Tiny creature UW macro advice..

[anenomefishman]

We are heading to the Lembeh Straights this summer as well as Bunaken in N. Sulawesi, Indonesia. I have a SP-350/PT-030 and a new Stylus Tough 8010/PT-048 UW setup. I have been running my SP-350 setup for about 180 dives over last 4 years (Palau, Truk, Fiji, Indonesia, Caymans, Bonaire, Roatan, Belize, Hawaii, etc). Before that, I ran a DZ-40/PT-012 (165 dives). I like to run small footprint camera setup, as I keep my camera on a retractor and only pull it out if I see something worthy of a pic. I like this as I feel like I am diving and not just herding my camera around. I have been only using the internal flash so far, autofocus on all the time, flash mandatory to take macro pictures typically (mostly manual setttings). Have gotten some decent pics this way. This works fine if subject within a few feet.

However, from what I understand, the sealife in the Lembeh Straights (muck diving) is very small generally. I had problems in Indonesia last time taking pictures of Pygmy Seahorses (~0.5" tall) with my current rig (SP-350, 8 Mpixel) as I could not get the subject zoomed up enough with my flash on. The super macro mode will not work with the internal flash on. So, I can either get an external macro lens, get an external flash or both or a strong focus light. My preference is to keep the footprint as small as possible. It is not clear whether my 8010 will trigger an external flash in super macro mode. I know my SP-350 will.

I have a new Stylus Tough 8010 (14 Mpixel, HD video, 33 ft rating on camera body) with super macro bright white LED illuminator, but the LED super macro illuminator is blocked by the PT-048 housing. It takes great pictures in the dark in super macro mode with the illuminator without the PT-048 housing. To me, looks like I could replicate the super macro illuminator with a decent focus light only. It is not clear whether the 8010 will trigger an external flash in super macro mode.

I shot my avatar with an 1/500 sec, F2.8, internal flash on my SP-350 in Indonsesia (Wakatobi). Those anenome fish are very quick, so I crank up the shutter speed.

Suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Bruce

 

[anenomefishman]

maybe I had a bad title on this original post. should have been "need a good super macro setup for Oly SP-350/PT-030 and/or Oly T-8010/PT-048"

Thanks,
Bruce

heading to Lembeh, Bunaken this summer.
Bruce and Jackie's Dive Trips

 

[vladimir]

We are heading to the Lembeh Straights this summer as well as Bunaken in N. Sulawesi, Indonesia. I have a SP-350/PT-030 and a new Stylus Tough 8010/PT-048 UW setup. I have been running my SP-350 setup for about 180 dives over last 4 years (Palau, Truk, Fiji, Indonesia, Caymans, Bonaire, Roatan, Belize, Hawaii, etc). Before that, I ran a DZ-40/PT-012 (165 dives). I like to run small footprint camera setup, as I keep my camera on a retractor and only pull it out if I see something worthy of a pic. I like this as I feel like I am diving and not just herding my camera around. I have been only using the internal flash so far, autofocus on all the time, flash mandatory to take macro pictures typically (mostly manual setttings). Have gotten some decent pics this way. This works fine if subject within a few feet.

However, from what I understand, the sealife in the Lembeh Straights (muck diving) is very small generally. I had problems in Indonesia last time taking pictures of Pygmy Seahorses (~0.5" tall) with my current rig (SP-350, 8 Mpixel) as I could not get the subject zoomed up enough with my flash on. The super macro mode will not work with the internal flash on. So, I can either get an external macro lens, get an external flash or both or a strong focus light. My preference is to keep the footprint as small as possible. It is not clear whether my 8010 will trigger an external flash in super macro mode. I know my SP-350 will.

I have a new Stylus Tough 8010 (14 Mpixel, HD video, 33 ft rating on camera body) with super macro bright white LED illuminator, but the LED super macro illuminator is blocked by the PT-048 housing. It takes great pictures in the dark in super macro mode with the illuminator without the PT-048 housing. To me, looks like I could replicate the super macro illuminator with a decent focus light only. It is not clear whether the 8010 will trigger an external flash in super macro mode.

I shot my avatar with an 1/500 sec, F2.8, internal flash on my SP-350 in Indonsesia (Wakatobi). Those anenome fish are very quick, so I crank up the shutter speed.

Suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Bruce

I can't help you with your main question. I can tell you that there is no shortage of stunning photographic subjects in Lembeh, so you can consider modifying your retractor strategy for this trip. Also, yes, pygmy seahorses are small, but they are one small portion of Lembeh life. A smorgasbord of frogfish, waspfish, blue-ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, Banggai cardinalfish, snakefish, nudibranchs, etc., are all perfectly sized for filling the frame of a 60mm or a 105mm lens.

