Getting Started with Underwater Photography: What Gear?

[hannahthiem]

What gear would an advanced photographer bring on an underwater vacation if they wanted to get started with UW

photography?

[SCL]

<p>A dentist friend of mine who did some outstanding underwater photography over a period of years, merely used his regular camera with an underwater housing (the really expensive one with all the external controls) with a medium wide lens, and an underwater light....can't remember if it was a strobe or not, but it seems like it was a sort of macro light which had strobe capabilities. The light is nowhere near as strong underwater as above, so he said the external light was critical to his photographic success. He said although the photographic gear was expensive, his diving gear was much more expensive, as his life depended on it. That's about all the help I can offer, hope you get more specific info and have a great vacation.</p>

[jim_j2]

<p>Hannah,</p>

<p>Decide which Camera body you wish to take. I would recommend using a lens that is capable of close-up's or even macro. And if you can afford the different "Lens Ports" then possibly something wide.</p>

<p>I had many years experience with Ikelite U/W housings plus some others, but always liked the Ikelite housings because they offered the best controls for specific Camera Bodies.<br>

"Back in the day" my favorite was the Ikelite housing for the Canon A-series, I used the AT-1, AE-1 and mostly the A-1 with a Vivitar 283 strobe. You will also have to have specific "Lens Ports" for the lenses you choose to use. <br>

Check out their website (It's kind of like PN here with some tutorials, etc.,) they can be found at <a href="http://www.ikelite.com">http://www.ikelite.com</a><br>

I would also recommend a housing for one of your flashes/strobes. Colors start to disappear quickly below say 20 ft. deep.</p>

<p>The cost of U/W Housings for SLR's or DSLR's will not be cheap!<br>

Without doing some research, I don't know if Nikon is still manufacturing anything in the "Nikonos" line. I used a Nikonos II, III & IV at times. They too were very good, but again, we are talking about film back in the day.<br>

You may want to consider some of the P&S camera's and U/W Housings.</p>

<p>Best Wishes,<br>

"It's a wonderful world down there!"</p>

[Jerry_]

<p>Nikonos.</p>

<p> </p>

[Jerry_]

<p>Nikonos. The Nikon camera constructed to take in the water, no extra housing needed. Of course, you would be limited to 36 exposures (film needed.)</p>

<p>The KEH web-site</p>

<p>www.keh.com</p>

<p>has several Nikonos items to check the prices on.</p>

<p>For limited depths, Pentax and Olympus have <strong>sort-of-underwater</strong> digital cameras on the market.</p>

 

[gordonjb]

The answer very much depends on your budget. Ikelite make the most common and least expensive cases for DSLR's, but they are still around $1500 for a 5D or 50D. You will need separate lens ports for each lens you plan on diving with. Aluminum cases are stronger, last longer and are much more expensive than the Ikelite polycarbonate ones.

 

Assuming that you are an experienced diver, you will be photographing at depths beyond the travel of at least some significant part of the light spectrum. Even in the bright clear waters of the tropics, colours begin to drop off significantly beyond about 15 - 20 feet. At 100 feet the world becomes close to B&W. You will need at least one underwater strobe to get back the natural colours. Two strobes are better but one is a good start. The strobes need to be mounted on flexible arms to adjust positioning to avoid backscatter from particulate matter suspended in the water and achieve even lighting. A strobe with an aiming/focus light is a good idea as achieving auto focus in dim light at depth can be challenging. TTL as well as manual settings are nice. The Sea & Sea YS-110 alpha is a good and reasonably priced UW strobe or at least I am happy with mine.

 

I have been shooting for 30 years but have only recently learned to dive so my choices for gear have been made based both on budget and diving experience. In order to get a basic feel for UW photography without committing to a large expenditure. I decided to go with a G10 in the proprietary Canon WP-DC28 uw case. The G-10 takes 15 meg raw files which is good enough for me at this point. I think the case was around $ 200 . It has been down on around 60 dives over the last 2 years without any troubles. With any case you have to be fanatical about maintaining the "O" ring and soaking the case in fresh water after every dive.

So far I only have a single arm and the YS-110. The learning curve is steep enough that I will be fine with this set up for a few years although I am already looking at a second flash. Shooting underwater you want to use a wide lens. Water is a dense medium and is also filled with suspended matter so you want as little water as possible between your camera and your subject. For my G10 I picked up a Fantasea Bigeye lens to widen the wide angle view from the G10 lens. This is a wet lens so it fits over the front of the G10 casing and can be put on or removed as needed underwater.

 

AN Ikelite case for your DSLR plus a good set of arms and two UW strobes would be sufficient gear to allow you to take truly spectacular photos underwater.

