What do I need to take pics of divers? [Beginner Q]

[bubblesmd]

I have an RX100 Va and the Sony underwater housing (MPK-URX100A). I've mainly used it on snorkel trips but now want to take it on deeper dives now that the family is certified.

Ideally, I'd like to take pics of kids scuba diving with fish in the background.

What additional gear do I need? I'm eyeing:
- Strobe (single Z330 versus pair of YS-01/03?)
- Wide Angle lens? Do I need this?

Would like to keep costs down since we get maybe a week of dive time per year. But, I do value great photos of the family!

 

[TGIF]

Espeically for larger subjects, e.g., your family, you'll want a wide angle lens. Strobes become more important as you go deeper, because any color is lost quite quickly. For strobes and a wide angle lens, two strobes will give you less backscatter in the water and less odd shadowing comapred to the single strobe. If you go for strobes, you will also need a tray, fiberoptic cables, arms, and floats. If you have any interest in video, you might be able to use video lights instead of a strobe, which tend to be a bit cheaper. It's worth talking with the guys at Backscatter and Bluewater Photography. Both are amazingly helpful and knowledgable.

An alternative is to rent a setup so that you can see what you think of different setups (a Bluewater service). Welcome to the dark side and happy hunting.

 

[TGIF]

You might even be able to get a fair dsicount by going used. I will say, you can always use less light but you can't use what you don't have. If you go the light option, get video lights because they are designed to avoid the hot centers that dive lights typically have.

Finally, in full disclosure, I use Sea&Sea (YS-D2J), and am very happy with my purchase.

 

[JahJahwarrior]

The light output of strobes is usually orders of magnitude greater than video lights. But the light output is soaked up very quickly by the water. The closer you get with a wide angle lens, the less light output you need to light your subject. It is also true that newer cameras which function at higher ISO with less grain also survive with less light. It is also true that shooting in RAW and using Lightroom to recover shadows lets you survive with less light.

I would get the wide angle lens, Lightroom subscription, and as many strobes as you can afford, whether is one or two, it just needs to be more than zero.

A good video light is also not a bad idea, you can use it as a focus light and for shooting short video clips, but I would go for strobes over video lights.

 

[BadGoat]

Where will you be diving and how deep? A little practice and staying above 35-40 feet and you can make acceptable images with natural light. I'd first check on the depth rating of the housing you have and give it a try. Here's an example of a natural light photo taken in the Caribbean in about 20 feet of water. The quality/clarity of the water does matter.

JoAnneCaneBay-2

• BadGoat
• Jul 6, 2020

Mike

 

[bubblesmd]

Where will you be diving and how deep?

Oahu near Waikiki. Probably go max of 60 ft. Awesome picture. I think I’ll try just camera and a wide angle without strobes at first. A strobe may be too much gear for me to deal with at first. Thanks!

 

[Gene]

I agree with what most others have said here; using a wide angle lens, (somewhere between 15 and 24mm), and strobes. You can start out with one and then get a second one as you become more comfortable. (A strobe you can take off camera and fire remotely.) Remember that safety always comes first and that you shouldn't carry a camera underwater unless you feel fine doing so and proficient with it. You can always go back down to shoot again on another dive.
I make sure everyone's comfortable with our plan and that all questions have been answered after giving a pre-dive photo briefing. Take your time and be kind and appreciative to your models, whether they're your kids or not.
I shoot often in our Florida caves in depths ranging from just below the surface to below 200 feet: Underwater - pagephotography
The camera's I've used include Nikonos, Nikon's Action Touch, Nikon DSLRs housed in two different Ikelite housings and two different Aquatica housings. Strobes are all Ikelite. Have fun, be creative and be safe!