Help aNewbie out with Sea & Sea MX-10

[Cubascuba]

Hello all,

Just got a great deal on a MX-10 brand new on ebay for $200.00! Of course it came with the ys-40 stobe. Can any one offer any tips on usinging this beginner's set up. I've rented this camera before and got some pretty good shots but anything would help.

Thanks,

Cubascuba

 

[herman]

Hi Cuda,

The MX 10 is a nice camera. I used one for years before going digital. You will want to add a wide angle and/or macro lens, with macro being my choice. There is a very good book on the Sea and Sea cameras. I could not remember the name so I searched the board and found Dee's info on it. "Joe Liburdi wrote a book called the Complete Guide to Sea & Sea. " I have this book and it's very helpful. You may want to do a search on this board, there have been a lot of hints over the years.

 

[Dee]

My first camera was an MX-10. It's a fixed focus camera so you'll need to learn to judge distance underwater. I forget the focusing range, I think it's 3ft for the normal lens, but the book Herman mentioned will cover all that very well.

I had both a wide angle lens and the macro lens, the macro was my favorite for that camera. One reason is the strobe is fixed, it throws the flash straight out from the camers. This means that the light gets reflected off any particles in the water and returns directly back to the lens, causing backscatter. This isn't an issue with macro shots but for wide angle it's deadly.

The macro lens has a framer attached so your perfect focus distance is measured for you. Just place your subject on the same plane as the framers, in between the 'goal posts' and you'll have perfect focus. Of course, fish don't care for this procedure but other subjects don't care.

One of my favorite photos every taken with the MX-10 was taken in Cozumel's clear waters with a wide angle lens....

 

[cdiver2]

My first camera was an MX-10. It's a fixed focus camera so you'll need to learn to judge distance underwater. I forget the focusing range, I think it's 3ft for the normal lens, but the book Herman mentioned will cover all that very well.

I had both a wide angle lens and the macro lens, the macro was my favorite for that camera. One reason is the strobe is fixed, it throws the flash straight out from the camers. This means that the light gets reflected off any particles in the water and returns directly back to the lens, causing backscatter. This isn't an issue with macro shots but for wide angle it's deadly.

The macro lens has a framer attached so your perfect focus distance is measured for you. Just place your subject on the same plane as the framers, in between the 'goal posts' and you'll have perfect focus. Of course, fish don't care for this procedure but other subjects don't care.

One of my favorite photos every taken with the MX-10 was taken in Cozumel's clear waters with a wide angle lens....

photo Dee one of your best that I have ever seen

 

[Gilligan]

There is a fiber optic kit for that camera/flash that will allow you to detach the flash from the camera. There is a photo of it here
Using that kit will require two hands, one for the camera and one for the strobe, so needless to say buoyancy control will be critical.
I believe it is over $100.

 

[sigelr]

I used to use the MX-10 w/ ys-40 strobe and, I might be crazy, but I seem to remember being able to remove the strobe and hold it a few inches away from the camera at an angle to reduce the effects of scatter. Maybe I'm nuts but I'd at least try it before sinking another $100 into a cable.

 

[rad21]

I used to use the MX-10 w/ ys-40 strobe and, I might be crazy, but I seem to remember being able to remove the strobe and hold it a few inches away from the camera at an angle to reduce the effects of scatter. Maybe I'm nuts but I'd at least try it before sinking another $100 into a cable.

A few years ago, I brought my MX10/YS 40A to Joe Liburdi' shop in So. Cal and we tried separating the strobe abd relying on the sensor to trigger the strobe, it was not very repeatable and the distance was a few inches on land, no telling how it would work UW. I do have the GBUndersea fiber optic kit and it worked excellent.

 

[Bora_Horza]

I used a MX-10 with flash on my last divetrip, and this is what I learned...

1. Takes great pictures in the range 1.5 to, say 3 metres with the YS-40 strobe (ie within range of the flash).

2. Takes ****e pictures if you try any longer distance/panoramic shots with the flash still on (backscatter problems - at least in the water I was diving in). I did take some pictures with the flash off, in shallower, lighter water, and they came out not too bad...

 

[fergyjohn]

I have used an MX-10 for a number of years, it was a good entry level camera, I have now gone to digital.
You can few a few of my pickies taken with the MX-10.
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/viewalbum.html?alb=76457

 

[seabat]

Like alot of the others I used a MX-10 before I changed to digital. It was fun to use.

For tips,

Make sure that you replace your o-rings if you bought it used. Get some o-ring grease (should come with new rings) and use it regularly.

Make sure that you have loaded your film properly. On the back left side there is a little indicator with black and white stripes. If your film is loaded right and advancing when you snap a shot, the stripes move. Dont rely on the frame counter. If the stripes dont move your film is not spooled right and you get to take 24 shots that are not recorded on the film. From experience this is a bummer

In addition to the book others have mentioned, Sea&Sea has a vhs tape that was somewhat helpful to me.

Take a small towel with you to wipe off the camera before you change rolls between dives. You will want to make sure that water is not present when you open the back. A little bit of saltwater will make a mess of the 2 AA batteries.

If you are diving in cold water the lock knob on the front under the shutter release is hard to turn with thick gloves.

If you get additional lenses, think real hard on how you are going to carry them with you. I left a macro lens somewhere on the bottom at Edmonds in Washington because it was not secured.

Dont forget to remove any air between an accessory lens and the camera when you first submerge. Dont forget to remove any seawater after you surface.

I had alot of fun with the camera and enjoyed it most with the macro lens. Hope you have fun too!