Just bought a new camera :) Strobe?

[M_Bipartitus]

For anything past 5-10 feet the strobe may be more trouble than not using it. For wide angle photography the strobe is only helpful if there is something near by in the photo that you want to add light to. An example of this could be a coral structure near the camera, but in the frame, with a group of divers in the background. You can see examples around where a strobe is used to add light for nearby subjects in a wide angle shot.

It's a longshot (pun not intended) to get a good photo out of a strobe with subjects 20 feet away. There is likely to be too much backscatter.

The best thing for you to do is just try different ways of taking a photo and you can learn what works best.

 

[4thephil]

For anything past 5-10 feet the strobe may be more trouble than not using it. For wide angle photography the strobe is only helpful if there is something near by in the photo that you want to add light to. An example of this could be a coral structure near the camera, but in the frame, with a group of divers in the background. You can see examples around where a strobe is used to add light for nearby subjects in a wide angle shot.

It's a longshot (pun not intended) to get a good photo out of a strobe with subjects 20 feet away. There is likely to be too much backscatter.

The best thing for you to do is just try different ways of taking a photo and you can learn what works best.

very good advice, which brings up this next point. we're going down the Miami and Key Largo in Florida. We haven't signed up for any dives yet, and we are both JUST certified (5 dives each). Can we/divers just walk up to a beach in miami and do a shore entry into the ocean? Cost wise, this would be awesome (equipment rental and air refills only) - I know it wouldn't be as "cool" as far as coral and wrecks go, but good practice and fun, yes?

 

[M_Bipartitus]

I would recommend you leave your camera on the boat until you are comfortable in the water. For some this is only a dive or two, others many dives. Myself it didn't take long (grew up with frequent trips to lake Michigan), but it takes some time to get comfortable in the water. Ideally you want to be at a point where the diving is second nature so you can focus on the photos (or looking at the reef for that matter.) If you have a chance I'd recommend asking you're old instructor or some local dive shop if there is time available that you can practice in their pool. Many instructors don't mind a diver interested in practice as long as it doesn't interrupt their class.

As to you're other question, as a certified diver, you can dive where ever it's allowed when ever it's allowed. As long as the beach allows divers, you can walk thought and enter. You should bring a dive-flag. I only mention that as many divers don't have their own flag. If I'm at a resort that offers free shore-diving I tend to spend a good amount of time in the water with my camera.

 

[gNats]

OP - I bought the same camera for my trip to Bonaire last week.

Here are my comments on the camera.

Flash diffuser: if you can return it, try to. It won't help.

If you are shooting on very sunny days, 30 feet and above, the camera will take wonderful photos without the strobe.

This camera is a battery hog. Be sure to have fresh batteries in the camera every new dive, even if the batteries from the last dive show a charge.

Don't rely on the previewer above or below surface. Take the photos and wait until you download them to the PC to pass judgement. Photos I was sure were going to be deletes were wonderful. Only delete the obvious blurry ones from your on camera previewing.

When shooting underwater:

Use the Macro setting so you can use the wide angle setting on the lens. This will allow you to appear closer to the fish and still let in lots of light because the aperture is larger. Keep in mind you will have a small focal area. I used my telephoto, macro, and wide angle zoom as necessary to get the desired shots.

Set the WB to Cloudy. Don't bother with the red filter that came with the camera. Toss it in a drawer. If you use it, all your fish will appear like they are swimming in blood. The red filter can only be used when you do a custom white balance setting at depth, and this camera doesn't have the functionality.

Set the ISO to 200 or less. Do not use 400. 400 is very grainy. 200 is grainy but without a strobe there may not be a lot of light.

Shoot not only in P mode, but also Portrait, landscaping, and motion. Be sure to check the WB and ISO every time you move from one mode to another. Avoid "A" mode - it will not allow you to change the ISO or WB.

This camera does not have a fast shutter speed. Be prepared for a lot of fish butts in your photos, OR learn to successfully pan and swim alongside the fish. You will learn to see the fish and swim in a direction accordingly to keep the fish in the view finder.

Don't shoot at an image size/quality larger than you need. You will eat up more batteries and will wait longer between shots. I was at 1280 x something and finest quality. All my photos will be shared via a DVD disk program.

Invest in Photoshop Elements or CS3. I am currently color correcting all 450 photos I took underwater. Out of the camera, every photo is devoid of natural colors and has a green tint to them. A simple color correction removes the green and restores the colors. The closer you are to the surface when the photo is taken, the more vivid the colors will be.

Overall, this was my first dive trip and my first experience using non-disposable camera underwater. I do not regret my decision to purchase this camera. However, I am a bit of a shutterbug, and know already, that I have outgrown the functionality of this camera. I have already pledged to purchase a faster speed and more manual setting camera. I dive nearly year round and will be doing more cold water diving than warm water (crystal clear) diving, so I will need a camera that has custom WB settings along with speed and aperature settings.

Now, regarding your strobe question: Yes, absolutely for this camera. At 30+ feet, I wish I had a strobe to help bring out the colors and depth of the objectives I was trying to photograph.

I hope this helps. For the price - I give this camera 5 stars. If you are only diving a few times and not an Ansel Adams wannabe, get an affordable and reliable strobe, a battery charger and a 2 8 packs of batteries and enjoy yourself.

 

[rab1412000]

get the intova istr its only 15dollars more in amazon
i just got mine for my ic800 and cant wait to use it next week

again be prepared to do 50 dives instead of 5 my friend....


cheers

 

[bobf]

The guide number is a numerical way of expressing the intensity of light emitted by a strobe. The guide number formula is:

Guide Number equals Aperture times Distance.

To determine the guide number of a strobe top side (Air), place an object or target at a distance of 10' from the strobe head. Next step is to capture the image of the object using an assortment of aperture settings while the strobe emits a full dump. The aperture which yields the best exposure is then multiplied by 10 (the distance from strobe to subject), resulting in the Guide Number. The ISO chosen is usually 100.

Although most all underwater strobes are ineffective at influencing foreground exposures underwater at a distance of ten feet (or much beyond 5 feet), one could still determine an underwater guide number by following the same simple formula.

Place an object 3 feet from the strobe head. Set strobe for full dump. Fire away using various apertures to capture the image. The aperture that yields the best exposure, not overblown or underexposed, is then multiplied by 3 (in this case, 3 feet was the Distance from strobe to subject).

Let's assume that underwater an aperture of f/8 produced the best quality exposure. Multiply three times eight and the resulting number could be therefore considered the underwater guide number for that particular strobe.

Example:

GN=A*D

GN = f/8*3 = an underwater guide number of 24.

Of course the clarity of the water would play an important role in the equation. But we can assume that if a strobe manufacturer supplied an underwater guide number, the test was conducted in a filtered swimming pool or crystal clear Caribbean water.

In conclusion...........

If a strobe is advertised to have an underwater guide number of 16 (feet, ISO 100), then an aperture of f/4 and a distance of 4 feet from strobe to subject while the strobe was set to full dump should result in an acceptable exposure.

gn=a*d
16=4*4

 

[RJSDiverNJ]

I'm a huge fan of strobes. More light means better pictures @ depth. If you are in 25-30 feet with incredible viz - forget it. However, if you are @ depths beyond that - you will want a strobe to bring out the colors lost @ depth. I find that even white balancing does not always do the trick.