mpk-phb housing first use

[CRAZYBOBC]

I just got the mpk-phb housing for my sony p100. I have no other accessories. Is there anything I should do to the housing to prepare the camera for diving. Also what settings should I use, as I stated before I have no strobe, filter, etc. My first use will be drift diving in Palm Beach, how do I test it before hand. Any other advice/tips would be great.
thanks

 

[Cecil]

This is a repeat of some info on using the Sonys.

First off congratulations and have fun. There are a few choices to be made in the settings, here's the one's I use most; Flash On and the low power setting, macro On, if it's out of range of the macro it's to far (switch off for other divers or big fish), the ASA setting is your one control over the shutter speed. I have a tendency, in anything other than bright sun/clear water, to use 400. I'd rather have more noise than a motion blurred shot. All other settings I use Auto.

The camera is slightly negative so a lanyard is suggested. I use a spiral plastic lanyard that I keep short until I'm at depth. Getting in and out of the water, I put the camera in a BC pocket for protection. At depth it goes under the front BC strap when not in use.

The other issue is battery life/fogging. If you leave the camera On for to long it will fog and you may not have enough battery life for two dives. This means it's important to anticipate your shots so the camera has time to boot up before you shot. This also leads into the half shutter press to minimize shutter lag. What I do is when I see something to shot, I grab the camera and at the same time hit the On button. Swing up the camera and set your distance, then half press the shutter, frame and press the shutter. Camera Off and back under the strap.

Here's a tip for the post processing. One of the characteristics of the Sonys is that it does shift towards the green underwater and will need some tweeking.

Photo Tip

 

[MFaunce]

We've got both a P10 and a P100. I don't have a battery life problem or a fogging problem with my P100 in the MPK-PHB housing. The P10 we have some power issues towards the end of the second dive and no fogging issue with it either. Get Pro style memory sticks as writing the pics to them is faster (more noticeable on the P10 than the P100). We've found that 256MB size ones are good for about ~110 pics.

Forcing the strobe on is a definite. Macro vs Normal mode I switch back and forth on based on distance. I turn macro off when further than about a foot. But, as said above, the strobe gives out after about 2 feet, so stay close. You won't be taking any good WA shots without an external strobe and lens.

I disagree with the ISO issue and set mine on 100 all the time underwater. I guess I'd rather take a slower pace and not try and take pics "on the run."

Here's a like to my gallery:

http://www.fauncefamily.net/album
Underwater pics are in the 2004-07 Cancun, 2004-11 FL Keys and 2005-04 Bonaire sections.

As far as testing and prep, get really used to using the controls before you go and knowing what does what because reading the button labels once it's in the housing isn't that easy (the buttons obscure the labels). Lube the o-ring and keep it clean. Soak the housing in fresh water each night to keep and salt from crystalizing anywhere. I try to only open the housing in the room on a clean, lint-free surface. Make sure the housing is as dry as possible before opening it as well. Dunk it in the rince tank before use to make sure you don't have any leaks before starting your dive. Keeping the camera & housing cool and out of the direct sun will help to keep it from fogging.

 

[kidspot]

Doesn't using the flash give you a lot of backscatter? Just curious as the only underwater photos I've taken were with a simple point and shoot - when the flash was on I could hardly see anything because of the backscatter - is the flash on this camera far enough away to allow it's use? I'm very inexperienced at this, so looking for an answer for myself too...

Tim

 

[MFaunce]

Doesn't using the flash give you a lot of backscatter? Just curious as the only underwater photos I've taken were with a simple point and shoot - when the flash was on I could hardly see anything because of the backscatter - is the flash on this camera far enough away to allow it's use? I'm very inexperienced at this, so looking for an answer for myself too...

Tim

I'd guess that depends on conditions. If you choice is between backscatter and a dark picture, which would you prefer?

If the subject is more than a couple of feet away the internal flash isn't going to do you any good, so I'd turn it off to avoid any backscatter.

I think as long as you shoot within the camera's limitations you'll get good pictures. If you try to "push it" and shoot beyond the camera's capabilities you'll end up with bad pictures.

With a point & shoot using only the internal flash underwater you have to have good vis (not a lot of particles floating around) and subjects that allow you to get close.

Here's my pics with both a DSC P10 and P100: http://www.fauncefamily.net/album in the 2004-07 Cancun, 2004-11 FL Keys and 2005-04 Bonaire sections.

 

[kidspot]

I've got a lot to learn - thanks for the info... so different from land shots...

Here's what was happening in all my shots with the flash on -

I was too far away and the flash would have been inefective anyway ...

Aloha, Tim



btw - Great shot of that anenome ...

 

[MFaunce]

=
Here's what was happening in all my shots with the flash on -

That's not really backscatter -- at least it's not what I'd call backscatter. I don't know what I'd call that, looks kind of like lens flare, but I don't know. To me at least, backscatter is the flash illuminating floating particles in the water which are closer and therefore out of focus and they end up making strange circular reflections.

Here's a couple of pictures with what I'd call backscatter in them. These are just resized and "forced" to under 100K. I've got several 100 pictures like this, what you saw on the website was the top few %.

Only thing I can think to suggest is using P mode and forcing the ISO to 100. Other than forcing the flash, I'm letting the camera decide the rest. I still end up doing cyan removal/color correction due to the weakness of the internal flash, but one of these days I'll be able to afford an external flash and hopefully that will solve that problem. Inon makes a kit that allows wet-mount lenses and holds the fiber optic cable for the strobe to the housing for the MPK-PHB that's on my wish list.

 

[hvulin]

just turn off the flash and put it to faster ISO speed, or put a diffusor in front of the flash to soften and diffuse the light...

this looks to me as if the light from the flash went through your case and hit the inside of your case just in front of the lens (so you get some reflections)...

 

[kidspot]

Thanks guys,


btw - that shot was with a simple point and shoot 35mm camera - I finally turned the flash off and it resolved the issue - using 400 & 800 ISO ... But film is too expensive to develop, thus the reason I am considering a small digital -


Aloha, Tim

 

[scottm]

I just got the mpk-phb housing for my sony p100.

Did you find an MPK-PHB in stock somewhere? I've been looking for one for my P-150 for a few weeks now and haven't found any reputable places with it in stock...

Thanks for asking this! I'm hoping to play around underwater with my sony this summer.