What should I get next?

[jas77]

Hi all,
I have a canon a40 with the uw housing and I really like it. I want to expand on that now and get some new equip. I dont have a strobe yet, so that may be next on my list. If not that, I was thinking of a wide angle converter lens. Would I get a lot of use out of that for UW photos, or should I go for more of a macro lens? Here is a link to some accessories for my canon a40:
http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/a40-30/accessory.html

Thanks for any input!

Leaving for Bahamas tomorrow, I hope I can get some good photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dee]

I suggest you get a strobe next. The wide angle lens is too wide for your internal strobe to cover, you'll need a strobe with it. That would be my second purchase.

 

[ssra30]

Yeah, I second the strobe. I recently went through 6 months of buying underwater equipments an in order of earliest to latest: camera, housing, strobe, WAL, macro lens. Strobe probably makes the most impact on the kind of pictures I could achieve with my setup (after the camera and housing).

 

[clive francis]

how did you get on with your macro?

 

[ssra30]

I have not tried my macro lens very much yet. I was going to go diving the last 2 weekends but the weather was kind of lousy
I tried it out in a pool and basically in macro mode, I can get my Oly 4040 to focus down to about 4-6 inches. The image appeared a bit larger as well. It is not bad for teh 4040 but with supermacromode on 5050, you probably won't need it.
I am leaving for Sipadan tomorrow, hope to have lots of macro shots from the trip

 

[Crazy_J]

The lens accessories listed on this site:

http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/a40-30/accessory.html

Will NOT work with the Canon UW housing..... they are to put on the camera when not in the housing only...they simply will not fit in the housing w/ the camera....

If you wanted to get the lens, you would have to get the Sea & Sea Lens Adaptor first...then any of the MMII lenses will fit on the housing for the a40... the DC-200 housing that is...

http://www.seaandsea.com/dig_conv_lens.html <- Digital conversion lenses...

Cheers,
Crazy_J
:doctor:

 

[jas77]

Thanks for all the replies and recommendations! After viewing my last photos from the bahamas, I definitly need a strobe! A lot of the pictures really lacked the color I was looking for and I got a lot of greenish color photos. Granted, I am still learning all the finer points of learning to take uw photos, but still I was hoping for some better quality!
Now, my next question is what type of strobe? Are there only certain ones that will work with the canon A40, or does it matter more with the uw casing I have?

Also..I had a lot of trouble seeing the view screen on the camera. I think there was just too much light hitting it and I could hardly see what I was trying to focus in on. That made it REALLY hard to compose the picture before I took it. As a result, a lot of my pictures were of half a fish, etc.. Is there anything to help with this and let me see the screen better?


I'll try to post a typical photo I took last time..as you can see, nothing to write home about!!

http://jas77.20m.com/index.html

sorry about any popups, I just threw this together in the past 10 min. to post the pic.

 

[RichLockyer]

jas77 once bubbled...
I'll try to post a typical photo I took last time..as you can see, nothing to write home about!!

Actually, I would be happy if half of my shots were that good.
Remember, when it comes to UW photography, two great shots out of a "roll" of 24 is good work. National Geopraphic literally goes through hundreds of rolls of film to get ONE publish-quality shot.

No matter what strobe you get, pretty much anything over 8-10 feet away (such as the aircraft) will be green or blue. The light has to make a 2-way trip through the water, so from whatever light actually reaches the target, only half will make it back to the lens.

Rule #1 of UW photography is be happy with what looks good.
Work to improve, but bad shots will generally be the majority.

Rule #2 is don't show your bad shots

A local diver takes some phenomenal photos, but has only displayed maybe 40-60 shots online.
http://www.underwaterplanet.com