settings for coolpix 4300 and fantasea housing

[Valwood1]

We'll be diving in the Coral Sea and GBR, at a usual depth of 50ft/16meters, though there will be one or two deeper dives.

Can anyone suggest the "best" setting for the coolpix 4300 and fantasea housing -- ie, automatic, a particular "scene", etc.? I'll be shooting with only the camera's flash, am not an experienced underwater photographer, and just got the camera.

Maybe I've just answered my own question -- use automatic and forget it.

Thanks for the help.

Bill

 

[norcaldiver]

It depends on which housing you have, the CP4 Pro, or the CP4 Sport.
If you have the Sport model, you better leave it on Auto and leave the internal flash on since there is now buttons to allow for manual tuning ot exposure and shutter speed. There's a highly technical way to adjust the amount of light from the flash - use a finger to cover up some/all of the flash if you are getting white out on your pictures. Turn the lights off in your house and practice covering the flash to get the effect you want...it's free.

If you have the Pro model, you can go manual and adjust the shutter and exposure. You might want to go to the SETUP and set the ISO to 400 (I know, slower if better, but not when you're sans stobe)

I've been shooting in the hospital where I can't use the flash and have been getting great shots by playing with shutter and Fstop in manual mode. It takes very little light if you're at f2.8 and 1/15th of a second to get a nice shot.

Remember to post what you shoot and good luck.

 

[Howard]

Bill,
From my own personal experience, the automatic mode works just fine. You must put the camera on constant flash mode prior to going into the water and have the cameras flash work all the time. If you want to block the flash when you have a lot of light then just put your index finger over it.

Here are a few shots taken with the CP-4 Pro mostly with external slave flash but some just using the cameras flash.

http://www.pbase.com/hman/red_sea_images&page=all

Have a great trip.


Howard
Fantasea Line
www.fantasea.com