My First UW Camera!!! S90-Ike-s2000-UWL-04

[KhunNeal]

yes u can press ring func and cycle thru, it just takes time, and then I never remember if I left ring func on ISO or EV
whether to change EV via ring func or Shift method is a personal preference , both methods work fine.

 

[chrishet]

I prefer to use the Shift method for setting EV, but that's me.
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After playing with this approach I kinda like it...Seems there IS more than one way to skin a cat!...Thx!

 

[chrishet]

Does anyone use the Custom Setting for anything? Seems like it might be a quick way to get to a commonly used Manual setting.

On my Tray and Arm setup, I ordered all ULCS parts. I am adding the Double Tray upgrade and an additional handle to support my Fix LED500 focus/video light on a 3 inch arm. The quote I have from Reef Photo also includes 2 - 5 inch arm sections for an Inon S2000 strobe. I see a lot of rigs out there with just one arm section...I would like to keep my system compact...is the additional 5 inch arm section for the strobe buying me that much? TIA

 

[chrishet]

How's this for luck...my S90 setup from Reef Photo arrives Tomorrow, Friday, and my local dive shop is having a free photography workshop (in pool and classroom) all day Saturday and Sunday with Sandy Sondrol and Amos Nachoum! WOW!!!

SEMINAR SCHEDULE:
11:00AM Sat & Sun - Quick Tips for Great Shots (Sandy Sondrol)
11:30AM Sat & Sun - Point & Shoot Simplicity VS SLR Flexibility (Sandy Sondrol)
12:00PM Sat & Sun - Point & Shoot Your Way to Great Photography (Sandy Sondrol)
1:00PM Sat & Sun - Travel in the Company of Big Animals (Amos Nachoum)
2:00PM Sat & Sun - The Art of Making Images vs. Taking Pictures (Amos Nachoum)
3:00PM Sat & Sun - SLR Ideas to Expand Your Repertoire (Sandy Sondrol)
4:00PM Sat & Sun - Edit & Enhance: Finish the Job (Sandy Sondrol)

POOL SCHEDULE:
Camera Testing/Instruction (Sat & Sun 1:00PM-3:00PM & 5:00PM-6:00PM)

 

[chrishet]

Amazing conference...I am so much better prepped for my trip than I was last week. Sandy and Amos are amazing photographers. I spent most of the day with Sandy, in and out of pool. My LDS had an artificial reef setup to test equipment and techniques we learned in class. Sandy spent most of the day discussing tips and techniques around P&S cameras...I took lots of notes and learned tons. Here is a link to Sandy's site http://www.sandysondrol.com/ ... Btw, he prints archival and canvas prints so if you have captured something truly special he can produce it for you.

Amos Nachoum is an incredible photographer and professional journalist. He runs a tour operation to locations all over the world to photograph large animals...if you ever get the chance to book a tour you would not regret it...a true National Geographic experience for sure...Big Animal Expeditions. epic wildlife experiences.

My strobe arrives this week...my housing, tray, and accessories arrived last Friday. Everything was very easy to setup. I have some memorization to do around button and menu control but that is going well so far. I did get some pool time yesterday in the class. The camera focused very well, both with and without the WA lens. I noticed with the focus light that there was less shutter lag. I do like the magnified focus window to verify focus before my shot, however the half-press on the shutter is tricky at best. Video was surprisingly good, especially with the Fix LED500 light, but I think I will need a diffuser as there is quite a bright hot spot.

 

[chrishet]

Well I am off to Coz, Belize, Roatan, and Costa Maya...I think I have a pretty good rig - not bad for my first! I'll send pics back upon my return....Thanks all for the advice and guidance...I have learned so much these past few weeks! Wish me luck!

 

[CompuDude]

Nice setup, Chris! What backpack is that?

Holy cow that Fix focus light is HUGE! It's as big as your strobe! LOL

As to the manual/AV thing, I prefer manual. Yes, that means manually tweaking the strobe dial, too. It's not as tough as you'd think, and I think the more you do it, the more you really get to know photography on a much more visceral level.

I use the Custom mode to dial in my common Macro settings, which speeds the transition when I'm switching from wide angle stuff to macro work (and swapping lenses).

I envy your warm water trips! I can't wait to get mine in some warm water (although at this point I'll settle for decent conditions).

 

[markster33139]

I too would like to know what backpak are you using?

 

[chrishet]

I too would like to know what backpak are you using?

Lowepro Computracker Plus - fits all my gear and my computer...worked out great for my cruise.

 

[chrishet]

OK, here are my first pics using the S90..this past week was quite a learning experience - be kind these are my very first digital underwater shots...but please let me know how I did...All images shot RAW and processed in PhotoShop CS4. Also, all images were shot in AV mode and the flash set to STTL. The Fix UWL-04 WA lens did vignette badly at 28mm, not so bad at 35mm. Some of these are shot with the WA, some without. Honestly I liked shooting without it more then with it, although getting close with the WA made a ton of difference in the color on many of the coral shots...Location: Cozumel, Isla Roatan, and Costa Maya. Roatan won hands down.
Chrishet's First Light Images