A little tip for noobs with cameras...

[MXGratefulDiver]

We encourage our students to do the underwater photography dive in their AOW class, because doing so has so far shown each and every one of them how badly their buoyancy control, trim, and situational awareness suffers under the influence of a camera.

Taking a camera on a simple dive in a site that isn't delicate can be a real learning and practice experience. Taking a camera on a dive that challenges your limits in other ways can be a disaster. To this day, my husband and I will both make the decision to leave the camera on land if there is something about that particular dive that looks like it might push us in other ways -- and I've left it clipped off the whole dive, when I miscalculated and ended up with it where I shouldn't have.

Holding onto a camera can also be a great way to get (some) people to become aware of how much they're waving their arms around ... and becoming aware of that problem is the first step toward breaking the bad habit.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[videofly]

I am going to relate this post to another potentially high-risk experience with cameras. As a skydiving videographer with over 1,200 still and video camera skydives behind me, I can say that in skydiving, adding cameras to routines is known to present numerous potential threats to the safety of the photographer as well as to others. For this and other reasons, skydiving videographers are oftentimes affectionately known as “videots”. When speaking of the commercial filming of other skydivers, the requirements/recommendations of equipment manufacturers and governing bodies is for the photographer to have over 200 skydives prior to jumping with a camera. Several main reasons for this recommendation include:
1- The need for expert skills in body positioning (could relate to buoyancy skills).
2- The need for altitude awareness without using gauges (could relate to depth awareness).
3- The need to be able to deal with an increased entanglement potential.
4- The need to not distract and/or injure others.
In spite of the benefits of having accident data, historical experiences of others, and expert recommendations for the use of cameras; using cameras during skydives remains one of the most hazardous disciplines in skydiving. With that said, one of the greatest threats to the safety of skydivers is related to the influence of camera-related distractions to both photographers as well as subjects. This concern has recently been exacerbated by the wide-spread marketing of small easy-to-use cameras.
Perhaps scuba divers can learn something from the historical accident data of skydivers.

 

[Zesty]

Lots of interesting points of view on this topic. I can tell you that one of the main goals of my diving was to be able to document all my dives. I even had my P&S with me at my AOW classes and dove with my classmates to get in the practice. My key was practice - I did about 40 dives in water 60 ft or shallower with my cameras and quickly learned that it is OK to put the camera down when task loading becomes too much. I have a lot of video that is of the camera hanging sideways on my BC or my hand when I had to pay attention to other things. My opinion is that taking pictures underwater is like using a cell phone in the car - the focus always has to be on the main topic - diving or driving. This is how I condition myself and what I expect out of myself.

 

[Hatul]

It's easy to paint photography with a broad brush. Some people carefully compose shots in manual mode, and others have already mentioned the added hassle of strobes adding complexity and bulk.

I'm one of those people who takes snap shots in part to log the dive from a visual perspective. I won't long remember what I saw on the dive, and if I don't get pictures, pretty soon it's like the dive didn't happen, and that's frustrating. Reviewing my shots later, and showing them to friends, is part of the joy and experience of diving for me.

That said, these days I put my point-&-shoot (no external strobe, in underwater mode so no manual fiddling) on a snappy coil and clip it to my upper right D-ring. I used to wear it on my right wrist via lanyard, but there's the distraction that it could come off, and it somewhat ties up the hand when exiting. The snappy coil I'm using is long enough I don't even have to 'open it up' and take advantage of the coil; I can use it when I need it, let it go and ignore it when I don't, and let it dangle when I'm exiting. Not much added hassle.

But yes, trying to carefully compose shots can blow buoyancy and cause reef damage. Be aware.

Richard.

I use the snappy coil as well so even unclipped you can't lose the camera when you let it go. On entry or exit through the surf I keep the camera clipped in so my hands are free to deal with fins, BC etc. The coiled lanyard, clipped to a D ring, has made camera management much easier.

The other issue with the camera is it's easy to get behind and lose your buddy as he swims off while you're busy taking a pic.

 

[bowlofpetunias]

It is all about communication and commitment to the buddy process. If I am going to stop to take a pic.. I always make sure my buddy is aware of it! I also check with my buddy regularly to see if he is getting bored watching me take pics. We both need to enjoy the dive!