 

Underwater photography is great fun and quite the challenge. When you are drifting in the water and your subject are swimming and you have a dozen other things to be thinking about, getting that perfect shot can be difficult. I keep telling myself that as my buoyancy control improves and I gain experience with the flash and camera my number of keeper will increase.<div></div>

[david_carroll4]

<p>There's an old saying that goes along the lines of "golf is a great way to ruin a nice walk". In a similar fashion, "U/W photography is a great way to ruin a nice dive". What I'm saying is, it's pretty hard to come back from a dive with decent pics unless photography becomes the sole focus (pun unintended) of the dive. Starting off with lugging the gear - a camera/housing with a couple of strobes on booms is a monstrously awkward thing to manouver in and out of the water. Trying to get a decent close up of a fish or other creature usually entails spending most of the dive lying on your belly waiting for the beast to become sufficiently accustomed to your presence that it shows itself. And when you surface and you've taken care of your diving gear - always a chore - you <em>then</em> have to start in on taking care of your camera.<br>

What I'm getting at (eventually) is don't invest too much in your setup until you've tried it a few times and decided if you like it. You can pick up a used Nikonos and a strobe for a few hundred dollars - with the understanding that, absent some maintainance to make sure that the myriad seals and O-rings are OK - the thing could flood on your first dive.<br>

I'm a fairly accomplished diver, but after I tried the camera/multiple strobe approach, I found I enjoyed the diving, rather than the photography. The one approach that I <em>did</em> enjoy, and which I will pursue again when/if I ever get back into the water, was available light photography using pushed (ISO 1600) B&W film, a Nikonos and a 15mm/2.8 wide angle. The quality of light in open water is beautiful. There's a mysterious, alien vibe that reminds me of how I felt when I started diving, and which a sharp colorful strobe-lit pic just doesn't capture (for me, at least).</p>

[gordonjb]

Thinking along those same lines " diving is a good way to ruin a nice swim " :-)

 

.... but seriously David makes a good point, UW photography does take a lot of your attention and a full rig with two arms is going to slow you down in the water. The added resistance will increase your air consumption as will all the standing on your head and otherwise contorting yourself often needed to get your shots lined up.

 

One of the upsides to the G10 set up is the compact size. Even with a single arm and strobe I can fold down the arm and the whole thing will fit tight to my BCD and can be easily held in place with one hand, thus producing little drag and being out of the way when not in use.

 

In line with another of David's good suggestions, it may be worthwhile to inquire about renting UW photography gear at the dive shop you plan to use to see how you like chasing fish with a camera , some of the outfitters rent camera gear.

[steve_levine]

<p>Great image Gordon!</p>

<p>I learned quickly that a person that is a good scuba diver, and also a good photographer. Is not automatically a good underwater photographer. It takes practice to even obtain poor images. I know I've taken many undersea failures. Gordon is exactly correct regarding flash. Usually below 15 feet things start to go blue/green on you. A Nikonos with it's companion flash is the best place to start if you want superior results. A small underwater film or digital camera with a built in flash , would be my last, but a workable choice.</p>

[henkelphoto]

<p>Hannah,</p>

<p>First, what type of diver are you? Experienced or novice. if you are a novice, don't even consider spending the money to get a dslr housing and flash units for uw photography. It's just too expensive on something that might be a flash in the pan for you. I've been a diver for around 40 years and can't tell you the number of divers who get certified one year and quit diving in the next year or two. So, decide if you really, really want to spend multiple thousands of dollars on equipment that won't do you any good if you give up the sport.</p>

<p>Now, that doesn't mean you can't do uw photography. A G10 or 11 will give you great photos. Also Sealife makes a great little camera and flash combo for around $600 that is a dedicated underwater setup.</p>

<p>As for the Nikonos, I've got a V and it's a great camera. However, it is film camera and a non-rangefinder film camera at that. What that means is that there is a viewfinder, but you have to turn a knob and estimate your distance. No easy above water, downright difficult underwater. If you get a Nikonos with the normal (35mm) lens it usually comes with, assume a success ratio of 1-35 for every roll of film you put through it until you learn how to use it. In other words, if you go that route, shoot a lot of photos with it underwater at subjects you really don't care if you get or not before that once-in-a-lifetime trip. If you are not familiar with film (and alot of photographers these days are not), I would forget about the Nikonos, even though you can get them pretty cheap. And the 15mm lens mentioned above will run about $600 for a nice one. Consider all the film and processing (and lost photos due to improper focus) and it becomes much more expensive than a good p&s camera in a housing pretty quick.</p>

<p>Jerry</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>It's about the light. A lamp or strobe will be real important. Include arms and connectors.</p>

