Ok, I give up! Getting good pictures at Monterey...

[mikerault]

How do you do it? After 4 dives trying different settings I just can't seem to get good shots. My latest was to set AV with a f5.6 and dual DS51 strobes with diffusers on TTL mode. I was using a Canon20D with a 18X55mm Canon Lens and the Ikelite housing. It didn't seem like the Camera was taking any control of the strobes other than to just fire them. I would get long exposure times which, with the extreme surge on Sunday resulted in blured shots. About the best I could get is posted below...do I need to go as wide open as possible in the conditions at Monterey? This was taken at the intakes for the Aquarium.

 

[rhlee]

Hi Mike,

Don't give up. It's hard to tell since I can't see the EXIF data for the images you posted, but my first piece of feedback is that your shutter speed is waay too slow (you already know that). I usually shoot no slower than 1/30th (and only if I'm deep and away from the surge).

I don't use TTL, so I don't know what to suggest there. I drive my strobes' power manually; not sure if you could try the same. What ISO are you shooting on? Are you having issues with foreground or background exposure? Remember that shutter-speed isn't going to really affect foreground exposure, whereas changing your aperture should affect both. So if you are having issues with foreground exposure being too dark even while shooting wide open, I would suspect a problem with strobe intensity.

hope this helps,
-Rob

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Shoot manual, except for autofocus. For macro, set the shutter speed to
whatever the max synch speed of a 20D is (at least a 250th, I'd guess) and
whatever aperture makes the exposure right. For wide angle (and 18 ain't
all that wide), set the aperture to get the foreground exposed correctly
from the strobes, and set the shutter speed so the background water is
med-dark green. Probably something like 1/20 @ f/11 for wide, 1/250
at f/22 for macro.

Do you have the right dome and spacer for your lens?

 

[mikerault]

For the white anemonies:

F5.6, 1/6 sec. ISO100, 28mm Pattern metering, dual strobes on TTL.

I can adjust the strobes manually. Should I go with shutter priority instead of aperture priority? I could go to ISO200 or 400 but was afraid of excessive noise.

 

[mikerault]

Chuck,

I have the dome port suggested by Ikelite for the lens. I believe setting to 1/250 is probbly the best course. However your aperture settings seem a little high. We had ovecast skys so it was very dark at 53 feet. What about settings for the strobes? +1, +2?

 

[Rainer]

1/6s is insanely slow topside (hand held). Can only imagine what that's like with surge!

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Chuck,

I have the dome port suggested by Ikelite for the lens. I believe setting to 1/250 is probbly the best course. However your aperture settings seem a little high. We had ovecast skys so it was very dark at 53 feet. What about settings for the strobes? +1, +2?

Full power for the strobes. Dunno the guide number of your
strobes, but Linda's base for wide-angle in Monterey, with two
Nikon SB-105s, is 1/20 at f/11. Start there for wide-angle,
adjust the aperture till the foreground is correctly exposed, then
adjust the shutter speed until the background is correctly exposed.

MMM, what ISO? Linda's shooting at 200.

In macro, your strobes light the whole shot, so it doesn't matter
what the ambient light is. In wide-angle, your strobes supply all
the light to the foreground, so it doesn't matter what the ambient
light is. Ambient light matter only for the background and green
water in wide-angle, so set the shutter speed so that looks good.

 

[mikerault]

Just look at the pictures! I was trying desprately to not grab the coral or harm anything on the bottom....

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Actually due to the high mass and neutral buoyancy, you can hand hold at
fairly long exposures UW. I've done as slow as 1/8 with my 13mm (on a full
frame film camera, that's like a 9mm on your 20D).

 

[mikerault]

Ok, will try those settings next time! To quote the Governator "I'll be back!" probably in October.