Thanks to all who helped me! Bonaire pics

[SubMariner]

Those are some fantastic shots, okiediver!

BTW, if you take a good look in some of those anemones, you may find some Spotted Cleaner Shrimps. They are incredibly colourful & make great subjects.

As for the other shrimp shot, I think it was a Pederson Cleaning Shrimp. If you slowly extend your hand, are very quiet & very still, they will actually come out & clean your fingers!

Meanwhile, I know where the HH wreck is... where are the others located?

 

[TedJ]

Dee once bubbled...
I understand exactly what you're talking about. I can easy do that!

Wow....that's so easy. Thanks, RW!

I use 2 or 3 of the "My Modes" when I first turn on the camera to get to the starting point, which is a collection of settings in Manual mode. Then this method to change the aperature if necessary. I don't like the buttons on the side either.
TEdJ

 

[Dee]

Ted....do you have trouble remembering which mode has which settings?

 

[okiediver1]

do you have trouble remembering which mode has which settings?

Dee, I typed up a small business card size cheat sheet in Excel for all my modes, along with a few other things to watch out for. I then laminated it, and used a plastic loop (like a luggage tag) and looped it around my tray. Worked like a charm and I cant tell you how many times I had to look at that!

SubMariner,

You know I didnt even SEE those shrimp until I got home and looked at the pics on my laptop! Those were such a surprise and if I had known they were there I would have tried some super macro shots or something!

There were three wrecks on Front Porch. One is a 5 minute swim from the beach to the left (in front of Harbour Village I think was the name of it)
and the other two are in the middle and one far to the right. One is a tugboat and I think one is a sailboat--the other I dont know. The one in front of Harbour Village has a HUGE green moray eel living in it, and a friend got quite the shock when he came face to face with this guy inside the wreck!

 

[cardzard]

Very nice pictures and looks like great place to dive.

 

[TedJ]

Dee once bubbled...
Ted....do you have trouble remembering which mode has which settings?

Dee,

I have decided to use four My Mode settings in addition to the first one that I leave as default. They are:

1. Default
2. 1/60, f5.6
3. 1/60, f8
4. 1/125, f5.6
5. 1/125, f8

Following the suggestions of many I have set the camera to shoot everything with default settings except for Macro. I originally left the camera in regular rather than Macro but after several sessions I have decided to use the Macro setting full time.

I started out shooting the YS90DX by using the pre-flash but I've also moved to setting the camera and strobe both to Slave using the fiber optic cable. I may also add back my old Nikon SB-105 as a slave, firing off the YS90DX, but that's going to have to wait for my trip to Grand Cayman in March.

Finally, given the recent discussions about White Balance, I now have to decide whether to play with this while diving. This adds a level of stuff to do that I think might detract from the fun of diving. I'll have to wait and see.

Finally, I use my right thumb and middle finger to turn the jog dial knob. I find this works much better than the thumb and index finger as it allows me to turn the knob around its axis rather than kind of shoving it around. Give it a try.

Hope this helps or at least makes sense. Your question about my memory is very appropriate these days.

TedJ

 

[Dee]

Let me see if I follow....the settings you listed for My Modes is the only thing you changed from the defaults already set, plus you've set all my modes to macro? Such as slow flash, spot focus, single frame drive, ISO 64, WB auto, etc. I think I'm getting a handle on this.

What about the zoom position? 35mm, 55mm, 80mm, 105mm? This is one of those dumb questions.....the smaller the number, the wider the view, right? I'm confused about which to use where/when.

I haven't set-up my strobe on it yet. Mainly because I'm don't have an extra collar for the FO thingy on the velcro, but also I've had enough to deal with so far, but I'm not expecting a big difference from the C-4040.

I've tried the thumb and middle finger for the jog dial and I like that. It does seem to give a bit more control than the index finger method, which as you say, wobbles the knob a bit.

Oh...and I wasn't questioning your memory...it's mine I worry about!

 

[TedJ]

Dee once bubbled...
Let me see if I follow....the settings you listed for My Modes is the only thing you changed from the defaults already set, plus you've set all my modes to macro? Such as slow flash, spot focus, single frame drive, ISO 64, WB auto, etc. I think I'm getting a handle on this.

Right. Everything but the f-stop and aperature remains the same for the 4 My Modes. That's enough changes to deal with underwater. I use ISO 64 and spot focus BTW.

What about the zoom position? 35mm, 55mm, 80mm, 105mm? This is one of those dumb questions.....the smaller the number, the wider the view, right? I'm confused about which to use where/when.

I have not used the zoom underwater although I might in the future a teeny bit. I prefer to shoot wider images and so I leave the camera zoomed all the way to W. Yes the higher the number of the zoom the more it is "telephotoing". The smaller the number the wider. Remember back to your Sea & Sea cameras when you put on the 20mm for wide angle or macro shots.

I haven't set-up my strobe on it yet. Mainly because I'm don't have an extra collar for the FO thingy on the velcro, but also I've had enough to deal with so far, but I'm not expecting a big difference from the C-4040.

I still haven't gotten an extra couple of the collars either. However, when (not if) the collar pulls out of the velcro just put the end of the cable under the velcro so that the optical part can "see" some flash and the strobe should work OK.

I've tried the thumb and middle finger for the jog dial and I like that. It does seem to give a bit more control than the index finger method, which as you say, wobbles the knob a bit.

This method allows you to put the tips of the thumb and middle finger on the knob rather than the side of the thumb and finger.

Oh...and I wasn't questioning your memory...it's mine I worry about!

What memory or was it What me worry?
TedJ

 

[Dee]

Thanks Ted....the visibility is clearing up!

 

[astrl]

Love the orange cup and coral banded shrimp! The night shot of the bar is great, too.

I am scheduled for Bonaire the first week in May. I can't wait!!!

astrl