Help with A80

[divemutt]

I have the A80 with the corresponding Canon housing (no strobe). I am fairly competent on land with this camera but have yet to use it diving. Will be taking trip to Salt Cay in the Turks and Caicos next February. This prime time for humpback whales and other large creatures. Will this camera setup be capable of taking pictures of these large animals if i am lucky enough to be in the water with them? Wahat settings do you recommend? should I purchase other type of equipment for this setup? The only camera I have used diving is the Sealife reefmaster with the strobe. Oddly enough I did get some very good photos. Thank you for your help?

 

[alcina]

You'll be able to take photos of the big guys with your set-up but you will not get the whole creature in the frame unless you are quite a ways away from it.

For big guys (and little guys,too!) look for a wide angle lens. I am pretty sure Inon makes one for that housing.

 

[divemutt]

You'll be able to take photos of the big guys with your set-up but you will not get the whole creature in the frame unless you are quite a ways away from it.

For big guys (and little guys,too!) look for a wide angle lens. I am pretty sure Inon makes one for that housing.

Wow! what a fast response. For the big guys, would I be better off with a strobe? It is my understanding the strobe is virtually useless at distances over 6 feet. Also for shots within the 3 foot range do you think the len may impede the internal flash?

 

[alcina]

You'll have to talk to Inon, but my guess is that Yes, the lens will partially block the internal.

as for the big guys strobe use will vary. For instance, here you cannot use a strobe with the whale sharks but you can for the mantas. I usually don't for the mantas though as it is awkward and just invites backscatter. But usually our mantas are right on the surface, not at depth so light isn't as much of an issue. When I do see them at depth I go both with strobe and without. You might want to ask if there are any guidelines about using strobes with various creatures where you are going.

A strobe is a great investment in your uw photo adventure, but you can get great results without it, too. There are just fewer options.

 

[GTRadz]

I used an A80 for the first time last trip. You can clearly see how I improved at each dive site! I found not using the flash produced the best photo most of the time. I did use a Photoshop adjustment script I found and modified, to improve the color in the pictures.
http://www.radzrealestate.com/Radz_Scuba_photos.htm
Good luck with the camera-it works great for the price.
Cheers
Greg

 

[PhotoTJ]

I've been shooting that rig, and have gotten pretty good results. For the big boys, though, you do need a wide lens, and great viz!