Reefmaster DC 250 problem

[Zerogravity]

I have noticed that whenever I take a picture with the 250 inside the housing, using only the camera's built in flash that the pics come out hazy or foggy. This happens even with the dessicant capsules in place and even after making sure to open the housing only in an air conditioned room. Also, any pictures taken with the external strobe are fine, and any pictures taken with the flash off are fine as long as there is ambient light for proper exposure. Pictures taken with the camera out of the housing are fine as well. I can't figure out why this occurs only when using the onboard camera flash with the camera inside the housing. I've made sure the lenses are clean and no moisture is in the housing but it still does it. Very aggravating. Any one have any thoughts or similar experiences?

 

[Dee]

Some cameras are more prone to overheating which results in fogging, no matter what you do. This is the most common complaint with that camera.

 

[Zerogravity]

Hmm...the camera does get fairly warm during heavy use, but wouldn't it still fog even when using the external strobe, or no flash at all...it almost seems like the flash is "bleeding through" somehow inside the housing..i dunno..I'm stumped...I've emailed SEALIFE to see what they say..thanks for the reply DEE..great pics by the way!!

 

[Dee]

The internal flash produces alot of heat. So does the motor of the camera when your taking pictures in rapid succession. One reason to slow down!

Is your external strobe slaved off your internal flash? If so, do you have the flash power turned down to it's minimum power? I'm not even sure if your camera allows this. It could also be a timing thing. I know I take longer per picture when using a strobe, setting things up, getting it 'just right' so the heat has time to disipate (sp?) between shots.

BTW...thanks, glad you liked the pictures.

 

[Zerogravity]

You know I never even considered that it might be the heat from the camera/flash building up that causes the fogging..hmmmm..I will definitely try and slow down and see if that helps. Yes, the strobe is slaved and no..it cannot be adjusted. Thanks for your help Dee..DSAO!

 

[Dee]

Been there, done that! Luckily a couple of dessicant packs always take of any heat/condensation with my PT-10. The smaller housings, like yours, seem to really hold that heat. When you first start noticing the fog, just turn the camera off for a few minutes. Maybe even turn it off if there's going to be more than a few minutes between shots. This will play hell on your batteries but it will help your fogging problem.

To fix it...get a real digital camera! :tease: :rofL:

 

[Zerogravity]

I KNEW that was coming. lol I'll definitely take your advice for the dc 250 fogging problem. I'm relatively new to UW photo, not to diving though, and probably will get something better eventually. Any recommendations that don't cost a mint and the proverbial arm and leg?

 

[Dee]

Of course I recommend the Olympus cameras and housings. Depending on the results you expect, I recommend the C-3040 (3MP), C-4000 (4MP) or C-5050 (3MP). The 5050 will be your better deal price wise but also the most involved to learn. Of course, just because it has all that fancy stuff on it doesn't mean you have to use it all! Camera and housing will run you about $650-800, depending on how good a shopper you are. I'm keeping my C-4040 until it wears out!

Also check out the Canon cameras and housings. The S45 model is their 4MP model and has gotten great reviews. It's smaller than the Oly set-ups but that also brings it's own problems with overheating. Camera and housing is about $500-600, I *think*.

With both set-ups you can take great photos with the internal flash and add a strobe later on when you can afford to put more money into it.

After looking at photos from both, my choice is Olympus first, then Canon.

 

[Zerogravity]

Thanks..I'll definitely start researching and saving my $$$..why do you like the C-4040 over the others? What is your basic setup? Like most people I want to take eye popping photos, which takes decent gear and experience. How much is the C4040 $$$ wise?

 

[Dee]

Every model had/has it's own pro's and cons but the C-4040 suited me better. It only has 1 custom setting whereas the newer ones have 4 (4000) and 8 (5050). It was probably the most popular of the C-series models and at the time the only 4MP camera available. Unfortunately it has been discontinued. Why, no one can say. The C-4000 took it's place. It has a super macro setting but when you use it, it disables the internal flash. That's the biggest thing I didn't like about it.

When the C-5050 came out, it was amazing. 8 custom My Mode settings, super and regular macro, ability to use 4 different types of media...SM, CF, DX and microdrive. The answer to our storage problems. You can save in RAW. But as more reviews came in, it became obvious how much more involved this model was. To change some settings is a two handed operation, hold a jog dial down and turn another to change settings. Underwater that can be tricky. There's also ways around it by using some of those custom modes to set up different settings. Leave it to a bunch of underwater photographers to find a shortcut! Ikelite's housing has a know that helps with that jog dial. It takes amazing pictures and is a real deal price wise. It just has a steeper learning curve than the previous models. But as I said earlier, just because some of those things are there, doesn't mean you have to use them.

When you get ready to start your research, check out...Steve's Digi Cam Reviews to get you started.

My basic rig is C-4040, PT-10 housing, S&S YS90DX strobe, S&S WAL L lens, Digital Lens Dock looks like this without the camera...

BTW, the housing isn't connected tightly to the tray, it was for photo purposes only. I've changed a few things, such as an extended strobe arm, focusing light mount under the tray, and a small aiming light on the strobe for night dives.

I like the small size of the whole thing. When I switched to digital I was using a dual strobe MMIIexPro system that was a monster in the water. More like a mad spider. The size alone was causing me to leave it on the boat alot. So when I started putting the digital system together, I decided to go with only 1 strobe and a small tray so I could get into those small places for macro shots. But that's a decision I made, knowing that 2 strobes with produce even better results. I like it so I'll use it!