Strobes vs internal flash
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Well, it depends on your environment, your skill at using setting and your expectations.
Clear water, shallow, knowing how to use white balance, and you can take great pictures without a flash.
Dark, chunky water, and you will not get worthwhile pictures without one.
Most conditions are somewhat between those two.
I would tend to say if you want really good images, and you are not diving crystal clear water, it would be advised to have a strobe (even a small one).
Clear water, shallow, knowing how to use white balance, and you can take great pictures without a flash.
Dark, chunky water, and you will not get worthwhile pictures without one.
Most conditions are somewhat between those two.
I would tend to say if you want really good images, and you are not diving crystal clear water, it would be advised to have a strobe (even a small one).
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If and when you become dissatisfied with average photos, you will purchase a strobe
jhayes75
Contributor
Here is an inexpensive strobe that works great.
Amazon.com: Intova ISS 2000 Underwater Slave Flash with StaySlim Bracket and Flex Arm: Camera & Photo
Amazon.com: Intova ISS 2000 Underwater Slave Flash with StaySlim Bracket and Flex Arm: Camera & Photo
HerraduraDivers
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The Canon G10 and G11 is a excelent example of a P&S making very good photos without a external strobe.
This only under the condition that the water is clear so no backscatter occur.
For nice macro or wide angle photos you will need external strobes to illuminate the object in the right manner.
Chris
This only under the condition that the water is clear so no backscatter occur.
For nice macro or wide angle photos you will need external strobes to illuminate the object in the right manner.
Chris
skynscuba
Contributor
Some housings allow an internal flash to be used better than others. Some block it totally. Those with large mounts for wet lenses are going to shadow the flash from a lot of the field of view. A diffuser helps, but will not fix those.
Even though I recently purchased strobes, I still wanted a camera/housing that would allow use of the internal flash, in situations where I want to take the minimum (i.e., only camera/housing/diffuser), such as on small boats, rough entries. I'm not as dedicated as many, though.
Even though I recently purchased strobes, I still wanted a camera/housing that would allow use of the internal flash, in situations where I want to take the minimum (i.e., only camera/housing/diffuser), such as on small boats, rough entries. I'm not as dedicated as many, though.
HerraduraDivers
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Yeah! i learned this lesson recently.....
I bought the Patima Housing for my G11 without checking if the internal flash can be used or not. When i discovered that he can't be used (but it has a very cool optical cable port) it was already too late...
By By small setup as i wanted it and welcome to my "old" Inon D2000 on a homemade SS tray. Looks cool anyway...
Chris
Chris
I bought the Patima Housing for my G11 without checking if the internal flash can be used or not. When i discovered that he can't be used (but it has a very cool optical cable port) it was already too late...
By By small setup as i wanted it and welcome to my "old" Inon D2000 on a homemade SS tray. Looks cool anyway...
Chris
Chris
BHB ScubaTroll
Contributor
Night dive, macro shot... no strobe: Focus light with diffuser attached, standard daylight settings (puffer has seen me drag this shot out before)
Daylight dive, macro shot... no strobe: Focus ligh with diffuser attached, standard daylight settings
Same settings as above (there is some backscatter from some dive students in the area)
Wide angle lens, 18' of water, sunny day, underwater settings, no strobe:
There wasn't a lot of backscatter in on these dives, but the use of a focus light on the macro shots negated the need for strobe use. Wide angle distance shots are normally better with white balance and no strobe...
To the OP, you can get the shots you want without strobes, but you better know your camera inside out if you want to get the picture.
With all that said, I dive dual strobe. Most pictures are in between macro and distance. For those shots you will want at least one strobe to capture the color and subject. Puffer is right when he says "it depends on your environment, your skill at using setting and your expectations.
Clear water, shallow, knowing how to use white balance, and you can take great pictures without a flash." He's also right about dark water, cloudy days and days with a lot of backscatter... It just won't happen without a flash on those days
BHB ScubaTroll
Contributor
All optical strobes are slave strobes. The Inon units work superbly, as far as I am concerned better than wired. However, without using the optical cables the sensor will see other photographers strobes fire and then your strobes will fire like this:
and this:
If you want to really aggravate your buddy with optical strobes and no optical cables, lol, keep shooting in his direction and setting his strobes off just as he is tracking down "The SHOT" like this if you want to see steam underwater.
N
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