underwater pics

[ukwill]

Just swapped my Ixus90 for the new 870is and I'm off on hols on the 20th, where I intend to do some diving. Would really like to take some underwater pics but have never done so before. I'm looking at using the WP-DC26 (waterproof case) alone (no external flash etc).

Bearing in mind I am a complete novice, and I've never done underwater shots before, could anyone provide any pointers for me or is it really just a case of selecting "underwater mode" and clicking away?

cheers

[gizard]

ukwill said:

Just swapped my Ixus90 for the new 870is and I'm off on hols on the 20th, where I intend to do some diving. Would really like to take some underwater pics but have never done so before. I'm looking at using the WP-DC26 (waterproof case) alone (no external flash etc).

Bearing in mind I am a complete novice, and I've never done underwater shots before, could anyone provide any pointers for me or is it really just a case of selecting "underwater mode" and clicking away?

cheers

from my expirence using my others halfs old Ixus 500 with a similar case is keep the zoom wide open and really stick it in the fishes face - anything too far away and the colour goes to pot....

[Simpo Two]

This sounds like a thread for 'Fesant Pluckah'. He'll be up for air soon...

[CVP]

Simpo Two said:

This sounds like a thread for 'Fesant Pluckah'. He'll be up for air soon...

he's certainly the underwater guru round here.

From my own experinces using a little Olympus, be prepared for the pics to just be snaps, quality is very elusive underwater.

Water filters the light very quickly and the levels do drop off fast meaning you are often shooting at higehr ISO's, just the kind of thing to show up the weaknesses in a compact camera. So you want a flash right? Well not really unless the water is crystal clear as due to the flash and the lens being right next to each other you get "backscatter" highlighting up all the small particles in the water. This makes your images look like you've got masses of dust spots on them. This is why the full underwater rig for SLRs has the external flashes out on long arms to get them out of the way and minimise backscatter.

Don't forget movie mode, one of the things I look at most since getting back is footage of a female sealion just moseying around.

Have fun, it can be great and certainly added somehting to the snorkelling for me.

Chris

[DIW35]

With no external flash or lighting to rely on, you will find that the water filters the red out of the spectrum very quickly as you go down. This will leave your photos with a distinct blue cast. It is possible to buy a correcting filter, but I've never used one so don't know how effective they are.

[Bee_Jay]

Make sure you use the diffuser with the flash, select underwater mode and the camera will just do the best it can.

I found that then taking the resultant photos into photoshop and playing with the separate RGB levels channels results in some pretty good recovery for light loss due to depth when you don't use flash.

Also, have a play with the movie mode...

These are crap examples (can't find better at the moment) but they give you an idea of before and after with levels - first is in a swimming pool at no depth, second is rubbish fish about 15 feet in the Med with no flash. Taken with 800IS with housing.

Edited by Bee_Jay on Tuesday 6th January 22:17

[ukwill]

Bee_Jay said:

Make sure you use the diffuser with the flash, select underwater mode and the camera will just do the best it can.

I found that then taking the resultant photos into photoshop and playing with the separate RGB levels channels results in some pretty good recovery for light loss due to depth when you don't use flash.

Also, have a play with the movie mode...

These are crap examples (can't find better at the moment) but they give you an idea of before and after with levels - first is in a swimming pool at no depth, second is rubbish fish about 15 feet in the Med with no flash. Taken with 800IS with housing.
[/footnote]

Yes I was thinking of trying out the movie mode - at least then I could take frames from it and work on them. Although not sure if the quality will be as good.

[Fezant Pluckah]

Hi Will

I suggest that you look at this thread, and see what I wrote. I think the same applies in your case!

http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...

Cheers
Jim

[ukwill]

Fezant Pluckah said:

Hi Will

I suggest that you look at this thread, and see what I wrote. I think the same applies in your case!

http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f...

Cheers
Jim

Cheers for the link Jim, I'll have a read through later.

[ukwill]

Ok thanks all for the info.

I'm getting a bit nervous about buying an underwater housing for my nice new camera, and am thinking instead of buying one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VIVITAR-5399-5MP-15M-SILVER-...

purely for the underwater pics. I'm kind of hoping that if I take loads, at least a few might be salvageable in PS?? Plus at least I don't have to worry about ruining my nice new camera!

decisions...

[Zod]

I have an 850is with the housing and the photos I get are not bad considering the cost of the camera. I will buy a strobe before the next trip though. I'll try to get round to posting a couple this evening.

[Fezant Pluckah]

Will, that's only good for 15m, so it may leave you wanting something else.

