Sunballs

[f3nikon]

Very good wide angle shoots Wolverine the Black-tipped Fusiliers and coral exposures were right on. I am not so sure this or any other point and shoot can handle a sunball or a large difference in exposure very well, even if the apertures can go down to F22 or increasing the shutter speed.

The reason I believe is that the PS does not have a mechanical shutter curtain and a mechanical aperture like the SLRs. The PS does this electronically by clearing the CCD sensor and constantly reading the data from the CCD chip. Since the over exposed light is always hitting the pixels and cannot adjust quick enough or is beyond its exposure range, the pixels have no choice but to produce “noise”. This probably why PS aperture openings have a limit of F8 electronically.

You may try and experiment with a -2 stop neutral density filter in front of your lens to bring the light levels to a more “workable” level for the CCD chip’s range or not include the sun altogether. Oh and this problem also occurs on land shots as well as UW. And thanks again for sharing those jewels of the Sulu Sea.

Sidenote:

The first image of the Gorgonian coral is the reason that for me personally, including the sun should NOT be a priority in taking the picture. By including the sun in the picture it forces one to shoot at an angle that is not as suitable or fitting to the subject, like a side view of the Gorgonian almost lost in a crowded reef.

I hope you taken other shots of the Gorgonian close up frame filling, edge to edge coral, at an upward angle towards a cobalt blue open water. The colors of this type of coral can be blood red at its branches with some beautiful yellow tips.

 

[ssra30]

The reason I believe is that the PS does not have a mechanical shutter curtain and a mechanical aperture like the SLRs. The PS does this electronically by clearing the CCD sensor and constantly reading the data from the CCD chip. Since the over exposed light is always hitting the pixels and cannot adjust quick enough or is beyond its exposure range the pixels have no choice but to produce “noise”. This probably why PS aperture openings have a limit of F8 electronically.

I don't really know all the technical stuff well but just want to point out that Nikon D70/D70s also has electronic shutter. I have seen some pretty nice sunball shot from D70 with shutterspeed of 1/2000s. In a way, electrical shutter is nice with manual strobe in that you are not stuck with 1/250s-1/320s maximum speed limit like the D2X due to mechanical shutter when using strobes.

On the other hand, D2X seems to handle much better dynamic range. Don't know how much of that is because of mechanical shutter or CMOS vs CCD or just plain better sensor.

 

[f3nikon]

Good points, but you still have the reflex mirror blocking the light before the shutter is tripped and the SLRs lens have an actual aperture that can be mechanically adjusted to a smaller opening, the PS does this electronically.

Your sun exposures came out right on the money, try shooting that same shot with the aperture wide open like the PS and increase you shutter speed to the correct exposure, even beyond the flash range. It would be interesting to see if you do or do not get the same results as the PS, because you will be blasting the CMOS chip with a great deal of light with nothing mechanically to slow it down.

Thanks for pointing that out about the mechanical shutter this is the reason why the DX2 is a "pro" camera.

 

[Tortuga Roja]

Some P&S's (I prefer to call them compacts) can shoot at unlimited shutter speeds and some cannot. I.e., the Oly5050 can, the Canon G2 is limited to 1/250 with a flash. The D70 has both electronic and mechanical shutters and depending on how it is rigged, may or may not be limited to sync speeds.

As to shooting sun rays, ssra30 describes it best. If they are not there, you won't get them if they are there, you can. If the rays are moving you have to freeze them but it doesn't take a super fast SS to do that. But the fast shutter will help get the exposure where it should be especially if you have a foreground subject. Anyone that thinks good sunballs are imposible with a compact camera has never seen Rand McMeins early work with his 5050. But again he wasn't forced to use limited SSs with that camera.

I also agree with ssra30 that going manual with the d70 is handy for shooting into the sun.



Canon G2

5050 but there the rays weren't that defined that day.

5050

D70

 

[clgsamson]

awesome pix!

 

[Wolverine]

Fantastic shots!!! There is hope for me!

 

[Wolverine]

Forgot to mention, I am not sure if you used wetmount Inon wide angle lens on your 1st and 3rd pictures or not. Wide angle lens become very handy in this situation as it will let you get a lot closer to the seafan and reef so your strobes will have easier time lighting up the foreground while underexposing the sunball. both of my shots were taken with 10.5mm fisheye lens which is still a bit wider than the Inon wetmount wide angle lens in the optional Inon Fisheye Domeport.

Yep was using the WAL on the coral shots. The 3rd was further, cos I wanted more water in the picture.