 

[anenomefishman]

Vladimir-

My current lenses will run 38-114 mm (SP-350) and 28-140 mm (T-8010). I am not worried about the 2" and larger camera subjects. Those I can get those pretty easily with my current setup. I am most worried about the tiny stuff (< 1"). I can certainly run an external strobe if that is what you mean by "modifying my retractor strategy" However for tiny stuff, the question remains is that should I try to use the existing super macro lens with an outboard flash or get a wet underwater close up lens that brings stuff in less than 1:1.

Bruce

 

[vladimir]

Vladimir-

My current lenses will run 38-114 mm (SP-350) and 28-140 mm (T-8010). I am not worried about the 2" and larger camera subjects. Those I can get those pretty easily with my current setup.

I would be happy to restrict my photography at Lembeh to only these subjects, and concentrate on capturing those images perfectly.

I took this picture with a 1.4 teleconverter, a 105mm lens, and a diopter:

Notice anything special about it? Me neither, because there is nothing special about it--it looks like everybody else's pygmy-seahorse picture. Feel free to cut-and-paste it and call it your own. Even if you do manage to get a creative or unique take on the pygmy seahorse, it will be completely by accident--they're so small the challenge is just getting them in focus and facing the right direction. This is accomplished by devoting most of a dive, taking a hundred shots, exhausting your strobe batteries, and probably blinding the poor creature. I'd suggest saving your effort and resources for some more creative photography, like your avatar picture.

 

[anenomefishman]

Vladimir-
that is much better than any Pygmy seahorse pics I have with this camera. I couldn't really see them very well. The divemaster pointed at something and I took a bunch of pics and then zoomed them later looking for the Pygmy Seahorses. Mostly they are turned away and too small. Here is one I could see the Pygmy, but was a different kind (sorry for bad pic). I have many pics of the more nobby looking ones like you posted, but they are allways turned away from me.

Bruce

SP-350, internal flash, no external lenses, F3.7, 1/500 sec, ISO 50

 

[RockyHeap]

See my sig line for external lenses. I run both a PT-030 and Ikelite housing for the SP-350, both have the external bayonet.

Get a bayonet mount ring for your housing, and run the lenses you want off that.

www.reefphoto.com can set you up.

I've gotten so close to starfish with the 165 degree fish eye lens, they actually start climbing up the dome!

What I'm hearing you ask for is lens choices over strobe/lighting.......?

 

[anenomefishman]

See my sig line for external lenses. I run both a PT-030 and Ikelite housing for the SP-350, both have the external bayonet.

Get a bayonet mount ring for your housing, and run the lenses you want off that.

Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros can set you up.

I've gotten so close to starfish with the 165 degree fish eye lens, they actually start climbing up the dome!

What I'm hearing you ask for is lens choices over strobe/lighting.......?

OK, thanks. Do you use your SP-350 super macro mode, or just external close up lens? I know if I tried to use the SP-350 super macro mode, I would need an external strobe.

I am open to lighting suggestions as well, as long as they are not super huge.

Bruce

 

[RockyHeap]

Bruce, I see you too are in Seattle. We can get together if you want sometime to compare hardware or do a photo shoot dive at Edmonds UW park. PM me with contact info if you want.

I use all modes of my camera, and the one "most" people use least, is the manual white balance capabilities........where you don't need $$$$$$$ strobes as long as ambient lighting is on scene, and you're not trying to shoot a photo of something under a ledge or cave.

 

[anenomefishman]

Bruce, I see you too are in Seattle. We can get together if you want sometime to compare hardware or do a photo shoot dive at Edmonds UW park. PM me with contact info if you want.

I use all modes of my camera, and the one "most" people use least, is the manual white balance capabilities........where you don't need $$$$$$$ strobes as long as ambient lighting is on scene, and you're not trying to shoot a photo of something under a ledge or cave.

Dave-

I would like to see your camera hardware, but I am not a cold water diver, so Edmonds dive not likely. I have only 6 dives in Puget Sound and 338 tropical dives (pacific, caribbean) so far. I have only been diving for about 7 years. I recently (late January 2010) took a dry suit specialty class from a local dive shop here with my wife to reduce my intolerance to cold water, but my wife's rental drysuit flooded in 46 deg water temp and 44 deg air temp. She was hacked to say the least.

I am also interested in your white balance stuff.

Bruce