U/W photo is ALL about lighting. The water column robs light at an astounding rate.
Get the strobe ...
Get the strobe ...
Do I really need a $500 strobe?
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I'd probably agree with this to begin with. It depends which camera you have but for instance my Oly C5050 takes pretty reasonable pictures using the internal flash as long as you get close enough to the subject. Shooting it in RAW allows white balance adjustment afterward and as pointed out, it's a LOT less task loading. Personally I think the time to get a strobe is when you know you've reached the end of what you can do with your camera on internal - and want to go further.Karibelle:I've given this a bit more thought.
You know, you might try just using the camera without a strobe for a while... I used my camera/housing without a strobe for about a year, and it provided some valuable lessons in shot composition and how to actually dive with a camera. Early this year I got a strobe for my unit, and am finding that I need to learn a lot more about basic photography before the strobe money is going to pay off. Also, adding a camera to a diver adds a lot of "tasks" and adding a strobe increases that task load exponentially, if you ask me.
kari
Just sticking a strobe into the mix is NOT going to guarantee that you get better pics immediately. Like any tool, you need to know how to use it.
One last tip! $500 spent now is money committed. $500 reserved for a future date keeps your options open until you already know the answer to this question.
Who knows....by then you'll probably also get more for your money!
Jot
New
I bought an Olympus camera for under $200. I put it in a housing costing twice that and used it for a year like that. It is great for "natural light" images and underwater landscapes, but for fish, corals and macro shots, the images were understandably a bit dull and blue if I was deeper than a few feet. The results are here if you want to see what you can achieve without a strobe. A lot of these images are post processed in photoshop to bring back the colours. The great thing is that, without a frame you can clip the camera onto your bc and keep your hands free. I'd be tempted to try this out and get used to the camera underwater before splashing out for a strobe.
Last week I added $1000 worth of Inon strobe. Probably excessive, but I wanted something that would work with a dslr in the future. Now there are a lot of surprised fish down there. I immediately noticed how cumbersome the rig was underwater. It is going to take a while to get good results with it.
There now I think I've managed to repeat what Karibelle said.
Last week I added $1000 worth of Inon strobe. Probably excessive, but I wanted something that would work with a dslr in the future. Now there are a lot of surprised fish down there. I immediately noticed how cumbersome the rig was underwater. It is going to take a while to get good results with it.
There now I think I've managed to repeat what Karibelle said.
Jot:
:blinking:
My first trip with my strobe was on a night dive. Sheesh. It was a good thing that the site was flat, 25', with coral bumps. Buoyancy? My best course of action seemed to be practicing taking pictures of things on the ocean floor... lots of bad shell critter photos, a few good hermit crabs, and a couple of spotted snake eels. A couple of great octopi shots - great for me, at least. Then, before I could do harm, I put the camera away, and decided that what I need to do are about a hundred shallow shore dives with the strobe. Okay, maybe not a hundred - but adding the strobe certainly made me aware of how many things there are to pay attention to, and emphasized for me that I never want to be one of those photographers who sacrifices the environment for the shot.
kari
gary-ramey
Contributor
I think because the two are so different that buying the whole rig now, practicing and then a year from now then being good with it, is better than starting out with a P&S, learning it, then having to relearn next year. If your object is to get decent photos you'll be happy to share you'll need to add an external strobe. Here's why.
Backscatter - Unless you dive in perfect conditions the internal strobe will ruin your best underwater moment. I know, I've done it.
Rig - Yes its different. It affects your buoyancy, swimming in current, etc etc.
Using an external strobe - position of the arm, angle of the strobe head, diffuser or no diffuser, getting used to using an external strobe is almost as important as your camera.
Photo quality - Can't say enough about this.
cheap external strobe - Rather than start without, buy a cheap one. Sunpak, Sealife, etc. Its still better than without and it will get you used to diving with a larger rig.
Backscatter - Unless you dive in perfect conditions the internal strobe will ruin your best underwater moment. I know, I've done it.
Rig - Yes its different. It affects your buoyancy, swimming in current, etc etc.
Using an external strobe - position of the arm, angle of the strobe head, diffuser or no diffuser, getting used to using an external strobe is almost as important as your camera.
Photo quality - Can't say enough about this.
cheap external strobe - Rather than start without, buy a cheap one. Sunpak, Sealife, etc. Its still better than without and it will get you used to diving with a larger rig.
ce4jesus:
I say - rather than start with a cheap one; get a strobe that will grow with your photography.
