First time pics-kinda disappointed. Pics and comments...
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OP
SouthFla
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Thanks for all the input and great points 
Hehe, no, not first underwater camera. Shot a Nikonos setup back in the early 80's for a few years, and haven't been underwater since. Got heavily into photography a few years ago, and this is my first "digital" u/w setup
Yeah, I agree these are perhaps a bit too light-certainly a function of my lack of u/w post-processing skills. I didn't want to do too much to the pics and was afraid of overdoing the processing. I'm gonna have to work on that...
I think that clearly part of my problem is just getting accustomed to the nature of p-a-s; I was definitely comparing "apples to oranges" with my dSLRs, and clearly expecting too much which is unfair of the abilities of small sensors...
What this setup has given me is the answer to whether or not I want to take underwater pictures (a big YES). I do think I want to go the dSLR in Housing route tho, for no other reasons than I like the ability to make big prints!
Thanks again folks for all of your comments, happys shooting/diving!
John
Hehe, no, not first underwater camera. Shot a Nikonos setup back in the early 80's for a few years, and haven't been underwater since. Got heavily into photography a few years ago, and this is my first "digital" u/w setup
Yeah, I agree these are perhaps a bit too light-certainly a function of my lack of u/w post-processing skills. I didn't want to do too much to the pics and was afraid of overdoing the processing. I'm gonna have to work on that...
I think that clearly part of my problem is just getting accustomed to the nature of p-a-s; I was definitely comparing "apples to oranges" with my dSLRs, and clearly expecting too much which is unfair of the abilities of small sensors...
What this setup has given me is the answer to whether or not I want to take underwater pictures (a big YES). I do think I want to go the dSLR in Housing route tho, for no other reasons than I like the ability to make big prints!
Thanks again folks for all of your comments, happys shooting/diving!
John
I think your shots are great, especially for a first go. You are not going to get the results from a P&S that you will with the dSLR. Of course the new crop of prosumer P&S (canon S90) may get much closer. Your 590 is a known good image producer--within the limits of a camera with a sensor the size of a fingernail.
Your fixation on settings baffles me, the proper exposure adjusted for your preference and your "art" is what you are going for, not a specific "setting" so I am confused there.
The little 570/590 series of cameras tend to overexpose and as well, with wide angle lenses it is difficult to deal with the dynamic range present between a bright object (the sun) and a shadow or dark area. It is beyond the capability of the camera, but, when I remember to do something about it I have started underexposing such shots for the ambient by a full stop or more and then using my strobe (s) to light the foreground and this is helping to reduce the required dynamic range to make the image acceptable.
I like your shots, they show the uw world as you saw it, they document your adventure, they are exciting and make me want to be there. Unless you get a flying saucer landing on Elliot Key, I doubt they will get published but you never know, they are still great shots!
I too used to shoot a Nikonos III and frankly, you will never match it, it had superior optics, a 35 mm slide is a HUGE sensor compared to the little "thingy" in the 590 or for that matter even most dSLRs have tiny sensors compared to 35mm. That is your problem I bet, you are spoiled with the quality a 35mm Nikonos equipped with Nikon underwater corrected optics can do--give it up--your 590 is not going to come close.
I agree with you and others, I think you are over exposed just as a general comment by about a half stop. That old strobe is just blasting away.
N
Your fixation on settings baffles me, the proper exposure adjusted for your preference and your "art" is what you are going for, not a specific "setting" so I am confused there.
The little 570/590 series of cameras tend to overexpose and as well, with wide angle lenses it is difficult to deal with the dynamic range present between a bright object (the sun) and a shadow or dark area. It is beyond the capability of the camera, but, when I remember to do something about it I have started underexposing such shots for the ambient by a full stop or more and then using my strobe (s) to light the foreground and this is helping to reduce the required dynamic range to make the image acceptable.
I like your shots, they show the uw world as you saw it, they document your adventure, they are exciting and make me want to be there. Unless you get a flying saucer landing on Elliot Key, I doubt they will get published but you never know, they are still great shots!
I too used to shoot a Nikonos III and frankly, you will never match it, it had superior optics, a 35 mm slide is a HUGE sensor compared to the little "thingy" in the 590 or for that matter even most dSLRs have tiny sensors compared to 35mm. That is your problem I bet, you are spoiled with the quality a 35mm Nikonos equipped with Nikon underwater corrected optics can do--give it up--your 590 is not going to come close.
I agree with you and others, I think you are over exposed just as a general comment by about a half stop. That old strobe is just blasting away.
N
Also, I think you are adding noise in your post processing.
