C-5000 & PT-019

[Alan Wiggs]

Thanks heaps for your quick reply. Problem I've had is that no stockists can tell me which link will work with the PT019. Inon don't seem to have it listed and Yuzo in Japan doesn't stock the housing. He suggested that I measure the distance from housing body to flash panel to see which link will work. I don't have the housing yet so will just have to be patient! (Not one of my virtues though.)

 

[meca]

I have been using a C-5000 with PT019 housing. The combo works faily well. The only problem I have encountered is the camera flash sync is 1\30 of sec. Is there a way to change the shutter speed to prevent blurry pictures?

 

[ReyeR]

I have been using a C-5000 with PT019 housing. The combo works faily well. The only problem I have encountered is the camera flash sync is 1\30 of sec. Is there a way to change the shutter speed to prevent blurry pictures?

Y, by switching to Shutter priority (S) or, better still, full Manual (M). If you shoot in Program mode (P) then turn the camera's flash on to Fill-in flash lightning symbol). You'll find that your shutter speeds will vary between 1/30 in full wide to 1/100 in full tele.

 

[Alan Wiggs]

I'm about to launch into shots with the C5000z after years of Nikonos. I've ordered a Inon d180 strobe and would imagine it best to set the camera on manual (M)...shutter speed 1/60...aperture 5.6 (or therabaouts) and then set the flash to "AUTO" and "5.6" (assuming that the flash of course needs to "know" what the camera's aperture is. Is this the best way to run it? A friend set his camera to "AUTO" but really only got fill in flash with slow shutter speeds and sometimes blurry backgrounds. The camera was setting itself for ambient light and the flash simply filling in very lightly.

 

[Dee]

Alan....I got the best results with my Inon D-180 by using AUTO abd setting the aperture to match the camera. However, that is just a starting point. Depending on conditions, I usually had to adjust the strobes aperture setting 1 or 2 settings, usually darker.

BTW, I use a base setting of 1/100 and f/6.3. You'll find that the aperture values you know from film do not directly translate to digital.

 

[meca]

I'm about to launch into shots with the C5000z after years of Nikonos. I've ordered a Inon d180 strobe and would imagine it best to set the camera on manual (M)...shutter speed 1/60...aperture 5.6 (or therabaouts) and then set the flash to "AUTO" and "5.6" (assuming that the flash of course needs to "know" what the camera's aperture is. Is this the best way to run it? A friend set his camera to "AUTO" but really only got fill in flash with slow shutter speeds and sometimes blurry backgrounds. The camera was setting itself for ambient light and the flash simply filling in very lightly.

Alan: What type of tray and strobe arm do you use? It looks like I have to add a strobe like you did so I can use a faster shutter speed to prevent blured pictures. I also use higher ISO speed ie. 160 or 320 and not auto.

 

[Alan Wiggs]

I've got on order a Fisheye Tray and flexible support arm from www.uwdigitalcamera.com (Yuzo in Japan). I couldn't get this product any cheaper here in Australia - they are a very good value bracket/arm combo and Dee and the other gurus seem to like them! If you do a search on Fieheye arm you will see what I mean. They are ball jointed flexible arms that seem to offer very positive flexible support and aiming. I've noticed that on "M" setting, which I would prefer to use, the c5000 only offer "SLOW1" or no strobe setting. Pity that we can't use fill-in flash on Manual. I suppose I will have to go for "A" aperture priority and match the Inon strobe to the camera aperture (using exposure compensation as necessary). And in P setting shutter is limited to 1/30 at wide to 1/150 at full tele. Pity these limitations are built in to the camera. The sort of thing you don't find out about until after you purchase. Still, a great camera with some good features!

Cheers!

 

[meca]

Hi Alan: I'm Steve aka meca. What part of Australia are you from? I had to purchase the PT-019 housing from Australia because Olympus wasn't importing them into the US yet. Been diving with it for about three dives using the camera's strobe. The pictures come out OK but slightly blurred-because of the shutter speed. Soon will have to get the strobe and arm. Steve

 

[Alan Wiggs]

Hi Steve - that's weird - I live in Melbourne but ordered the PT 019 from www.bhphotovideo.com as I has trouble finding one in Australia! I also got it much cheaper that I could here in OZ. Anyhow, I took deliver of the d180 INON strobe and the fisheye tray and arm set up yesterday. This I ordered from Yuzo in japan (www.uwdigitalcamera.com) and am really pleased with it. The strobe is brilliant- tiny but powerful and the focus light is a gen - dazzling bright and well set up. The flexible fisheye arm is also great value. For about $1800 AUD I now have a rig that would have cost over 2.5 grand locally ( and not all components available). I haven't had a dive with it yet, but am about to head to Bokissa Island, Vanuatu to dive the President Coolidge shipwreck. I think we will have set to ISO 160 (100ASA is preferable but the c5000 goes from 80 - 160); use A (aperture priority) and select say 5.6 ; set the strobe to auto 5.6 and shutter speed should come out around 1/60 - 1/100.

 

[hueyatl1]

Bonaire Town Pier picture posted in gallery taken with C5000.

http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/4589/password/0/sort/1/cat/all/page/1

If the link above does not work search words include C5000 Bonaire and user name hueyatl1.