If you maintain the o-ring on the housing, ensure that there are no bits of fluff or hair trapped when you close it, then you should be fine.

I've been doing this for 20 odd years, and I am yet to flood a housing, though I have seen mny do so purely because they don't know what to do...

[Zod]

This is what the 850IS can produce. These are all without flash in the Maldives at about 20m.

[sjg]

Take a small slate with you and do custom white-balance off that. Bear in mind when you change depth you'll need to re-do it. It won't stop the colours going as you go deeper, but stops everything looking so blue (or green, if you dive in the UK).

Best results are at the shallower depths though - it's very tricky to get good, vivid colours at 20+m.

[Bee_Jay]

You can get something back with levels in Photoshop.

Simple, quick and dirty -

1. Sort out white balance - Image, Adjustments, Match Color, tick 'neutralise' and then 'OK'
2. Sort out levels - either all in one go "Auto" or do individual R,G,B channels for better results.

Edited by Bee_Jay on Monday 12th January 21:34

[ukwill]

Zod said:

This is what the 850IS can produce. These are all without flash in the Maldives at about 20m.

nice pics Zod, considering as you say, the basic tools at hand. btw, did you dive at Anse Chastanet? we're going to the Jalousie and have been told that both resorts have great diving - I might try both sites.

Screw it, I'm going to get the proper waterproof housing for my 870is and take time to seal it correctly! (point taken Jim)

hmm.. now do I have room for a tripod as well? it would be rude not to with the beach/sunrise/sunsets

[Bee_Jay]

ukwill said:

Zod said:

This is what the 850IS can produce. These are all without flash in the Maldives at about 20m.

nice pics Zod, considering as you say, the basic tools at hand. btw, did you dive at Anse Chastanet? we're going to the Jalousie and have been told that both resorts have great diving - I might try both sites.

Screw it, I'm going to get the proper waterproof housing for my 870is and take time to seal it correctly! (point taken Jim)

hmm.. now do I have room for a tripod as well? it would be rude not to with the beach/sunrise/sunsets

Just take the seal off every night to let it rest, wash the housing and seal in clean, fresh water. In the morning ensure there is NO grit or sand in the seal well or on the seal at all, grease it up with a tiny bit of the silicone they give you, pop the seal back on and job's a good-un.

May have a problem with condensation in the housing in the Maldives due to the humidity, not sure - maybe Zod can comment. Putting it back together in an air-conditioned room may help.

Edited by Bee_Jay on Monday 12th January 22:48

[Zod]

ukwill said:

Zod said:

This is what the 850IS can produce. These are all without flash in the Maldives at about 20m.

nice pics Zod, considering as you say, the basic tools at hand. btw, did you dive at Anse Chastanet? we're going to the Jalousie and have been told that both resorts have great diving - I might try both sites.

Screw it, I'm going to get the proper waterproof housing for my 870is and take time to seal it correctly! (point taken Jim)

hmm.. now do I have room for a tripod as well? it would be rude not to with the beach/sunrise/sunsets

Yes, the diving at Anse Chastanet was very good. The dive people there are enthusiastic and know the sites well. You'l probably dive the same sites from the Jalousie. There's a very good wall off the Pitons.

[Zod]

Bee_Jay said:

ukwill said:

Zod said:

This is what the 850IS can produce. These are all without flash in the Maldives at about 20m.

nice pics Zod, considering as you say, the basic tools at hand. btw, did you dive at Anse Chastanet? we're going to the Jalousie and have been told that both resorts have great diving - I might try both sites.

Screw it, I'm going to get the proper waterproof housing for my 870is and take time to seal it correctly! (point taken Jim)

hmm.. now do I have room for a tripod as well? it would be rude not to with the beach/sunrise/sunsets

Just take the seal off every night to let it rest, wash the housing and seal in clean, fresh water. In the morning ensure there is NO grit or sand in the seal well or on the seal at all, grease it up with a tiny bit of the silicone they give you, pop the seal back on and job's a good-un.

May have a problem with condensation in the housing in the Maldives due to the humidity, not sure - maybe Zod can comment. Putting it back together in an air-conditioned room may help.

Edited by Bee_Jay on Monday 12th January 22:48

I had this on a couple of dives and did just as you say - kept it sealed outside and only opened it in air-conditioned areas.

[Zod]

Thanks, Bee-Jay. I can never decide how much to correct the blue. The trouble is that I download the photos straight after the dive and then my memory of it becomes influenced by the photos.