I suggest with the Inon lens not working below about f4 as the corners will go soft unless you modified your port like I did and I recommend against it, it became a major engineering undertaking with little gain.
SouthFla says;
"I processed and made a handful of 13x19 prints of a few of my favorite ones. I just don't think the small camera sensor can handle the detail of all the underwater world has to offer. While the prints were "nice" they just weren't WOW. The lack of fine detail was pretty evident to me, and the noise reduction clearly took away from some of the detail."
You are not going to get a 13X19 print from an A590 that will satisfy you, the Nikonos could of course cover a wall form a projector with a sharp image, yes, you are expecting to much from what is essentially a toy camera by comparison to a Nikonos.
I suggest:
1. Shoot at ISO100
2. Underexpose (for ambient) by about .5 to 1.0 stops and use your strobe to lighten up the subject
3. Try to keep your dome away from the sun (hard to do)
4. Look for shots were the dynamic range does not go from a sun ball to deep black
5. Ask your fish to be still, works for me because my double hose reg does not scare them like you guys with the hub caps in the face noise makers.
This is close to what I am trying to do, f5.6 at 1/60:
This is an example of not quite getting it, I was to far from my subject but I did manage to get the sun under control, had I moved in closer it would have worked:
Underexposed on purpose, I like it, y'all may not:
This shot is similar to what you are getting, it is OK but it is too light, washed out, I should have stopped down a bit more and maybe turned my strobe down a bit:
Just trying to help. BTW, I use a Sekonic Marine meter to verify exposures especially in manual mode with my 570 which is as I think you know, set up like your 590 rig. BTW, the 590 due to the increase in MP from 7 to 8 did pick up a bit of noise, several testers have noted this but also stated it was acceptable for this class of camera.
N
I suggest with the Inon lens not working below about f4 as the corners will go soft unless you modified your port like I did and I recommend against it, it became a major engineering undertaking with little gain.
SouthFla says;
"I processed and made a handful of 13x19 prints of a few of my favorite ones. I just don't think the small camera sensor can handle the detail of all the underwater world has to offer. While the prints were "nice" they just weren't WOW. The lack of fine detail was pretty evident to me, and the noise reduction clearly took away from some of the detail."
You are not going to get a 13X19 print from an A590 that will satisfy you, the Nikonos could of course cover a wall form a projector with a sharp image, yes, you are expecting to much from what is essentially a toy camera by comparison to a Nikonos.
I suggest:
1. Shoot at ISO100
2. Underexpose (for ambient) by about .5 to 1.0 stops and use your strobe to lighten up the subject
3. Try to keep your dome away from the sun (hard to do)
4. Look for shots were the dynamic range does not go from a sun ball to deep black
5. Ask your fish to be still, works for me because my double hose reg does not scare them like you guys with the hub caps in the face noise makers
.This is close to what I am trying to do, f5.6 at 1/60:
This is an example of not quite getting it, I was to far from my subject but I did manage to get the sun under control, had I moved in closer it would have worked:
Underexposed on purpose, I like it, y'all may not:
This shot is similar to what you are getting, it is OK but it is too light, washed out, I should have stopped down a bit more and maybe turned my strobe down a bit:
Just trying to help. BTW, I use a Sekonic Marine meter to verify exposures especially in manual mode with my 570 which is as I think you know, set up like your 590 rig. BTW, the 590 due to the increase in MP from 7 to 8 did pick up a bit of noise, several testers have noted this but also stated it was acceptable for this class of camera.
N
OP
SouthFla
Registered
That's probably my problem in a nutshell LOL...
Hehe, not so much a fixation, but a perception as to what I thought was "required" in order to get the "right" kind of water color. Ya know, the "use 1/125-1/160 to get those blues" and such as I've read around here. That's really the only point to my settings babble...
And now after looking, and seeing some of your pics N, I totally agree-definitely overexposed. And I too like the slightly underexposed look. I'll give it a try to drop the exposure down a bit and fire up the strobe. A much more satisfying look for sure!
Thanks again for the input
Did you shoot Ektachrome 64 or Kodachrome 64? Just curious. N
OP
SouthFla
Registered
"Mama don't take my Kodachrome away" :yelclap:
Yeah, I thought so.
N
N
SeaSoulSelf
Contributor
I thought your u/w shots were nice - but if you are not happy with them I can't wait to see them when you ARE happy.
p.s. your website is amazing.. beautiful images.
p.s. your website is amazing.. beautiful images.
sharky60
Contributor
Yeah, I'm with everyone else, a little patience, practice, and advice from our experts here and you'll be shooting even more amazing shots in no time.
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