white balance question

[diverrick]

What setting do I set the camera to for white balance?
I don't have "underwater" setting. I was wondering if "outdoor", or "indoor" would really make any difference.

 

[BurBunny]

I generally use cloudy (think I heard somewhere that's what Jim Church uses). Is a good starting point most of the time.

 

[ScubaJo]

What setting do I set the camera to for white balance?
I don't have "underwater" setting. I was wondering if "outdoor", or "indoor" would really make any difference.

if you have a manual white balance setting, i've found (being a newbie to UW photography myself) that bringing a white slate down and setting that as the "white" at depth helps out with the colour in the pictures - pending ambient lighting.

 

[Azotomix]

What camera do you have?
If you have the possibility to choose the RAW format go for it. You do not have to care about balancing the white. You will do it later and much better with your computer (ex Photoshop or other programs).

If not I believe for deep picture cloudy is OK. In shallow water (max 5-6 mt) you can use sunny if you have enough light.

 

[diverrick]

What camera do you have?
If you have the possibility to choose the RAW format go for it. You do not have to care about balancing the white. You will do it later and much better with your computer (ex Photoshop or other programs).

If not I believe for deep picture cloudy is OK. In shallow water (max 5-6 mt) you can use sunny if you have enough light.

I took the dive (financially that is)this week, and bought a fuji F810 camera, with D-200 strobe, ulcs arms and Ikelite housing. I am hoping it turns out better then the last camera. It does have RAW, though I know nothing about it. I'll be going to Roatan in two weeks, for two weeks, and the first week is at CCV. I intend to go take the class they offer on underwater photography while I am there.
Man am I not looking forward to that credit card bill this month!

 

[diverrick]

What camera do you have?
If you have the possibility to choose the RAW format go for it. You do not have to care about balancing the white. You will do it later and much better with your computer (ex Photoshop or other programs).

If not I believe for deep picture cloudy is OK. In shallow water (max 5-6 mt) you can use sunny if you have enough light.

I took the dive (financially that is)this week, and bought a fuji F810 camera, with D-2000 strobe, ulcs arms and Ikelite housing. I am hoping it turns out better then the last camera we bought. It does have RAW, though I know nothing about it. I'll be going to Roatan in two weeks, for two weeks, and the first week is at CCV. I intend to go take the class they offer on underwater photography while I am there.
Man am I not looking forward to that credit card bill this month!

 

[diverrick]

sorry about the double posts

 

[BurBunny]

Definitely with the F810, go for the RAW, but know it takes up a LOT of space, and if using a 1GB xD card, the write times can be slower.

If shooting jpg, the F810 has a good cloudy setting, though you can also use manual. Just be aware with manual you'll want to re-balance every few feet of depth to keep the colors correct as you move through the water column.

The 810 is a terrific camera Let me know if you have questions!

 

[ChillyWaters]

Definitely with the F810, go for the RAW, but know it takes up a LOT of space, and if using a 1GB xD card, the write times can be slower.

If shooting jpg, the F810 has a good cloudy setting, though you can also use manual. Just be aware with manual you'll want to re-balance every few feet of depth to keep the colors correct as you move through the water column.

The 810 is a terrific camera Let me know if you have questions!

I say shoot RAW definitely. Buy a big card, shoot like crazy, and worry about fixing the white balance later. Unless you have time to figure out and practice manual white balance before you go, then don't risk it.

- ChillyWaters

 

[Dan Yuchnovicz]

Several steps are required for best results when shooting without strobes. However, in a side-by-side comparison, the strobe-lit shot will always have the best color saturation and contrast. It's rare that stills shot with available light ever make a magazine because the color saturation is just not as good as it is with strobes. In fact, I can't recall one (other than over and unders and in very clear water of say a whale or something large). But for reefs and reef critters, strobes proved the best results. But available light can generally be good enough for your family and friends.
In some cases shooting available light can provide for some interesting results.

I have found the following method to be useful for available light shots. Manual WB is a must and, depending on your depth, the addition of a UR Pro CY filter (a.k.a a red filter) will help the camera's WB apply the proper amount of filtering. However, if the sun is not out or mostly overhead, the results will be disappointing and hard to correct. Saturation and contrast are lost. Also look for a high reflectance bottom (white sand). Try with and without the filter to determine the max depth that your camera can apply WB correction without the filter. The filters take at least one f-stop, maybe 1.5 which can be the difference between a blurry and sharp image if the shutter speed can be increased (without the filter).

Keep the camera in shutter priority so the the aperature can be set to the lowest f-stop (not best lens performance though) but will keep the shutter speed as fast as possible. Don't waste your time if the SS is not about 1/30 sec or higher. Results will be too blurry to enlarge. You could however get interesting results if panning with the critter on a "swim by".

Even so, you may find that the camera's CDD introduces a lot of noise into the image, especially if you set the ISO to AUTO. In AUTO, the camera may drive the ISO setting to it's highest (400-800). I never use AUTO ISO and set it no higher than 100 ever and first try 80 or less and see if I have a shutter speed in the 1/40 and up range. Too bad it's not acceptable for any reason to set a fin(s), a monopod or tripod on the bottom to steady a shot. Photographers do have a bad image of not being reef friendly for reasons of bouncing off the reef or standing on it to make equipment adjustments or to steady a shot. Don't get me started on reef hooks!

Shoot in RAW mode as well. But being careless during your session and trying to fix junk in post processing doesn't always work. Garbage in = Garbage out. Good WB when shooting in RAW can result in nice photos after adjustments, primarly white balance and sharpness. Most of the RAW readers that come with the cameras don't compare (IMHO) with having the manufacturer's plug-in (usually free) for PhotoShop. In PS you can then color correct much more precisley by setting the white / gray point over all or in each channel, use the histogram, etc. Without PS however, your results may be disappointing. Further, in PS there are plug-ins available that can correct the wide angle distortion introduced by wet lenses and ports.

Opt for a red filter that can be added or removed under water for greatest flexibility. If you can't find one to fit the housing, you can add it as a filter over the lens inside the housing. Check with UR Pro for blank filter stock pre-cut in various diameters and build your own holder. Using the filter outside the housing introduces other minor problems but that's for another post! However, it can be thought of as a sacrifical cover that can take some abuse. The color dye goes through the filter and so if scratched, the color is still there and the index of polycarb material is close to that of water and so doesn't really show up until is a gouge!

In the end however, shooting ambient light may be best reserved for video cameras which generally have faster lenses and lower lux CCds. You can get 1/60 or 1/125 sec at f1.8 for some nice stuff and the viewer seems to be more forgiving of off-color video than off-color prints.