There's no reason why - the strobe you buy today can't be the strobe you use for a long long time.
If you get a cheap strobe, and then decide to move up to a better camera, then you're stuck with a cheap strobe - that you'll end up wanting to sell so that you can buy a good strobe.
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I bought a cheap strobe ... used it for a while, then sold it. Frankly, I wasn't getting any better quality pics with it than without.
To be fair, I do almost exclusively macro. But I disagree that you need a strobe to get decent shots.
FWIW - I believe that good buoyancy control matters more than a good strobe. Work on your dive skills first and your photo skills second. You'll get more interesting pics in the long run because you'll have more options for getting in position to compose the shot you want.
But if you have to have a strobe spend the money and get a good one ... otherwise, you'll only be trading up again later.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
To be fair, I do almost exclusively macro. But I disagree that you need a strobe to get decent shots.
FWIW - I believe that good buoyancy control matters more than a good strobe. Work on your dive skills first and your photo skills second. You'll get more interesting pics in the long run because you'll have more options for getting in position to compose the shot you want.
But if you have to have a strobe spend the money and get a good one ... otherwise, you'll only be trading up again later.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
Being the "proud" owner of a "cheap" strobe (960D) and a "pricey" one (Inon 2000) I can tell you the pricey one does a much better job than the cheap one -- but the cheap one did a much better job than none.
A "much better job" when I wasn't shooting close ups/macro!
Whether you need a strobe or not depends on where, and what, you want to shoot. For the most part, the internal flash on a PnS will help you out for pics within 2 - 3 feet (with back scatter in most places). If you want to light things more than 2-3 feet from your camera, you'll need a strobe but the strobe will probably be good for only up to roughly 10 feet (which is 20 "light feet" -- 10 feet out, 10 feet back to camera which will absorb most of the red the strobe puts out). For images more than 10 feet from your camera, you're pretty much left with ambient light.
UW photography is just one more way to spend a LOT of money in this sport.
A "much better job" when I wasn't shooting close ups/macro!
Whether you need a strobe or not depends on where, and what, you want to shoot. For the most part, the internal flash on a PnS will help you out for pics within 2 - 3 feet (with back scatter in most places). If you want to light things more than 2-3 feet from your camera, you'll need a strobe but the strobe will probably be good for only up to roughly 10 feet (which is 20 "light feet" -- 10 feet out, 10 feet back to camera which will absorb most of the red the strobe puts out). For images more than 10 feet from your camera, you're pretty much left with ambient light.
UW photography is just one more way to spend a LOT of money in this sport.
The Kraken
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howarde:
Howarde has made one of the most astute comments about strobes/photography that I've read in a long, long time.
I'm still very, very new to underwater photography.
I used to shoot professionally (above the water), but underwater is a completely different animal when it comes to light absorption.
While the basic elements of photography remain the same, f stops, shutter speed, ISO settings, light becomes so much more of a crucial element.
Don't want to let my mouth overload my butt, but I must absolutely, without reservation, underwrite what Howarde has stated.
the K
tx51210
Contributor
OK, I read your post and will take a little different slant.
NEED. You don't really NEED anyting related to diving or underwater photography. I was in Richardson Bike Mart a few years ago and Jim Hoyt the owner zeroed in on my comment and it hit home with me. He said "We don't sell anyting here you NEED. We sell what you WANT and ENJOY."
So the real question is "What is your passion?" If you want the best you can achieve, get the best equipment. If you are not passionate, get whatever. If you are truely interested, skip the middle steps and go for the $800-1,200 strobe and save the middle of the road solutions and get two while your at it. It is all about PASSION not NEED!
LIVE IT, LOVE IT, DIVE IT!
OK done ranting.
NEED. You don't really NEED anyting related to diving or underwater photography. I was in Richardson Bike Mart a few years ago and Jim Hoyt the owner zeroed in on my comment and it hit home with me. He said "We don't sell anyting here you NEED. We sell what you WANT and ENJOY."
So the real question is "What is your passion?" If you want the best you can achieve, get the best equipment. If you are not passionate, get whatever. If you are truely interested, skip the middle steps and go for the $800-1,200 strobe and save the middle of the road solutions and get two while your at it. It is all about PASSION not NEED!
LIVE IT, LOVE IT, DIVE IT!
OK done ranting.
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