PT-010 Housing

[Mgnau]

:mean: I'm looking at the PT-010 housing for my C3030Z. My question is will I need to purchase a external flash to take decent pictures. I think the internal flash is blocked. This will not be a hobbie of mine (taking pictures underwater) but would like some memories. Any suggestions would be helpful.

M

 

[TedJ]

Check out any of the images by Gilligan and you'll see what can be done with cameras in the PT-010 housing with only the internal flash. They're outstanding.

TedJ

 

[Gilligan]

The answer to your question is no, you do not need an external strobe to get good results with the PT-010 but it would improve the results. The internal flash is not blocked by the housing. The PT-010 has a flash diffuser (white) on it to minimize backscatter and it works well. I have been using my PT-010 for well over a year with both a C2040Z and now a C4000Z camera with good results for an amateur photographer.
Getting good results will depend on your knowledge of your camera and your ability/flexibility to use it underwater. That will likely not happen on your first dive.
Almost all the photos on my website were taken with the 2040 and the 4000 w/o a strobe. The other half of the picture taking is having a software program to adjust them with, like Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, the latter being around $50. on sale online.
I gathered info and put it on my PT-010 website. Check and see if it is of any help to you.

 

[Gilligan]

Thank you TedJ, that was very kind of you.
:embarr:

 

[Mgnau]

Ted was on target. Great Photos Gilligan.


Mike

 

[slowhands]

You can use the onboard flash for many situations, especially close subjects or with clear visibility to mid range. I have used it exclusively so far with my Olympus 3040z/PT-010, but want an external flash.

External flash has several advantages and disadvantages.
Pro's:
Less back scatter
Shorter recycle time
longer camera battery life
Usually brighter than on-camera flash

Con's:
expensive ($600 or more).
Bulky
Limited TTL exposure support
Guesswork on manual exposure control

For cloudy water or deeper water, or subjects more than 3 ft away, you benefit enormously from an external flash. In shallow water, you don't need any flash and will be limited only by water visibility. The attached is an example of a shallow scene with poor visibility (Sabang, PI canyons, Dec 2003), makes me wish I was there though.