 Margaret m. Buenneke |
Underwater cameras I am going to Hawaii for two weeks in February. I plan on doing some snorkeling and possibly scuba. However, I do not often snorkel or scuba (opportunities are somewhat limited this time of year in DC). Is it worth it to buy an underwater camera of whatever type, or should I just buy several of the Kodak/Fuji underwater disposables? If I do buy a "real" camera, any suggestions on which one? I seem to recall that Nikonos (which I believe isn't made anymore) is a very good one, but know nothing about any of the other brands available. And my local camera store will debate lenses for hours but hates to debate cameras. (Who knows why.) Thanks, Margaret
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Terry R. Hatfield |
A Better Choice Would Be A Underwater Housing For Your Existing Camera Margaret...
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W. |
"A Better Choice Would Be A Underwater Housing For Your Existing Camera Margaret..." ...but that's also a screamingly expensive choice. Plus, you need at least one, preferably two, flashgun(s) on extended 'arm(s)' - i.o.w. well away from the lens - to get useable photos. With flash-on-camera you get the same effect as when you shoot a flash picture in a blizzard.... a nice white 'wall'.... Bottomline you can't take underwater pictures worth the effort if you don't have the proper equipment. And that proper equipment costs many hundreds at least! A couple nice postcards are a loooot cheaper...
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Jon Close |
I've used the Kodak single-use underwater camera for snorkling on a vacation a couple years ago. It works pretty well and is the most economical choice if you are not going to be doing snorkle/scuba on a continuing basis. Only drawback is that when you have prints made the operator usually does not correct the color properly and they turn out mostly blue/blue-green. But the film negative records enough go give good prints if you take the film to a lab with knowlegeable operators.
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Terry R. Hatfield |
...but that's also a screamingly expensive choice. Not At All, A Housing For A Point And Shoot Runs Around A $100.00.If Your Using A SLR Then Its Cost Prohibitive,
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
Depends on how clear the water and how deep you are regarding spots showing up from the flash.
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W. |
Clear water is dead water. Healthy (sea) water contains billions upon billions of suspended (floating) bits of organic matter and plankton. Each of those billions acts as a tiny little mirror reflecting the light from the camera straight back to it. Ergo: blizzard...
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
And with some parts of the oceans being clearer than others, depends on how clear the water is and how deep.
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robert G. Fately |
Wow, what a lot of oceanography lessons! Okay, Margaret, first things first: the light in the ocean depends on your depth as well as the natural turbidity of the water itself. The ocean around Hawaii is generally pretty clear, and if you stay within 20 feet of the surface you probably won't need a flash. So, for snorkeling purposes, a disposable or a P&S housing will no doubt suffice. As already described, an internal flash won't be very useful further than 3 feet from the subject (if that). And 'tis true that external units get pricey. Olympus just came out iwith a P&S digital (the 720SW) that is supposedly waterproof (not resistant, -proof) to 10 feet down, so if you don't snorkel too deep this may be all you need. For scuba, you will presumably be diving deeper than a couple of dozen feet - so there you are probably going to need a Nikonos (built like a tank) or a bona fide underwater housing. The Nikonos is a film camera, and can still be had on eBay and the like - I got a Nikonos IV for about $100 and used it in Hawaii this past summer. Upside was it is virtually indestructable; downside is it uses film so you're limited to 36 shots max...and you can't change film underwater. On the other hand, staying near the surface I was able to shoot without flash - which is fine for the coral reefs near the shoreline anyway. I took a shot of my family holding their breath underwater (only 2-3 feet down) from 10 feet away and it came out fine (use ISO400 film or higher). So, perhaps scuba-related shooting isns't worth the cost - unless you really plan to get into that. For snorkeling, that Olympus (to my knowledge, the only waterproof digital) might suit if you promise to stay in pretty shallow waters. The Nikonos route will allow you to go to 200+ feet depth, but without flash (available for the Nikonos, but, again, an investment) below 20 feet it will be too dark anyway. Hope that actually helps, since you were asking about cameras and all.
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W. |
Margaret, if you really want to go scuba diving and take underwater pictures, I recommend you rent a complete Nikonos system with underwater housing and flash system. In my experience (not in Hawaii, but in the Caribean) you can rent 'm per day. It won't be cheap, but at least you'll have decent photos without 'blizzards' and complete WITH the red part of the spectrum (which water filters out and is the reason for blue-green photos).
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Mark Feldstein |
I actually thought a Nikonos, still made by Nikon, is an underwater camea with a built-on underwater housing and separately available flash unit. Here's a link to one at B&H in New York: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=4748&A=details&Q=&sku=93390&is=USA&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation You'll find flashes at: YIKES these are more expensive than the camera !!! http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=&ci=4751 Oh, and it probably needs a lens yeah? Yep renting a whole outfit is a great idea, if you can find a rental house that has one. Call ahead to some camera stores in Hawaii. That'd be the hot set-up and these are pretty popular cameras.
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Deb James |
Underwater photography can be very expensive and FRUSTRATING (and occasionally rewarding)! Read everything you can get your hands on before you go. My husband and I SCUBA several times a year - both Caribbean and Hawaii - and we attempt to take pix. We're getting better, but there are a lot of quirks with underwater that you don't have above water. Film is probably still the most economical choice although you're limited to the number of shots you can take. One of the major drawbacks with digital right now is the shutter lag unless you go with an SLR and housing which is very expensive. A housing for my Nikon D70 costs more than the camera itself! Anyway back to the shutter lag. When you use a point and shoot digital in an underwater housing (or a self-contained point and shoot like something from Sea and Sea), there is a delay from the time the shutter is released and the image is recorded. When you're underwater, there is always movement. Either you're moving or the subject of the image is moving. So during the shutter lag something has moved! You can compensate for this, but it takes patience and practice. PS has a filter for adding back the red so that's not as much of a problem as it used to be. You'll have to stay fairly shallow though (less than 20-30 ft - maybe more in very clear water) or you will definitely need flash. Backscatter (flash bouncing off all those suspended particles of "stuff") can be a problem when you use flash even when the water seems very clear. Renting would be a great alternative if you can do it. Spend time to learn how to keep the equipment from flooding. A single hair caught in the O-ring will causing leaking and will ruin the equipment if not caught early enough. Salt water and electronics do NOT mix! I speak from experience! ;) My plan is to buy an underwater housing for my D70 once I upgrade to the D200 for my above water photography. We LOVE to SCUBA and take pix and we try to go several times a year, so the expense is worth it to us. Here are some underwater photography sites you can check out: backscatter.com Good luck and enjoy! Don't let all the warnings scare you away. It's VERY rewarding to come back with some great underwater images.
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Margaret m. Buenneke |
Thanks to all who responded. Who knew that I was starting such a firestorm with an innocent question ;} ??? Margaret, for whom February will not be coming soon enough!!!
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Margaret m. Buenneke |
OK, I have made a purchase - I bought a Nikonos V and lens. Since I haven't SCUBAed before, I'll stick with SNUBA, which only goes to 25 feet and should therefore hopefully not have as many lighting issues.... but I may take one of those Atlantis submarines... which will get me deeper without any health issues (I have a clotting disorder, so deep diving would probably be out of the question anyway). Thanks again, Margaret
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