basic settings for d90

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scuba e

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Messages
252
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Location
San Antonio
# of dives
500 - 999
I just made the leap from p/s to dslr.
We have had the D90 for a while now and shoot manual topside. I had always shot "manual" (or at least what the cam would allow) with my point and shoot. I had dual strobes and shot those in manual as well.
So, we jsut ordered the Ike housing, flat port for the 60mm and 8" dome for the 10.5 fisheye.
I will be using my existing Sea and Sea ys90 and ys110 strobes in manual.
Any suggestions as far as starting points for camera settings.
ISO 100?
fstop 9+?
Shutter speed around125th or 200?
How much change per each lens?
Any suggestions would help.
Thanks,
E
 
How are you going to fire your Sea and Sea Strobes as the internal flash of the D90 isnt allowed to pop up to is full height and therefore will not fire. Presume your going to try and fire the Sea and Sea optically?

It might be a case of you selling your Sea & Sea and getting matching DS Ikelite strobes and take advantage of the Ikelite built in TTL.

I like the look of the new DS160 and DS161movie. I like the idea of the DS161movie as it has built in 15w LED modeling lights which would be nice to use when you want to shoot HD video off the D90. Or on a budget the good old DS125 as there a few on the market as people are upgrading to the DS160/161.

But as a suggestion I would not buy Ikelite strobe arms as you really need some bouyancy if your going to use DS125/160/161 strobes as they weight the whole kit down especially if your shoot with two. I use 2x 8inch ULCS bouyancy arms per strobe. I also have one 3 way clamp and have a little nano focusing light mounted near the handle.

But to give your a general point to start off with regarding settings I use the following:

Tokina 10-17mm with Dome port and 2x DS125's: ISO 100 (low1), f8 1/125th. Play with the shutter speed according to available light (1/200th in clear water and sunny day and/or near the surface. 1/100th or lower in deep water or lower light conditions)

Nikkor 60mm Macro with flatport, 2x DS125's, Nano focusing light: ISO 100, f22 1/80th........need to have the strobes in real close to the port also. For the 60mm I prefer to play with aperture and start from f22 and work my way up. If your shooting bigger subject and further away start at something like f16. i think the "sweet spot" on the 60mm is around the f22-f29. But if you want shallow depth of field shoot higher shutter speed and low f stop.

Play around with those and see how you go. its a starting point.

Regards Mark
 
Yes,
as AussieByron wrote, sorry to tell you that, bu no optical triggered strobes on the Ikelite housing.
You can trigger them electrically, but need a special cable from Ikelite to Nikonos/S&S.
Contact Ryan at Reef Photo, he knows what cable it is and will sell it to you.

Chris
 
Thanks guys, i had already ordered the Ike to Sea and Sea "y" cable and will be working hardwired. I know none of this is best case but it got my foot in the door. Eventually I will mostlikely end up with a housing and better strobes that will allow more flex.
Aussie, thanks for the base line settings. Other than the point and shoot the D90 is my first convert from film and has been so easy it is like cheating. Hope it is the same underwater.
Again, thanks for the base line.
As far as arms go, I have access to machine equiptment and will be making alot of my own mounts and arms. Its a good excuse to fire up the mill anyway. I will post some pics of the final designs.
Please feel free to post any other ideas or suggestions.
Thanks again,
Erik
 
Good advice. When you build your arms, take a few pictures to share. The Ike pop arms are nice but you'll want some flotation in your package. I like alum tubing and with powder coating you can really make some home made parts look great. Plus there won't be another one like it in the rinse tank !
 
Thanks Blue whale. I should have updated this post. At the last minute we went with the Aquatica housing and ports (8" dome and flat AF for the 60mm). Still building my arms myself. Also a focus/modeling light mount/pivot. For the arms I am planning on fiberglass tubing. Depending on if the rig in negative, nuetral or positive I may fill the arms with closed cell epoxyfoam for some lift.
That said, any ideas how my rig will balance out?
>Aquatica AD90 with D90 camera (duh).
>Aquatica 8" dome with 10.5 Nikkor fisheye.
>Aquatica flat port AF with 60mm AF D Nikkor.
>Seaandsea YS90.
>Seaandsea YS110.
>Nikonos to Sea and sea "Y" cable.
 
scuba_e,
i am struggeling to archieve neutral buoyancy for my Patima G11 and tmy Ikelite D90 rig and tried various fish net buoys. Also with the biggest one in size of a big Avocado did not provide enough lift (10 big Float-Stix dont make her neutral as well). Closed Cell Foam is a nice thing but has a bad rapport size/buoyancy so a system with air would work much better using less space. A air filled rigid plastic tube with a scre-on cap would enable to adjust the flotation on-the-fly and occupy much less space than foam.
The thick air-filled Float arms Ikelite, ULCS, etc are offering may be the way to go. I don't know if fibreglass is a good material as it has to be quite thick to provide the necessary sturdiness but beeing leightweight.
Delrin may be a better choice for that, but it's heavy....
I would go with aluminium ball-joint arms and add flotation devices to correct the buoyancy.

Chris
 
Thanks Chris.
I will have to play with the rig when i get it and decide how much lift I will need.
The closed cell foam concept is 2 fold. It may not provide enough lift but will at least supply lift and structural support within the tubes. The tubes wont have to be sealed so they wont be a failure point (as in a leak could upset balance mid dive).
The fiberglass I refer too is very strong and thinwalled. I should specify I am actually looking at a glass/grafite composite. I wrap fishing rods as a hobby/5th job. The material I am looking at has a wall thickness of 2mm and is stronger than aluminum of equal weight.
Filling with the foam will strengthen them even more and though lift may not be enough it will be more than aluminum.
I will be machining the attaching points from aluminum but I think I may cut the ball/clamps from my old Sea and sea arms for adjustments.
Has anyone ever felt the need for a telescoping function for their strobe arms?
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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