newbie...

[scubajb]

Hey all,

I'm new to the board so please excuse the ignorance. I am also relatively new to scuba - certified a few months back although I've been "resort" diving for about ten years. finally got bored of the same ol' dives so I decided to get certified.

Ok, on to my questions... I am a semi-professional photographer, shooting digital Canon 20d for about 3 to 4 years. I have shot outdoor and studio and have the gear for "normal" shooting. Underwater, well that's a different story. I have been looking at housings but honestly I don't know much about them (plus they look like they run around $1400). On top of that, looks like different lighting systems than what i am used to. any recommendations for a 20d shooter with an array of lenses? Rules of thumb for exposure? First diving trip end of June to Bahamas...

Thanks
Jim

 

[Warren_L]

I was in much of a similar situation as you when I first got into underwater photography. Fairly extensive land based SLR photography, having done a fair bit of studio work. The basic understanding of photography still applies, but the major difference about u/w photography for me was understanding how light behaves and interacts with water. As water is a differential filter of light (the longer wavelengths in the visible spectrum gets filtered more - i.e. reds, oranges, yellows) so you often end up with light that is unbalanced towards the green/blue area of the spectrum.

So for underwater, it is ALL about getting close. So a good lighting system is beneficial. But more importantly a lens that lets you get close will give you better colour reproduction. So a good macro lens and wide angle lens will serve you well for most of the shots you're going to want to take. A wide angle lens lets you get close and still have a great angle of view. For cropped sensors, a lens in the 10 - 18mm range should be sufficient. I would lean towards the shorter end of that range. Telephoto lenses (zoom or not) will be of limited use in most cases, and if lenses are physically too long, you may have problems finding a proper port as well.

Exposure is going to be by trial and error, and depends greatly on the type of conditions you dive in. In clear waters, you can afford to have faster shutter speeds and smaller aperatures with lower ISO settings. For much of what I shoot, it is in limited visibility water and can often have little ambient light, so I tend to shoot slower shutter speeds and wider aperatures. Some shutter speeds I use underwater I would not even dream of using on land while handheld. I've gotten as slow as 1/8th underwater in very low light situations, but typically shoot about 1/30th.

 

[scubajb]

Thanks Warren. Like I said, I have not even seen one of these underwater housings but I am assuming that they are integrated with the SLR in order to adjust in the water. Is that a good assumption? Also, do you usually shoot in RAW or jpg? where would the best place be to look at housings for Canon 20d? and finally, what type of lighting system should I look for or do you mostly use ambient? sorry about all the questions and I really appreciate the feedback. It's good knowing there are some other shooters here (from the way some of the photos look, I'd say some very good shooters)...

 

[Warren_L]

I'm not sure what you mean by "integrated", however, a dSLR housing is generally designed specifically for a specific model of camera as most (if not all) camera functions need to be accessible (via a series of levers and knobs). External lighting is primarily triggered by a sync cord that is wired to a hotshoe (throught the housing) that is connected to the camera's hotshoe. I always take my own lighting with me as ambient lighting is pretty well always going to be greatly unbalanced. Whether you are using ambient or artificial light, you need to consider the light path and it's distance. A total distance of more than say 10 feet or so, you're really going to start noticing a difference in light quality. Remember that ambient travels from the surface to the depth you are diving at, then from the subject to the camera. That can be a really long way. For a strobe, you really should be inside of 5 or 6 feet or so. The distance in this situation is about 10-12 feet (from the strobe, to subject, to camera). Often, your shots will be comprised of both sources - so you need to understand how your camera settings affect both.

As for format, I typically shoot RAW, as do many people because it allows for a greater degree of flexibility when post-processing. A JPG out the camera loses a fair bit of information. White balancing is critical when shooting JPG, but in RAW, you have the option of not doing it as you can always do that after the fact.

There are a number of places online you can check out housings. www.reefphoto.com is a pretty popular place. Often times your LDS can order in gear from manufacturers as well. Popular housings come from various manufacturers like Ikelite, Sea & Sea, Subal, Nexus, Aquatica, and many more. If you can afford to get two strobes, that is generally preferred as it gives you more lighting options - not that you have to use both all the time. Considering the lenses you use and the power/angle of the strobes, recycle time, how long a full charge will last, colour temperature, etc. are important factors and the one that will suit you best depends on your situation and can be very different from one person to the other.

 

[alcina]

Look here for housings: www.reefphoto.com or email Ryan ryan@reefphoto.com - he's seen and used it all.

I have a Subal for my Canon 20D and love it. A friend has the Ikelite and likes that as well.

RAW always.

60mm macro is a fabulous uw lens and my most used. You can check out the Pink Link in my signature - also a sticky in the UW Photo area - for a bit of discussion on the various lenses for uw use.

Strobes. At least one. Buy a good strobe. Inon 240 or Ike 125 would be my first two suggestions with your Canon 20D rig.

Again, talk to Ryan - he's awesome and helpful.

Ask more questions here - happy to help!