<p>I really like using my bag housing for amphibious photography; but, it quickly became obvious to me just how important lighting is for underwater work. Even in these mountain streams, where the water looks clear, just one meter of water is enough to make recording difficult.</p>

<p>For this reason, I'd recommend getting the best lighting kit you could come up with. These will not attach to a soft bag housing. The serious UW user will almost have to go with a hard case. It'd be a search for really good lamps, arms and connecting cords. Link below to one made by Ikelite which has both a continuous and strobe mode. This is one of the more expensive items I've seen; but, it's probably the top end. <br /> http://www.adorama.com/Als/ProductPage/IK4061.html#TechSpecs</p>

[gordonjb]

John, many underwater strobes such as the http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/587594-REG/Sea_Sea_SS_03111.html can use a fiber optic cable which will allow the strobe to read TTL via the on-board flash on your K200D. You could no doubt rig up a way of securing the cable to the outside of the EWA bag over top of the Pentax's flash. I used adhesive backed velcro to connect one end of the cable to the outside of my G10 case simultaneously blocking the output from the G10's on-board flash from affecting the exposure and letting the YS-110 read the flash output from the G10 through the case.

[jpo3136b]

<p>That's a good point, Gordon. However, I don't think that there's going to be a good substitute for a solid "tray" type system, with all the stuff bolted together. This is one of those tasks where, if you improvise too much to go all the way, I think one might as well have gotten the best items that could be obtained to begin with; it'll end up being about as expensive.</p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>The lighting seems to be even more important underwater because there are few ways to effectively improvise. This may sound childish on my part; but, I've never wanted to "rig up" anything solely because I figured that I would eventually have an electrical mishap in the water.</p>

<p>Some strobe capacitors can kick out some juice.</p>

<p>It'd probably never be as bad as I'd imagine, (I guess just equipment on the fritz) but it just seemed like the improvising with electrical lights underwater was the gateway to doing something really stupid. It seems like a "dumb accident" video in the making.</p>

<p>While probably unlikely, it just seemed to me that using the existing products, even though they are expensive, is probably safer. So, it's the commercial lights of some kind, or you're pretty much done before you've begun.</p>

[todd peach seattle, washi]

<p>I bought a Nikonos V with a 35mm lens, the 15mm lens, and the SB-105 flash with tray / arm last year. I bought it in advance of a 2 week stay on a snorkeling beach in Kauai. I think I assembled all that for just about $1,100. That seems like a lot, but I've owned some Nikonos stuff in the past, and it used to go for much, much more money than that, so this seemed like a laughably cheap deal.</p>

<p>I am not a diver. I am an experienced "land" photographer. As others have said, UW photography is extremely challenging, and in my case "1 in 35" doesn't even describe my "keepers" ratio so much as my "I can recognize that fish" ratio.</p>

<p>I told myself that if I didn't enjoy UW shooting at all, I could roll the gear over used for about what I paid for it. I have not done that (yet). I see it as a peculiar kind of challenge that I might try again, especially since I think we'll return to that same beach cottage next year.</p>

[gordonjb]

John;

 

Two points:

 

First; Nothing in what I suggested is outside of the manufacturers recommendation. The risk of shock using a fibre optic link between the flash and camera is non existent. It simply gets around using the alternative in the event that your case had a dedicated external flash connect. A fibre optic cable is exactly what it sounds like, a small piece of plastic wire inside of which light can travel in order to allow your on-board flash to communicate with your external strobe -- it coveys light not electricity. I am not sure of what you think I was suggesting but clearly you misunderstood. Please except my apologies for being insufficiently clear in my explanation. Since you appear uninterested anyway I will forgo further attempts at explanation.

 

Second; If you did purchase a YS-110 strobe or equivalent and did not find it working for you with the EWA bag you would only be out of pocket for the price of a strip of velcro. The YS-110 can be used with a polycarbonate case and attached to a strobe arm and makes an excellent primary flash for underwater work.

 

Don't get me wrong, I have no interest in trying to talk you into anything. I was merely suggesting a possible solution to your EWA bag having no flash attachment. Given your response I felt a need to point out that neither of the your concerns are legitimate.

[jpo3136b]

<p>Gordon, I think you misunderstood what I wrote. I meant completely improvising underwater equipment from scratch; I wasn't writing about your suggestion in particular. J.</p>

[gordonjb]

John;

 

Agreed, improvising any equipment underwater is very risky. When I was taking my PADI rescue diver course our instructor told us several truly frightening stories regarding serious accidents which resulted from people modifying or otherwise improvising with their diving gear. Hard to believe anyone would do such a thing, but it happens.

