Question About Fiters, Etc.....

[scuba_junkie]

I have an Olympus C4040 with a PT-010 U/W housing. I have used it a couple times, so I am still trying to get used to setting it up properly for taking pictures while diving. Most pics that I have taken so far are ok if shallow (under 15 feet), but any deeper and the colors start to green or blue out depending on the dive location. I know there is a lack of red wavelength light (or something like that) as you get deeper, so I was wondering about filters or settings for this camera that would help. One of my dive buddies has a mask with a magenta lens on it and says it helps a lot with the colors. I have not tried his mask personally, but may sometime soon to see the difference.

Are there any filters that would have the same effect, or is it easier to adjust the red/blue color balancing on the camera itself while on the dive? I have toyed with this setting on land, and it does have an effect on the end result, so that will be one of my next steps to try on my next dive.

Any other information or ideas are appreciated.

Thanks & dive safe!

 

[Dee]

That's a minute breakdown of the answer to your question.

If you would do a search on filters, click here to see the results of resent discussions.

Not trying to be snippy but the search feature here is extremely easy to use. When the same questions are asked over and over again, and we answer them over and over again, we sometimes leave out some very good information just out of shear boredom of answering the same thing again. Most of the time we don't miond answering again but it's really to your advantage to search for it first.

 

[Ruu]

I own a PT-010, and have a blue (i.e. salt water, i.e. red in colour) filter. Can't for the life of me remember who makes it though, but if you speak to someone at OceanBrite they should know it since I bought mine there. Any 67mm made for salt water should work (although please correct me someone if I am wrong). Any picture that I have posted in the last two weeks (mostly barracuda) will have been taken with an almost identical rig to yours with the filter on (pays to practice searching...). Some have been gimped to set a different colour balance however - shout if you want the original version to double check.

Dave

 

[DrSteve]

One thing to bear in mind is that any filters you add will reduce the amount of light getting through to the film/CCD by a significant amount. Perhaps it would be better to accept the color cast and correct it at the printing stage or using photoshop.

 

[scuba_junkie]

Sorry Dee... I guess I got a little lazy in my information quest. I didnt take your response as snippy... you are right, I should have used the search first...

Ruu - I will check around and see what I can come up with. Thanks for the info.

DrSteve - Hopefully if I find a filter it wont be very expensive and I can do some playing around both ways and find a happy medium.