Camera accessories

[Jetwrench]

Just thought I'd make some new threads to address different subjects. I just have the basic P10 and housing and am contemplating a few add ons. Suggestions for lenses and strobes please. Specifics are appreciated.

Jet

 

[MacHeath]

I have the Sea & Sea 20mm (it's 20mm equivalent on a 35mm camera) wide angle lens.
The adaptor for the Sony marine pack also accepts the Sea & Sea macro lenses, and I have tried these too.

I am pleased with the WAL results. It really helps when taking pictures of larger things especially wrecks/big fish.

I didn't got for the even wider angle 16mm lens as my strobe won't cover the whole field of view and there is quite a bit of distortion.

However before you get a WAL I reckon you should get a strobe, as this is the thing that helps the most.

 

[edneeves]

Do you have any suggestions for a strobe setup on the MPK housings. I understand that you can get a fitting for the lens that allows for an optic fibre which can control the flash.

Is this what you have or do you have another control method.

Ed.

 

[Cecil]

Ed I was going to suggest you try the camera without an external strobe, but then I remebered you wanted magazine cover pictures. For that you will need an external strobe because the editors will not accept anything else (since they like all other UW photographers are brainwashed).

I am a voice in the wilderness on the wonders of the internal flash. Several reasons for this, the big ones are, size of the camera, a microscopic increase in range and lack of issues with backscatter. I love being a diver first and not having the hassle of my camera gear being as big as my diving gear. My camera fits in a BC pocket and safe doing a giant stride. The power of the internal is more than enough to reach out to almost all subjects, if its outside that range the picture will suck anyway.

Now backscatter the great bain of UW photographers. My regular dive spots are close to the crap you dive in. I find that most pictures are down (or level) with the subject, under those conditions there is no backscatter. If I have to shoot up into the water column I will get backscatter. Here's where post dive processing comes in to remove the backscatter, a simple and fast technique in photoshop with the clone tool.

There are numerious examples in my web page or galleries. I use a Sony DSC-P5 and INTERNAL strobe.

 

[edneeves]

I understand what your saying, and I do conceed that the internal flash does have its uses but I have seen the evidence that a decent strobe can bring to the table. Its a pretty hefty investment for that little jump up but it seems to be worth it in my eyes.

Its just a geek thing I think, I love my diving and I also love a challenge and having a pretty decent setup seems like an enjoyable challenge, and if I can get some pretty decent pictures in the process then that sounds like good fun to me.

Ed.

 

[MacHeath]

Do you have any suggestions for a strobe setup on the MPK housings. I understand that you can get a fitting for the lens that allows for an optic fibre which can control the flash.

Is this what you have or do you have another control method.

Ed.

I use the S&S adaptor that holds the WAL, this accepts the S&S fibre-optic cable. I use this to trigger my S&S YS-25 strobe. The strobe is not really bright enough, especially now as it seems to have got weaker over the 2 years I have had it. If I was buying again, I would go for a bigger strobe, e.g. YS-60.

The strobe is not much brighter than the internal, but it removes backscatter in most situations and improves the photos no end. It also allows you to take shots at very small distances without overexposing, since you can adjust the power/angle of the strobe.

 

[edneeves]

Thats pretty much the system I have been looking at, I was going to go for the Inon stuff as I liked the look of the lens adapter plus I though that since I was going to go for a D2000 then it might be best that the trigger assembly was made by the same people also.

Ed.