I know this camera can do better ... advice?

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Kimela

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I know that it is the 'operator' who is not doing something right! I'm using a SeaDragon light - not a strobe - and slowly considering surrendering to a 'bigger footprint' and using a strobe (I really like a small camera rig). But for now, I'm wondering if I can get crisper pictures of blennies and critters that small, or if this is 'as good as it gets'? I just watched a video on backscatter, about how to use the TG6 with a light. I changed my settings and we'll see what happens on the next dive trip (May).

Another thought is that I rarely have the opportunity to set up so my camera is fairly still. I'm usually shooting in current, so even when I try really hard I'm a little bit in motion. (Or maybe that's just me offering excuses?!)

Any settings you would recommend to compensate for the movement? For only using a light and not a strobe? Attaching a marginal pic of a blennie - they're so darned cute, and come in so many varieties! Maybe someone can tell, by looking at this picture, what I can do differently to get a more crisp, clear image? Oh, and other than cropping and occasionally adding/subtracting light from my iPhone pic app, I'm not doing any post-processing.
4A813AE5-8934-4244-B5F6-E16E74DEAA50_1_201_a.jpeg
 
No matter what continuous light you are using you will have to set up your system to avoid motion blur. Strobes of course will help this since they will freeze the motion. Look at (Olympus TG-5 and TG-6 Underwater Settings) for recommended settings. Here is a very simple edited version. I think the shutter speed was too slow and you gb
blenny test.jpg

you get a bit of blur. Take a look at the Backscatter mini flash; it is small and ideal for the TG-5/6
Cheers
Bill
 
Don't know the camera, but it simply looks out of focus to me. Using a light not a strobe you need to have the aperture wide open - which gets you a very shallow depth of field (the part of the image that is in focus) - or a very high ISO which gets you lots of noise. This looks to me to be high aperture. Try a bit of both, raising to the ISO as high as you can with acceptable noise levels and reducing the aperture to as small as possible with that ISO. Ultimately a strobe is the best solution but a balance of high ISO and smaller aperture might help.
 
PS - you also need a fairly high shutter speed to avoid motion blur as well. All things that conspire against good pics with ambient light or a torch.
 
PS - you also need a fairly high shutter speed to avoid motion blur as well. All things that conspire against good pics with ambient light or a torch.

These, I think, are issues addressed in the video I watched. But I suspect I'll eventually get the strobe. One of the other challenges is when approaching a critter with the light on it scares them into their holes - so I'm playing this cat-and-mouse game, trying to 'sneak up' on them with the light on. The result is poor focus because I'm trying to quickly get into position and hit the shutter at the same time. :(

Thanks for the feedback. :)
 
Take a look at the Backscatter mini flash; it is small and ideal for the TG-5/6

That's the one I'm looking at - they have a deal with the snoot included right now. It's very tempting.
 
It is very nice. BUT snooting is really not simple. Play with the strobe first by itself.
Bill
 
Up the ISO setting so you can increase the speed, with a smaller aperture. That will give better depth of field and faster shutter speed reducing blurring and out of focus issues.
I know the higher ISO increases 'noise'. But it is a trade, I would suggest it is better to have a crisp picture that's got 'noise' than a blurred picture without the 'noise'.

I saw a wonderful picture of a dolphin, but it had obviously been done with quite a high ISO setting. Talking to the photographer, he had opted for a high ISO so they could get a fast shutter speed to catch the dolphins that where speeding past the divers.

PS - I am not a great photographer, but I almost always dive with a camera.

There's a nice little 'cheat sheet' you can download and print, showing the shutter/ISO/Speed relationship.

http:/blog.hamburger-fotospots.de

quick link here
 
It is very nice. BUT snooting is really not simple. Play with the strobe first by itself.

Good reminder to learn one skill - solidly - and then take the next step. :wink:
 
A strobe makes a huge difference over natural light or 'torch light'.
I started using natural light with white balance. I now use Strobes. I seldom use a snoot because I like larger subjects over macro shots as a general rule. Which is really stupid, I dive in the UK, and the vis' is always a challenge. the more suspended matter in the water the more of a challenge it is to avoid backscatter issues.
 
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