Finally got to dive with my XZ-1/PT-050 with internal flash diffuser....

[anenomefishman]

I have dove for quite a few years using a SP-350/PT-030 using only internal flash and have gotten some decent pics. before you flame me, know that I am a small footprint underwater camera diver and keep my camera on a retractor on my BCD and only pull it out if I see something picture worthy. I therefore will give up flash range for footprint.

This was my first trip using my XZ-1/PT-050 with flash diffuser. We were diving in Little Cayman, BWI. On first look, the controls of the XZ-1 are pretty similar to that of the SP-350. I normally shoot one of the manual modes, either shutter priority, aperture priority, or manual. long shots I use auto. I set my camera up the same as my SP-350 was and noticed that the internal flash is not as strong as the SP-350. Most of my pics were darker than I wanted and less color. I cranked up the internal flash to +1.3 and had some better luck. example pic below (f3.5, 1/320 sec, ISO 100, center weighted ESP, center spot AF)



Does anybody else run internal flash and/or have any recommendations on how to set the flash up on this camera? should I go to +2.0 flash or full manual flash or what?

thanks,
Bruce

 

[Plotek]

Does anybody else run internal flash and/or have any recommendations on how to set the flash up on this camera? should I go to +2.0 flash or full manual flash or what?
thanks,
Bruce

I do not have any experience with using internal flash for macro, but for me Your photo looks nice, maybe except the head of the fish. Because I do not know if the change in the colors comes from light or this fish is really looks that?
I did not consider to use the internal flash but maybe You can try to use dedicated settings for underwater photo?

 

[Wisnu]

Indeed your fish look great for shooting with internal flash only.
I've used (and love) my SP-350 before upgrade to EPL-1 and also bought XZ-1 w/ PT-050 for younger daughter.
The last time i use camera without external strobe was 2 years ago with my SP-350. I configured Mymode 1, 2, 3 and 4 for macro 1 (upto 15 cm), macro 2 (15 - 40 cm), > 40 cm and natural light.
Mymode 1, 2 and 3 is always in manual mode with manual internal flash setting. I may do similar with XZ-1 (unfortunately no mymode 1, 2, 3 and 4) and probably increase ISO and EV.
XZ=1 is nice camera, but for control and navigation I have to say SP-350 is better and more effective.

 

[anenomefishman]

I do not have any experience with using internal flash for macro, but for me Your photo looks nice, maybe except the head of the fish. Because I do not know if the change in the colors comes from light or this fish is really looks that?
I did not consider to use the internal flash but maybe You can try to use dedicated settings for underwater photo?

I think that the discoloration on the head of the fish is due to lack of light in that area. I did not get any other pictures of that fish as it took off. I use the manual modes of the camera (Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual) as fixed macro modes for underwater photography. The flash is always on and macro is always on. I shoot far shots in iAuto mode. I have tried the two underwater modes with mixed luck. It looks like the program controls the aperture and shutter speed.

Bruce

 

[anenomefishman]

Indeed your fish look great for shooting with internal flash only.
I've used (and love) my SP-350 before upgrade to EPL-1 and also bought XZ-1 w/ PT-050 for younger daughter.
The last time i use camera without external strobe was 2 years ago with my SP-350. I configured Mymode 1, 2, 3 and 4 for macro 1 (upto 15 cm), macro 2 (15 - 40 cm), > 40 cm and natural light.
Mymode 1, 2 and 3 is always in manual mode with manual internal flash setting. I may do similar with XZ-1 (unfortunately no mymode 1, 2, 3 and 4) and probably increase ISO and EV.
XZ=1 is nice camera, but for control and navigation I have to say SP-350 is better and more effective.

I never used mymode on my SP-350. I used shutter priority and manual for macro photography (macro on, flash on, continuous AF on). shutter priority I used for fast moving fish and manual for greater depth of field with fast shutter. I used auto for long shots. I think the XZ-1 is pretty easy to use. It has a number more controls than the SP-350, but seems pretty similar to the SP-350 to me at least for manual, aperture priority, and shutter priority. The long distance underwater shooting ability is better than the SP-350 I think, due to the better lens and image sensor.

Bruce

 

[slowhands]

I think the light falloff is just due to the fact that the fish head was farther away, and as we know, light falls off as 1/d**2. Plus light falls off at the edges of the flash. This is about what you can expect from the subject angled away. Since this 28mm lens is wider than the 38mm lens on the SP-350, the flash may be diffused more to cover a wider field of view, so seem less intense. It could be a combination of all these factors.

Rather than turn up the flash, consider turning up the ISO to say 400. Image quality is good until ISO 400, then detail is hidden under progressively more noise reduction at higher ISOs.

 

[anenomefishman]

I think the light falloff is just due to the fact that the fish head was farther away, and as we know, light falls off as 1/d**2. Plus light falls off at the edges of the flash. This is about what you can expect from the subject angled away. Since this 28mm lens is wider than the 38mm lens on the SP-350, the flash may be diffused more to cover a wider field of view, so seem less intense. It could be a combination of all these factors.

Rather than turn up the flash, consider turning up the ISO to say 400. Image quality is good until ISO 400, then detail is hidden under progressively more noise reduction at higher ISOs.

Thanks, I will give higher ISO a shot. How about +EV for exposure? What are the units for flash intensity?
Looking at the way the XZ-1 flash diffuser is set up, it looks like it has higher loss than the SP-350 diffuser to me.

Bruce