rx100 mk4 underwater settings help/guide

[asus1987]

So on a recent trip i did have a play with some settings underwater, Im wondering if anyone can tell me where i may be going wrong, so few different questions here,

First up: white balance, when custom white balancing - whatever the depth , it goes to 9900k , no error is shown, is this correct? should it be something else?

Second: i got some reasonably good pics, others like the attached, look like ive taken it on a 10 year old camera phone, It could be a reasonably good pic but clearly i must have something wrong in the setup? - no lenses, no strobe, just ambient light,

 

[Nemrod]

Much too far away.

Not nearly enough light.

Use RAW to correct light balance.

Just shoot in the daylight or cloudy setting for jpeg.

Do not use auto-ISO or auto-white balance if you are.

 

[asus1987]

Much too far away.

Not nearly enough light.

Use RAW to correct light balance.

Just shoot in the daylight or cloudy setting for jpeg.

Do not use auto-ISO or auto-white balance if you are.

distance- probaly

Daylight or cloudy setting? - Is that one of the auto setting modes?

Used custom white balance, pointed it at sand or slate, hit the set button, comes up at 9900k , Not so blue then, but wasnt sure if 9900k was meant to be or not as came up with that at multiple depths,

 

[Barmaglot]

Older Sony cameras are limited to 9900K for in-camera white balance. Later models removed that limitation, but I don't recall on which side of that line RX100M4 falls.

Since you're shooting stills, you can set your camera to record RAW instead of JPEG, then import the files into a photography processing program such as Adobe Lightroom or Phase One CaptureOne, then use spot white balance tool in order to white balance the photo from a reference point - a patch of sand, a rock, another diver's tank, etc. Unlike in-camera white balance, this has no temperature limitations, and you can perform additional tweaks on top of that. If you don't have a good reference point in some photo, you can adjust the white balance on another photo taken in similar circumstances, then copy the adjustments between photos. CaptureOne has a free version (CaptureOne Express) for Sony cameras, so you don't actually need to pay anything.

Don't expect miracles though - shooting in natural light in any but the most shallow water won't give you great results regardless of camera, lens, or settings. If you want vivid colors, you will have to invest in a strobe or two. The photo you have attached is also somewhat hazy, suggesting significant distance between camera and subject - you avoid that by getting as close as possible to your subject while still allowing for acceptable framing. Don't try to zoom for distant subjects; it will not produce good shots. A wet wide lens (for example AOI UWL-09) is very helpful for this, as widening your camera's field of view allows you to get much closer while maintaining framing.