MWB - Green water?

[arenny]

Another couple of silly questions. I am new to Manual White Balance. Can you use it to correct very green water or is it better to use a filter? Which filters for C5050?

I have been reading that you need to set MWB with a flash then without a flash, I am confused... If you are going to use the flash should you just leave it on auto or try MWB?

Thanks!!!!

 

[Larry C]

I too am interested in the answers to your WB question. As far as the filter, UR Pro has threaded green water filters to fit Olympus models. I just bought the 46mm one for my new SP350, but I haven't used it yet. They run about $91.00 including freight. I've read that you shouldn't even use flash with a filter, as well as the no flash for manual WB. Anyone out there with experience? I plan to dive this weekend and try my filter with and without flash, and I may play with WB settings as well. I'll let you know how that turns out, and hopefully someone whose tried this stuff can answer these questions for both of us.

 

[justin-branam]

Another couple of silly questions. I am new to Manual White Balance. Can you use it to correct very green water or is it better to use a filter? Which filters for C5050?

I have been reading that you need to set MWB with a flash then without a flash, I am confused... If you are going to use the flash should you just leave it on auto or try MWB?

Thanks!!!!

i would highly suggest trying the 5050's custom white balance before dropping money on a filter. The white balance does just what it says, it makes white items appear white. therefore, it shouldnt really matter to much on the color cast of the water, whether it be blue or green.

Although i may be wrong, if i remember correctly, you press the up arrow (takes you to the white balance screen), select custom, and then point the camera at a white object and press the center/ok button. Do this at the depth you plan on taking pictures. You may need to redo the white balance if you change your depth. whether or not you use a flash is up to you, just dont leave flash on auto. either shoot with it on or off. with it on, you will get a darker blue background, as opposed to a lighter blue background if you do not use a flash (see the pic below).

for an example, i shot the picture below with my good old 5050 in cozumel at about 60 ft with no flash.

 

[arenny]

Justin, when you say don't leave the flash on auto - my tetra has TTL and I have an external DX90 - so I should just either chose "slow 1" or "no flash" ? I dive in Monterey where it is usually really dark... not to mention cold!
Thanks for sharing! Great picture!

 

[Gilligan]

I agree with justin-branham on not spending money on a filter. It is more task loading that I think is not necessary.

Calibrate your white balance off a dive slate or other white object at the depth you are taking the photos. If the vis is excellent then you may only need to calibrate it once otherwise you will need to re-calibrate it at varying depths. You only need to use the manual white balance on the non-strobe shots so remember to turn off the camera's strobe when you do the calibration and when you take the photo or you will have red photos.

Use the Auto white balance for the strobe shots.

Keep in mind that the non-strobe shots are limited by the amount of ambient light that is available at the the time of the shot. Greater depths will limit those shots, especially in green water.

If you do use a filter then calibrate your white balance with the filter on.

Do not use the strobe with the filter on.

I did an un-scientific test with and without a filter using manual white balance. I didn't see that much difference with the filter. Using a filter will require you to use lower F stops so as to allow more light in as well as possibly slower shutter speeds. Keep in mind that speeds slower than 1/60 will likely result in a blurred subject if it is moving. Using the camera on manual settings is the best way to go.

 

[Larry C]

After one dive using the filter, I'd have to agree with pretty much all of your conclustions. I took a couple of test shots with flash and got a slightly blurry out of focus picture with a pink cast to it. I took the same shot without the flash and the whole picture is emerald green. Due to the lower light levels, I think I got 5 shots out of about 100 that weren't blurred out due to slight motion of my hand or all of the stuff in the water on a slightly surgy dive. All my other pictures were green blurs. I did much better in similar water with auto everything and no filter the previous trip. I'll post a couple of samples.

 

[TheNitroxinator]

With the 5050, I go with RAW mode, and use Pixmantec rawshooter essentials to do white balance in post processing. I can go through 100 pictures and export them to jpeg for further processing in about 30 minutes with that program. I just got to deal with "green water" at the Yukon in San Diego, I haven't processed any of the images just yet. In most cases, I used the strobe - when viz is about the same as the range of the strobe (5-10'), you may as well use the strobe, just swing it out far enough to avoid backscatter.


I use a Nikonos 105 attached to a Patima housing. I'm using Slow 1 with no flash; the internal flash is completely blocked, there's no need to waste power firing it and then waiting on the internal strobe to recharge. I imagine the Tetra should use the same settings.

 

[Diversion]

I second TheNitroxinator...

Raw in the camera to ... Pixmantec ... to whatever format I want. WB is a snap. I even use it for above water photos. I have tried a couple of other Raw Programs. Pixmantec is the fastest, with the most features. I eventually bought the Premium version.