[colin carron]

<p>A friend of mine who is a professional underwater photographer uses a Hasselblad film camera in a houding. I would not have thought that film was essential but the general idea is to use good camera in a housin.</p>

[dmichaelphoto]

<p>This is a simple question with a long response. Sealife makes some great underwater setups for people looking to dabble in UW photography. First define your desired images (macro, wide agle, split level) and work backward. I'm a professional photographer both above and below the water and specialize in wide angle cold water photography. You don't want to travel with me.<br>

My advice is become a good diver first, then decide on how serious you want to be with underwater photography. Get a sealife set up for $500-$600 and start working then decide if you want to go further. I dive with a Canon 5D in an Ikelite housing with an 8" dome port using either a 15mm fisheye or 17-40mm F4 L. My light comes from a Ikelite 160 ( I will add another next season) shooting both TTL and Manual power. I've shot this in fresh water, salt and pools. It is a great set up but requires dedication a patience to say the least, and about $4k without the camera. Housings don't come with a port or port body, or light. Make sure you add up all the parts before deciding on investing. My Storm case I travel with was $250 alone and now costs $50 on every flight. Dedication. But when you see your work on the newstand it almost seems worth it. <a href="http://www.dmichaelphoto.com">www.dmichaelphoto.com</a></p>

 

[bubble_head]

<p>Nikonos, Pronounced (Nikon-ohs), like Cheerios only Nikon instead of Cheeri.</p>

<p>Say all the bad things you want to about film, but this system is the only one that has lenses that are corrected for underwater use. Also it is a full system, you can add on as much or as little as you want to and it will produce great results in or out of the water.<br>

It is also sand proof, dust proof, dirt proof, mud proof, beer proof, you get the idea, and unlike a housing you won't look like an idiot if you are out there taking street photos with a Nikonos in the rain.<br>

You may not want to shoot a Nikonos outdoors at night because the dedicated strobes are a bit silly looking, but in daylight this camera is great, and would have little or no problem serving you for an entire vacation both above and below the waves whatever the weather. If you want to shoot outdoors at night, you may need faster film or that silly looking strobe.</p>

[jhenthorne]

<p>Hannah:</p>

<p>I have many friends that are now "divers" due to some of my influence. The first thing they all want to do (because they see me doing it) is photography u/w. My advice to them and you is the same: u/w photography ...even for an advanced photographer....is 80% about diving abilities. Specifically, just experience and ultimate buoyancy control.<br>

Assuming you are "there" as a diver, I highly suggest you explore u/w photography by simply renting a setup from the dive shop you are diving out of etc. Basically, see if you like it. As others have mentioned, taking shots becomes the dive....so you do get caught up with it and miss some of the bigger picture. I highly suggest starting with an u/w setup that is small and low profile. Just like in your above water photography I doubt you started off with Canon 1d?</p>

[jhenthorne]

<p>Hannah:</p>

<p>I have many friends that are now "divers" due to some of my influence. The first thing they all want to do (because they see me doing it) is photography u/w. My advice to them and you is the same: u/w photography ...even for an advanced photographer....is 80% about diving abilities. Specifically, just experience and ultimate buoyancy control.<br>

Assuming you are "there" as a diver, I highly suggest you explore u/w photography by simply renting a setup from the dive shop you are diving out of etc. Basically, see if you like it. As others have mentioned, taking shots becomes the dive....so you do get caught up with it and miss some of the bigger picture. I highly suggest starting with an u/w setup that is small and low profile. Just like in your above water photography I doubt you started off with Canon 1d?</p>

[bernie moore]

Much collected wisdom in the above posts. My suggestion is to get a cheap digital camera that can focus down to marco. Get a cheap polycarbonate housing. Get down and take some close up pics. Probably cost you under 3 hundred. If you like what's going on and your images, the next step is like falling off a cliff. You will be thousands of dollars in debt and have a ton of equipment to learn how to manage above and below the surface. You had better be a helluva good diver because the camera and strobes are demanding of body and mind. I'm going to the Curacao at the end of the month. I can't wait; be my ninth visit to that little Island and it's beautiful reefs.

[bernie moore]

Much collected wisdom in the above posts. My suggestion is to get a cheap digital camera that can focus down to macro. Get a cheap polycarbonate housing. Get down and take some close up pics. Probably cost you under 3 hundred. If you like what's going on and your images, the next step is like falling off a cliff. You will be thousands of dollars in debt and have a ton of equipment to learn how to manage above and below the surface. You had better be a helluva good diver because the camera and strobes are demanding of body and mind. I'm going to the Curacao at the end of the month. I can't wait; be my ninth visit to that little Island and its beautiful reefs.<div></div>