What Point & Shoot Outfit needs a Guidebook?

[The Blue Whale]

Remember the 'Nikonos Guide' by Jim and Cathy Church? The general use and very specific guidebook that instructors used as their u/w photo course manual. The book that many divers bought with their Nikonos V camera to learn it's many features. The same book that could be seen in dive bags being used as a reference between dives.

Well, today it's much different with digital. Or is it? Could instructors and divers benefit from a small, yet complete guide book for an u/w point & shoot camera outfit? Would it make sense for this book to be 'brand specific' with the exact directions and descriptions for the camera outfit? Our thoughts are that the basic camera instructions are not written by divers who are out on a rocking boat trying to make everything work. Or worse yet, dealing with a 3 knot current and gloves while making adjustments to their camera gear at 50 ft.

Let us know if the SeaLife outfit or the Sea&Sea outfit could use some help with a complete photo guidebook. We've already got the outline of general techniques down, we just need to get specific with a brand.

Maybe we'll rename this topic... To Sea or not to Sea --- Life & Sea

I miss my antique Nikonos outfits and the days of fooling with film to get that ONE shot from a roll of 36 that was worth keeping.

Happy Diving!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I would say that both those "outfits" seriously need guidebooks, 'cause over 20 years later their cameras are hard if not impossible to get better images with than a Nikonus V in the hands of someone who did not use a guidebook.

 

[The Blue Whale]

Maybe I'll write a book for each outfit... The basic techniques will be the same, but the systems are much different. I'll probably use my Nikonos V to take the photos of the digital underwater, because I know that the quality of those shots will be outstanding...

 

[The Blue Whale]

The new SeaLife 12 mp camera is due out next month and it has some promise. I know it can't match the quality of the Nikonos, but the convenience and relatively low pricing will make it a very popular camera outfit for divers.

I just wish the manufacturers would realize the value a 'third party' has in influencing divers to make the buying decision. So far, I've contacted each of the major manufacturers and only Ikelite shows interest in having their product tested and demo dives on new products for honest and thorough reviews. I don't think that Sea & Sea, Sea Life, or Bonica are really afraid of the results of testing would do, they just think that their distribution network will 'sell' product for them. Of course, some of the big dealers are doing demo events and reviews, but face it... would you believe a trusted third party or the firm trying to 'sell' the gear?

 

[The Blue Whale]

I'm still thinking about publishing that guidebook for one or another digital outfit...

 

[Nemrod]

The P&S like the Sea Life, not sure how a guide book would be useful since most of the people who buy that type low end camera never read the manuals anyways and there really is very little to adjust since basically all you do is turn it on and point and then shoot.

The more serious "point and shoots" or the so called advanced or bridge type cameras like the Canon G series and S90, S&S DX series could use a book but then again, these cameras change on a barely one year product cycle.

So, for the book to be useful it would have to be fairly generic and there again, that limits the depth or specificity so yeah, good luck.

Which strobe systems will be discussed, wide angle and macro limitations of various housings and cameras? Durability of OEM vs acrylic vs aluminum, digital processing?

I miss my Nikonos III system also and while most (nearly all) of my shots with it sucked, the ones that didn't were really good. Now all of my digi shots are pedantic and average but I got lots of them.

I don't need a book, there are only a few rules:

1. Get close and to get close you MUST have a wide angle lens with at least a 90 degree FOV and preferably a lot more.

2. Use a strobe and better yet two of them and get close, no more than five feet.

3. Use a wide angle lens, see 1 and 2 above.

This forum is loaded with information for beginners:

Underwater Photography Guide

N

 

[The Blue Whale]

I know you're right Nemrod... all cameras include a basic user guide and most people don't even read those before trying out their camera. With the Nikonos or my Hasselblad back in the day, I was used to bracketing and taking time to log the camera settings to make sure I was learning what I was doing wrong or right. Now, with digital we get all that recorded and instant results. Maybe there's not such a skill to underwater photography like it was before. But, I've had to sit through so many new divers showing me tails of fish and video clips looking downward hovering over a crab... I was hoping people could learn what that little trashcan on their camera is.

I realize that the experts like Stephen Frink and Alex Mustard hold special dive trips for the serious folks, but figured that the point and shoot crowd might pick up some techniques from having a guidebook along with them. Like Stan Waterman, I just feel like an "Old Salt" sometimes wanting to help out. I like the websites that are sharing good stuff, but many are 'selling' gear. Not to mention that when divers travel they don't always have the online capabilities.

I appreciate any input and realize maybe the book idea is not worth the effort if there's not a group who could benefit from it.