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[2dns4joy]

I have decided to purchase the following for my Nikon D50 but I wanted to check in with those who know before doing so:

Fantasea FD50N Housing
Nikon 60mm lens
Macro port for the housing to support the 60mm lens
Ikelite 3944.75 SubStrobe DS-125 Digital Package with TTL Sync Cord and Deluxe Ball Socket Strobe
Fantasea 44 Bulb LED Light with Mounting Ring

I am new to photography and am trying to learn as fast as I can and hope to graduate to manual settings but I am currently still in 'auto' mode. Therefore, from all that I have read, it seems that TTL will work best for me at this point in time. The housing specs say that it supports iTTL so I would just like to confirm that if I buy the strobe package above, I will actually be getting the iTTL functionality with the TTL synch cord?

Up until this point I have been using point and shoot cameras where I have been able to use the LCD to frame the picture; when doing night dives I used my divelight to find my subject and lined up the LCD and then hoped my hand didn't move when I dropped the light and took the picture.

What do I do for night dives with an SLR where I will be using the viewfinder instead of an LCD? I thought mounting the LED light listed above would be a part of the solution but am not sure as I am only guessing by what I have read - I am open to advice.

To top it all off I have been reading about diopters, extension rings, teleconverters, etc. I believe I understand the basics but my novice head hurts. I love macro and I like getting close; in many of the posts the 60mm seems to be favored so that is what I chose. Here are my related questions: Can I add an external diopter to my housing with the 18-55 kit lens that will emulate the capabilities of the 60mm? I read about the 'woody's diopter' but I did not think it would fit my housing. With the 60mm lens on, is there anything I can add externally that make my macro experience even more fun?

I appreciate any confirmation or redirection of my choices for the D50. (other nikon models are not an option for me right now)

 

[Warren_L]

It sounds like you have what you need to get started. The 60mm micro is a great macro lens to learn with. The iTTL should work fine with the setup you have and the Ike DS-125.

For focusing, you can use the modeling light on the DS-125 to light up your subject for shooting macro. Your strobe will be pretty well pointed straight on, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue. If you find that too direct, you'd have to add a focusing light of some sort. Some housings have the ability to add another ball joint to which you can attach a focusing light. I have opted to use a ULCS triple clamp along with a focusing light cradle that uses another 1" ball joint and attach a focusing light to one of the joints on my strobe arms so I can hold the light off the camera a bit. That seems to work well for me.

Either way, when you have the modeling light or focus light shining on your subject, you should be able to frame your shot through the viewfinder and achieve autofocus. You may want to explore the possibility of manual focus if your housing and port permit this as this can be a benefit if autofocus is difficult to achieve in low light conditions.

I wouldn't worry too much about diopters and such just yet. They will allow you to achieve greater macro than 1:1. Teleconverters and extension rings work well, but it means additional investment in ports and/or port extensions - which may or not may exist for your specific setup at that. Diopters are easy to do, as it is really just a magnifying fileter you add to the lens and as long as it fits in your existing port, it will work fine. That you can play around with more once you have the basics of shooting your existing setup.

Good luck!

 

[2dns4joy]

Thanks so much for your reply! I feel a bit more comfortable with my pending purchase.

 

[Cacia]

Warren, your explanations always help me so much.

 

[bobf]

Warren, your explanations always help me so much.

Agree 100% !!!!!

Warren,

Your window analogy (standing closer or further away......) in another thread regarding focal lengths and angle of view of wide and telephoto lenses was superb, too!!!!! Alcina should add that analogy~explanation to her pink list imho!

keep it up!
b

 

[Warren_L]

Thanks Catherine and Bobf - it's one of those little gems I like to throw into my digital u/w photo classes. Makes things easier to understand when you can visualize something real.

 

[alcina]

Link please! Anytime you see something that should be added please PM me the link so I can get to it - I miss stuff all the time

 

[HMan]

Hi,
First, thank you for selecting some of our Fantasea Line products as your first choice into the exciting world of UW DSLR photography.

The ideal selection for true iTTL performance with your FD50N housing is our FSB 800 Flash housing for the Nikon SB 800 Flash, you see the system here:
http://www.fantasea.com/catalogues/dslr_fall06.pdf

At present we our Nikon 5 pin sync port does not have an adaptor for Ikelite Sync cords. We hope to in the near future.

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce our 2 latest DSLR housing releases

FD 80 for the Nikon D80 http://www.fantasea.com/email/fd80_press_release_done.asp

and the

F400D for the Canon Rebel XTi http://www.fantasea.com/email/F400d_press_release_done.asp

Best wishes
Howard
Fantasea Line