Need some advice on how to take good pictures with my set-up...

[I'm a Dork Fish]

Okay this is what I have...

Canon PowerShot G3 and G5. I know "old school"
Canon U.S.A. : Support & Drivers : PowerShot G3
Canon U.S.A. : Support & Drivers : PowerShot G5
Ikelite housing with single tray
Canon G3 or G5 Underwater Housing
Just purchased Ikelite DS125 strobe set up (going to use sync cord)
IKELITE Substrobe DS125 digital
in the process of purchasing Ikelite Wide Angle lens
IKELITE W-20 Wide-Angle Lens

We are going to Bonaire in March and I would love to be able to take some decent pictures. We have had these cameras for a while but only use the auto setting. I am not familiar with f stops, iso settings etc. I am definitely a newbie when it comes to anything other than auto mode...

I guess what I am asking is: If I am diving (with wide angle lens) and taking pictures (within 5 feet) what is the best setting to use?

Do i need to use any other setting on the strobe other than ttl?

Do I need a red filter?

Can I take macro shots with wide angle lens? or should I remove lens for shot?

If I decide to take a picture outside of the 5 foot range, what do I switch the setting to?

 

[Warmwater Wank]

DF--Check this site:
Underwater Photography Guide

Do a little homework, some SB searches and then PRACTICE. The concepts aren't difficult to pickup on and you'll find yourself enjoying your shooting a lot more. Not being rude here, just helpful I hope. Since I don't use an Ike housing or strobes I'll leave those questions to someone who does.

I would suggest not using the wide angle lens for macro. It is reducing the focal length (making "smaller" images) to widen the angle of view and that means you have to get even closer to make small things look bigger. Most small critters don't like that. Without the WA lens you will find your working distances for macro can be increased, which might make critters less startled. (Not that some folks don't get great shots by moving in close w/ a WA lens, just that it has it's own challenges for macro work.)

The red filter biz. Don't use one if you intend to use strobes. Why? Color balance. Folks use a red (aka: "magic filter") if they can't light w/ a strobe because it helps reduce the excess blueishness they would otherwise get at depth. if you use a strobe you are not only adding lots of extra light (a big help when as it gets darker when you descend) but you are adding light that "corrects" the excess blue problem because the strobes put out light that is color balanced to be close to daylight. If you've ever done a night dive in a place you dove in daylight you might have noticed how much more "colorful" things appeared when lit by your flashlight--it's a similiar thing with a strobe.

Using a red filter not only reduces the light reaching the sensor but it would introduce a color balance problem for the strobe lit areas. Things lit by the flash would look too red or, if you corrected for this, the background color would shift. If you don't feel like diving w/ the strobe sometime (due to rough conditions etc.), use the filter. If you are using the strobe, I'd say leave the red filter topside. Hope that helps a bit and if not, what the heck. You'll be on Bonaire! // ww