Finally going for the gusto

[Aeolus]

I just received my new Ikelite housing and DS-50 strobe for my Nikon Coolpix 5000. I will be going to Belize on April 16 for about a week. Does anyone have any suggestions for camera useage or tips on getting better pictures? The best advice I have seen so far is "Get close and then get closer". I have been using a Sea & Sea MX-5, which gave way too much backscatter. I am hoping for much better results with the new equipment. I have tested the seals in 10 feet of water and tried out the camera and stobe assembly in air. Is there anything else to test prior to the big plunge? I have spare sets of batteries for both the camera and the strobe along with chargers for each. Any constructive input would be helpful.

 

[herman]

If you have a dive shop close by that can pressure test the housing, I would do that. My LDS took my housing (Oly PT-015) down to it's rated depth (130ft) and held it there for 45 minutes......hummm wounder if he had it do deco??? Anyway, I know it sure made me feel better knowing that it had at least withstood it's max rated pressure before actually diving with it.

I am also pretty particular on how and where I install and remove the camera. I will only do it in a reasonable enviroment (usually my room) and never on boat decks or sandy beaches. I also carry a fairly high powered magnifying glass to inspect the O-rings and sealing area before closing the case. I always rinse the housing with warm water at the dive site if possible and soak it in the sink (or trash can in the sink is not large enough) for 20 minutes or so before drying and opening the case. This might be overkill but so far I have been lucky and not had a leak.

As for shooting pictures, the biggest film habit I had to break was not shooting enough pictures. I had gotten very selective with my shots to conserve film, this is not necessary with a digital camera. If your camera has modes that you can preprogram, I would do that as well. Try several different setting and see what works best for you .

Good Luck and have fun

 

[Gilligan]

IMHO the best advice I can offer you is to know all your camera controls and be able to change settings via the housing quickly and efficiently. The better you know your camera the better your pictures will be.

Best of luck on your Belize trip.