Flashlight instead of strobe?

[herman]

I agree with the rest on the light, it will not work.
On the "offending" photog I do have a question, who was finding the cool spots??
IMO there are several different situations that come into play. When carrying a camera I dive away from everyone else - my spotter buddy and me or semi solo. If I/we have just located a great subject you can bet I am going to get all the shots of it I want and it will include several strobe angles and most likely a lens change. I/we located it and as far as I am concerned it's my subject until I am done. Things change a lot if it was another diver or a DM that found it. If a single diver found it, it's his until he is done.....same rules apply to me when another finds it, it's his until he is done. I wait in the background - cutting in line or rooting in will not go well at all. If a common (group) DM finds it, then it's "ours" so a couple of quick shots and I move. Hogging a communal subject is bad form but so is butting in on a subject that was found by a single diver/dive team..

 

[Thalassamania]

Even with relatively "fast" CCDs the problem is that you still need the short duration of the strobe to stops motion. When you use a movie light for your primary light you wind up shooting wide open with minimal depth of field to get yourself into an acceptable shutter speed range and your light upsets your subjects. Neither of these may be an issue for slow moving inverts but they work strongly against getting good fish or faster moving invert shots. Everything in photography is a trade off, there is no free lunch.

 

[SEMO Scuba]

I agree with Herman. If I found it, it is mine until I am done taking pictures of it. If you or someone else found it, then it is theirs or yours until you are done looking at it. I get a bit peeved just because my flash goes off some goober diver has to swim right in on top of me to see what I am taking a picture of. I usually hang at the back of the group too, so I am not hogging from the group. I usually don't spend too much time looking at the stuff the group was looking at anyway because by the time I get there they have often trashed the viz or scared off whatever critter was there.

It's a big ocean, spread out and give everyone space, there is plenty for all to look at. If all you ever do is follow the guide or spotter, you will not learn how to spot things on your own.

 

[farsidefan1]

We were following a divemaster around new terrain. It was the divemaster who found most the cool stuff. I would understand completely if the photographer had found her own stuff. In that case it is hers period till she was done. If I am diving a site with which I'm familiar my wife and I do our own thing and meet back at the boat after an hour or so. By the way, the madness has hit. :mooner: I bought a canon g12 and am trying to decide between the canon housing, ikelite or one of the 2 more pricey housings and a matching strobe. I'm so embarassed. Please don't tell anyone. The ikelite looks intrigueing because it looks like I can use an auto strobe. Some have suggested a manual strobe and to just experiment till I figure out the "sweet spot" but the problem with this is that I go 2 or 3 time a yr (I live in Utah) so I just don't shoot enough to dial things in and I don't want to screw up the first 20 shots of the trip trying to figure it out. I go to nice warm tropical places so I'm just researching what strobe can work with a given housing that will adjust for the needed light. Oh what fun. Any suggestions are welcome. While price is somewhat of a consideration it really isn't a huge deal. I just want something user friendly as possible right out of the box.

 

[SailNaked]

I used 2 LED lights held them in both hands and the camera between, I could get good pictures of the subject and nice color but would not get much to either side,
with my new flash it goes Bang and I get a full picture. but my new flash cost 1k so maybe I could have gotten by with the LEDs but I have a great wife.

yes you can get by without a flash go for it, till you want a whole picture then save up the $$$.

I am with yall on the nosey chum buckets that scare away the subjects that I have spent 20 minutes getting out of their hole to take their picture.

I like to stay up current of them.