 

[button]

I know that I'm not by any means ready for a camera underwater, but I was thinking of getting one of these things to play with: Amazon.com: Easy Shot Clip HD Diving Kit - Ultra Mini Digital Video Camera with 100ft Waterproof Housing and Mask Clip included.: Camera & Photo

Does anyone have anything against a simple USB-sized gadget that I can just clip to my mask?

 

[Steve_C]

When you do buy a camera. Do not rely on the thin wrist strap. Replace ASAP with the snappy coil. There is a DC1200 and strobe that should be almost to Europe now because I counted on the factory supplied wrist strap on a bouncy day at the hang bar.

 

[muteki]

I love this thread. I'm actually a photographer, and as much as I would LOVE to get underwater gear for my Nikon (and I was so, so tempted for Chuuk), I know I'm not ready yet. Adding a camera on manual settings would throw me back to the competence level of the first few dives, especially dangerous in currents or overhead environments. On my last trip I watched enough experienced divers, all of whom had more than twice my number of dives, just flail around in the currents while fiddling with camera gear...

 

[claymore]

I have done some video and still photography while diving and found that untill I had the ability to control my bouyancy with out a camera shooting video and photos was an exercise in futility. I am now comfortable shooting video and stills with a PHD camera. Trying to set camera setting deal with strobes or video lights adds more task loading than I want to deal with at this time, great pictures and video are great but get in the way of really enjoying the relaxation of the dive.

As far as camera straps and lanyards go, I had a GroPro 3 Black that I got in the spring, got a nice Z handle, put an nice padded loop handle on it and used it a couple of times in my drysuite. With zip seals on the wrists the loop handle was a tight fit to get it on the wrist, with the tight fit I never thought about an attaching lanyard. Went diving in Coz with the GoPro and the wrist lanyard and no coiled attaching lanyard. First dive reached down for my light and unnoticed by me the GoPro slid of my wrist, with out the zip rings to keep it on. Lesson learned, physically attach the camera to your body with a lanyard.

I know of another diver who had a wrist strap, and no attaching lanyard, on his camera and on tha accent the strap broke and the camera ended up in 80' of water in lake Michigan, luckily his buddy had enough gas to make a bounce dive and was able to retrieve the camera.

 

[tdtaylor]

I am an avid underwater photographer, but not a zealot. My air consumption and buoyancy do not suffer when I use a camera (housing, frame, strobes, etc.).

First, I typically do not take my camera on the first dive in a new locale, or if I have a new piece of equipment. Second, I have two short ropes with clamshell clasps on each end that clip high on each shoulder on my BC and to each side of my camera, which is slightly negative, so it hangs just below my chest. I tend alter my settings before I jump in, and tend not to fiddle with the camera until I am at depth, oriented with my Buddy, taken headings, etc. Third, I have my equipment, such as my computer, on the inside of my right wrist to I can always easily see my readings as I hold my camera. Fourth, I will not hesitate to skip a picture if it potentially could injure me, the subject, or the environment- just a reason to come back. And lastly, I will not hesitate to leave my camera clipped off if conditions become too demanding. Recently did this in NC, when the current ended up being much stronger than first thought and there was no where to hide.

With all of this said, I often dive with my daughter or good friend (who had 3,900 dives and is an avid photographer who taught me). Both are photographers, and we are all similar with low air consumption. But I would not allow my daughter to photograph until I felt she had the skills WELL mastered (and taken Stress and Rescue for multitasking) before she could start to carry a camera. Ever then, I set her up with a small housing with a single strobe .

I do often find the most obnoxious photographers to be those who just got a camera and have to push it into every situation, while flailing arms, legs, and others. Part of my training with my daughter has been courtesy. For example, if we find a desirable critter, or the DM does, we slowly move in, get 2 or 3 fairly quick shots, then wave in the next person. Only after everyone has finished, and usually after a short period to let the area settle, we go back and get some more involved sessions, taking time to study environments and behaviors (she is studying Marine Biology in college). Often, on a wall, we have let everyone get their shots (while stirring everything up), then let the group leave, usually with the DM, and we settle in for the rest of the dive on the wall by ourselves. It is always amazing what critters will come out if you wait 10-15 minutes and move slowly and calmly.

I am currently getting ready to teach the Photography Specialty, and part of the reason I want to do it is the emphasize the way it should be done. As in SCUBA, slow and gentle wins the race.

Terry

PS- my avatar- This happened when 4 or 5 divers were pursuing a turtle-a futile effort. I was further up on the wall. The turtle must have found me curious, and I snapped the photo as he gracefully swam right next to me on his way to the surface.