Newbie photography advice

[radioactivenerd]

Hi folks,
I've recently had my OW certification done, and logged a total of about 10 dives so far. I'm planning for my next diving trip sometime in April, and wanted to get my AOW done then. I'm pretty keen on doing the photography adventure dive, and then to be able to take photographs on every future dive. Here's my question:

I currently have a Sony DSC-H20 which I use for normal land pictures. I love the camera, and know it inside out, so am pretty comfortable with it. The housings for it cost in the region of $300, which is a bit expensive, but doable. What would your recommendation be for me though? Given that I've logged only 10 dives, and will JUST be getting my AOW, would it be more difficult managing a camera with a big housing like that? Would you recommend that I invest in a starter camera like one of the cheap Sealife ones for the moment, before I get fully comfortable with carrying around a big housing? what equipment did most of you start out with?

I'm not worried about fiddling with settings underwater as I know the camera inside out...but of course being underwater adds a whole new dimension to things im sure.

The Housing can be seen here: Amazon.com: Ikelite Underwater Camera Housing for Sony DSC-H20 Digital Still Camera: Sports & Outdoors

could use some advice - thanks in advance!

 

[Mooseman1007]

Hi Radioactive,
I would suggest that if you know the camera and feel comfortable with it then the Ike housing is the way to go. It has a 67mm thread to allow wet lens/filter attachment, and with a tray and arm already makes good upgrade sense if you eventually want to add a Strobe.
While the "starter cameras" are cheap, they wont offer much over your current one, so I would see it as money down the drain!. The only downsides to your camera are lack of RAW capture, and not the brightest lens out there, things the cheap underwater cameras wont overcome.
I started with my first camera (Fuji F100) ~10 dives in as well, and while its not a good idea to take it when youre doing you AOW course dives, any other dives would be fine....just mind your air consumption and buoyancy as concentrating on the camera has a tendancy to distract from other things.
Either way.....ENJOY. It doesnt take too long to get comfortable taking pics underwater, have a look at my flickr (Flickr: mooseman1007star's Photostream) so see what a similar camera to yours (a Panasonic TZ10 using onboard flash albeit with Inon wet mount macro lens and homemade diffuser to overcome the shadow if the lens barrel) is capable of after less than 20 dives

 

[Maurice]

Hi Radioactive,

I would indeed stick to your current camera. The housing you're looking to buy does seem to be cheap...

I started out, like you, with a camera I already had when I started diving. (In my case a Canon Ixus 430, I must say it delivered me great photo's back then)

Currently I own a Canon G12 after my G9 got dropped and was a total loss. I need to get acquinted with that new camera, but it will never be as easy to use, cheap and useful as the first camera I had. I stick to compacts, mainly for the price... as I have a EOS 550D as well but cannot be bothered to buy the expensive, $1200, solutions for that. (Besides it being quite bulky and heavy.)

I'll review my new camera on my blog... as soon as I return from my next holiday.
Photos, video, blog

In short: go for the easy solution first... better to learn diving first, control your bouyency, learn how to move. Then buy the expensive stuff, if you still feel like it.

cheers,

Maurice

 

[diverdoug1]

I really feel that someone with only 10 dives needs to give diving their undivided attention. You are at a critical stage in your diving career. You are becoming acclimated to a new environment , with a new set of rules. This environment can be very unforgiving, and does not suffer fools. You need to keep your task loading to a minimum. Only when your skills (esp. bouancy and gauge checks) become second nature, should you venture into other diving pursuits (such as U/W photography or hunting). If you must take pictures, I would suggest a cheap housing for a disposable point and shoot camera. I won't let a diver on my boat with a camera or a speargun untill they have a minimum of 50 dives. They must have an undistracted buddy (can't also be shooting) untill they have 100 dives or have demonstrated proficiency.

 

[mjh]

I hate to pile on but am uncomfortable with new divers taking cameras down. For me it not how many dives; it skills and experience. Even a small camera changes the way you dive.

Skills all should have good mastery over prior to diving with a camera. Can hover, without changing depth, in the water column and over the bottom. Master the frog kick, master the helicopter kick and back kick. Change depth just using lungs. Have the experience and knowledge to know can you take a photo of a subject with out risking coming in contact with that subject. Etc...Etc...Etc...

Reality is with the digital revolution, better and more affordable housings new divers taking down new cameras is going to become the norm. This is something the community and training agencies are going to have to address.

 

[Larry C]

Your camera should be fine. The zoom is a little long, so adding a wide angle lens probably won't work (the port has to be too far from the lens at wide settings, so they tend to give you a black circle around the corner of the pictures- "vignetting"). You have manual mode available, which is important underwater. The size of the housing isn't a big deal. One issue would be, does the Ikelite housing allow use of the built in flash?
As far as diving with the camera, if you have a photography option for AOW, take it. Then work on your buoyancy a lot, and get some toys and practice shooting pictures in the pool while remaining neutrally buoyant and keeping an eye on your gas supply, etc. I wouldn't take a camera in the Ocean until you have at least about 30 dives (real ones, not training dives) under your belt. Then take it on a nice easy dive that you've done several times, with an experienced buddy who will stay with you even when you've got your head in a hole trying to take a picture of some crab or lobster. As a new diver, there are far too many ways to screw up without having the extra distraction of trying to take pictures.

 

[diver 85]

oops-----double post------sorry(I removed this one)

 

[diver 85]

I'd get some more dive experience 1st----then worry about UW photos, otherwise you might hear too many bells & whistles going off @ one time....

 

[Maurice]

hey Radioactive,

I am not able to judge your current skills, unlike the other divers here, but they have a point on being skilled enough to be handling a camera and yourself as well.

Don't get distracted by the comments too much, indeed it is important to learn how to dive... but as long as you realise that you are not as skilled as the others, you already have lesson 1.

So, be careful and enjoy; do your advanced and as many dives as you can before you start to photograph for real.

cheers!

 

[markmantei]

Radioactive,

I would tend to agree with diverdoug1, mjh and diver_85, better to focus on your other skill at this point. However if you are insistent on taking a camera down...

1st, analyze your own skills and comfort in the water. If you don't have excellent control of your buoyancy then don't bother with the camera.

2nd, recognize that you are indeed still learning @ 10 dives. You have a lot of things you need to concentrate on until you get more experience, as others have said. That said I'm guessing that you also want to preserve some of the memories and share your experiences with non-diving friends/family. Why don't you take the camera on some dives, and leave it on others, where you can concentrate more on skills and good diving. Just remember that, on the dives you take the camera, that photography rates really low on the priority scale. You must still focus on having a safe dive and maintaining situational awareness. Also make sure your buddy knows that he/she is responsible for maintaining buddy contact.

I have really enjoyed my brief experience with underwater photography, however, I think there is also a balance. I figure I probably miss some things on my dives when using the camera. You are sometimes doing a sequence of take a picture, catch up to the group, take at picture catch up, etc. This can also make the dives a little less relaxing then they would otherwise be.

First concentrate on being safe and having fun, then worry about the photography.