond 2.8 or 5.6.

I found it interesting today looking at what settings the camera showed on the playback/review screen. That was giving me an idea of what the camera was doing and giving me an idea of how it worked. I figure this camera and the help you guys are giving me will be having me tuned up in fairly quick order. Then once I have a pretty clear idea of what the camera will do.. I want to take Kevin Deacon's advanced underwater photography course. He seems to figure the basic course would be too basic for me at this point. I don't want to wast time and money learning stuff I already know

 

[diver 85]

BofP---try in Av mode, ISO 80(or a hundred---just keep it low), macro, flash on(if necessary), F-stop 3.5 thru 4.5(vary this one setting)...

Just try these & let me know......(but, a wild shot in the dark here)....

 

[dtreid]

The website is: uwphotographyguide.com
Also check out this thread on wetpixel:
Canon G9 & G7 housing - DIY 67mm lens adapter - Wetpixel :: Underwater Photography Forums
This guy does not use strobes. With your housing you could purchase the add on piece that Inon makes (hopefully) for that housing and then add macro lens onto it for closer macro

 

[dogdrjohn]

Something to consider for a nice compact outfit is to get the INON AD mount for the Canon housing.
I have one on a Canon S90 housing and it gives me a nice "cold shoe" that I can use to mount a small flex arm and then my S2000 strobe, with or without a pair of INON LE-550W lights. Of course the INON mount further blocks the internal strobe, and the mount and strobe and 2 lights cost about $1000US AND you don't have the flexibility of an arm/tray setup, but it is quite small and can really light things up well.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Thanks for the advice guys. We headed off to Melbourne for a few days of diving so I wasn't able to get online. I am finally having a chance to take a look at the manual. Just too busy diving and experimenting with it.

Pretty happy with the results so far!

My old camera wouldn't be able to get this depth of field

 

[diver 85]

BofP, goods pics---what settings did you wind up using??....

 

[bowlofpetunias]

Thanks a lot. Really just experimenting so far.

pics 1 & 3 the same settings F-8, 1/200, focal range 6mm The one under the pier f-4, 1/250 focal range 6mm all on ISO 100

I am pleased the diffuser and water refract the light so that the big black shadow isn't there underwater like it is on land!