Newbie to UW Photos

[Nunzy83]

Hi,

So I want to start the every so expensive hobby of uw photography but need some assistance since total newbie.

I been doing a lot of research and found a lot of helpful links in previous threads about how to take pix...if anybody has further tips please go ahead.

I need help with equipment set up. I have the Canon SX 210 IS and need to get casing as well as strobes I think. I been searching and these babies just don't run cheap so I want to know what is the best set up that I should get for a reasonable amount. So far the casing is only made by Ikelite. Any special deals on these anywhere? What if I purchase as a bundle? Not sure what is the difference in the types of strobes and what would be best for rookie set up. Also, at what depth is strobe essential?

What about this magic filter stuff? Just seems like a colored filter to help filter red but at around what depth is this good till?

I will be wreck diving this weekend in San Diego and then to Playa Del Carmen next month so I wanted to have some set up that is doable? Can I get away with just the casing for now?

Thanks in advance.

 

[bvanant]

Magic filters are great if there is enough ambient light to take a good picture. In San Diego (depending on how green it is) that might be to 30 feet deep. In Playa a bit deeper perhaps. The Ike housing is $380 and a Ike strobe is another $380. So for less than $800 you can have a great system.
Bill

 

[Doubler]

Just say NO! Underwater photography is worse than crack. This is the best piece of advice you are ever going to get. If you are serious, don't half step just pluck down the 3 to 5K and get a DSLR outfit. Skip all the P&S stuff as you are just going to wind up with a closet full of out of date gear you can't sell as the " I got to take better pictures" bug takes over and you wind up with a DSLR in 3 to 4 years anyway. I know as I have 6 different underwater systems and just plucked down the 3 to 5 k. And don't get me started on post processing computer programs.
Go to Barnes and Noble and get a copy of The Underwater Photographer by Martin Edge. A pretty good primer on all things dealing with Underwater Photography, I am sure there are a thousand others.

 

[Coop42]

Before you upgrade to more than you have (dslr), think about what type of photography you want to do. If you want to do dry land photography as well, then you might consider a 'better' camera, but I'd play with the p&s for now and see if you really enjoy the experience. As noted, uw photography can get very expensive, very quickly.

You might want to play with what you have before you 'take the plunge' into more expensive equipment.

Are you planning on posting to the web (at low web resolution) or will you be making prints? If you're making prints, how big will they be? Standard photo questions, but good ones to ask yourself!

Coop

 

[JeanYves]

Hi,

Forget about SLRs. Have fun first with your P&S. The good news is that your Canon has the priority modes which you need to get good pictures. The bad news is that I couldn't find a Canon housing for it. You'll need to go Ike or worse and that's a higher price tag (Canon housings usually go for $180 online). I personally don't think an external strobe is needed. It's bulky and very sensitive to orientation and power. Plus with a P&S, you'll be using it as a slave so good luck to find the right exposure. It's your call, but if you're a beginner, drop the strobe and start experimenting with the internal flash. If you're worried about backscatter, well, you're right, you should. But Photoshop/Gimp is your friend in this area. It's also your friend for a-posteriori color correction so forget about the magic filter.

I'm an avid underwater P&S defender, so check out my P&S website at DigitalAquamarine.com.

Have fun, shoot, shoot, and shoot. And get close. Closer.

JY.