What digital camera takes good

[caymaniac]

What digital camera SLR or otherwise takes good sunballs, I like wide angle composition with the sun in the background. Most pix that I've seen make the sun look ridiculous.

Thanks,
caymaniac

 

[RonFrank]

What digital camera SLR or otherwise takes good sunballs, I like wide angle composition with the sun in the background. Most pix that I've seen make the sun look ridiculous.

Thanks,
caymaniac

I'm not sure how the camera make the sun look rediculous.

That is what a photographer is about. How to balance light within the limits of the exposure limits of film, or sensor.What camera makes backlight images look good, the one with the photographer behind the viewfinder.

Ron

 

[MarkH]

What digital camera SLR or otherwise takes good sunballs, I like wide angle composition with the sun in the background. Most pix that I've seen make the sun look ridiculous.

Thanks,
caymaniac

Sorry, can't help, but I know what you mean. This problem isn't limited to digital cameras. When I bring my negative (or slide) to the photo lab to get a print, the negative is scanned digitally and the sunburst sometimes ends up looking like it has "rings" or just a high-contrast blob.

 

[f3nikon]

What digital camera SLR or otherwise takes good sunballs, I like wide angle composition with the sun in the background. Most pix that I've seen make the sun look ridiculous.

Thanks,
caymaniac

Thats just like asking which scalple does the the best open heart surgery! When its really all about the surgeon's skill. There are factors effecting sunlight pictures underwater, cloud cover, wave action, depth, water clarity etc. In regard to the camera (a tool) it must have a SPOT metering function, in order for the photographer to accurately meter the correct fstop settings. The sun's center stop maybe around f32 and points away from the sun could be f4.0, a BIG difference in exposure!

Now here is where the skill part kicks in. If he shoots at f32 the blue water turns black and the sun looks like a flashlight in the dark, so he then shoots at f4.0, the sun turns into a super nova blow up of white/light blue, the points at the edge of the frame looks ok. Here is where the "B" word for bracketing comes in, shoot from f16, f11, f8 etc. and pick out your best shot! Now in the age of digital cameras he can review his shots on the spot, life just got much easier!

The question does bring up a sad fact that some folks (not all) are just getting in to U/W photography when they do not even know the basics on above water photography. Then thinking that the latest hi tech camera will be their magic bullet!

Sidenote: This is the reason for my big push on LARGE Bright LCD displays I have to see all that info. before the shot is taken. The 8080 LCD is too small, I may need to get a 4 inch TFT LCD display and make an external housing for it.

Dive Safe

 

[dbh]

I have found it is also such factors as your depth, clarity of the water and shutter speed. To shoot a good sunball, your need at least 1/1000. The best ones that I have seen (not mine for sure) have been shot with an Oly 5050. I have also seen a few shot with a D70. But as said above, alot of it is the shooter and not the equipment.


Dave

 

[caymaniac]

Thats just like asking which scalple does the the best open heart surgery! When its really all about the surgeon's skill. There are factors effecting sunlight pictures underwater, cloud cover, wave action, depth, water clarity etc. In regard to the camera (a tool) it must have a SPOT metering function, in order for the photographer to accurately meter the correct fstop settings. The sun's center stop maybe around f32 and points away from the sun could be f4.0, a BIG difference in exposure!

Now here is where the skill part kicks in. If he shoots at f32 the blue water turns black and the sun looks like a flashlight in the dark, so he then shoots at f4.0, the sun turns into a super nova blow up of white/light blue, the points at the edge of the frame looks ok. Here is where the "B" word for bracketing comes in, shoot from f16, f11, f8 etc. and pick out your best shot! Now in the age of digital cameras he can review his shots on the spot, life just got much easier!

The question does bring up a sad fact that some folks (not all) are just getting in to U/W photography when they do not even know the basics on above water photography. Then thinking that the latest hi tech camera will be their magic bullet!

Sidenote: This is the reason for my big push on LARGE Bright LCD displays I have to see all that info. before the shot is taken. The 8080 LCD is too small, I may need to get a 4 inch TFT LCD display and make an external housing for it.

Dive Safe

f3, I've been taking underwater photo. for twenty years, but I've only seen two good sunballs with digital cameras, one being from a Canon 20D with a 10/22 wide angle lens, the other was from a 7070 but the foreground was not exposed properly. I use a housed 35pentax ME in an Ike housing. I'd love to switch to digital but have not seen anything produced by digital other than ONE (1) shot that I would say is excellent.
I have used Velvia for the last 5 or 6 years.

 

[MarkH]

I think people are having trouble understanding that the subject of your post is about the inherent problem with many digital cameras and contrast. -Not "which expensive camera will make up for my lack of talent".

 

[dbh]

here is one of the best sunballs that I have ever seen and it was taken with an Olympus 5050

Randapeks' Website

 

[dbh]

If you are calling those shots at the bottom of your post good balls....I can show you plenty of pics that good taken with digital cameras.

(no offense meant)

 

[f3nikon]

f3, I've been taking underwater photo. for twenty years, but I've only seen two good sunballs with digital cameras, one being from a Canon 20D with a 10/22 wide angle lens, the other was from a 7070 but the foreground was not exposed properly. I use a housed 35pentax ME in an Ike housing. I'd love to switch to digital but have not seen anything produced by digital other than ONE (1) shot that I would say is excellent.
I have used Velvia for the last 5 or 6 years.

I shot Fuji Velvia as well, the best E-6 around, bright colors, poor latitude a very unforgiving film. I avoid the full sun when shooting with Velvia, because of the very tight exposure latitude. The first six pics are what I am talking about, it goes from light blue to black in no time, scraping the picture. For macro or closeup shots Velvia works just fine. This is another reason for me going digital. Lets all work to find this ultimate U/W digital camera, together!