SP350 settings
- Thread starter CheddarChick
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One suggestion I'd make is to use your "programmable button" to set the AEL button for "MyMode". I picked this up from a fellow in Grand Cayman who was using a Kathy Church SP-350 rental camera. I've never used the AEL button anyway, and this lets you change your MyMode with a single key stroke instead of having to enter and exit the menu. It has sped up my changes from macro to S-macro and wide angle by about a factor of 3.
bosshogg357
Registered
Gary,
I was wondering what the settings are that you use for each of the 4 preset (my mode) configurations. I just got the camera (sp-350) and I am waiting on the housing and strobe. It sounds like you found a really efficient way to change the settings.
Thanks
I was wondering what the settings are that you use for each of the 4 preset (my mode) configurations. I just got the camera (sp-350) and I am waiting on the housing and strobe. It sounds like you found a really efficient way to change the settings.
Thanks
ce4jesus:
OP
CheddarChick
Contributor
Larry & Gary, please come to WI and set my camera for me...PermanentlyNarced
Contributor
Larry and Gary have a lot of posts on here about items that they have learned from using the SP350. Gary also has several posts on Wetpixel that have helped. I spent weeks reviewing old posts trying to learn as much as I can. It helped tremendously!
Larry's post above about changing the AEL botton to be the toggle between the four MyModes is an awesome tip. It is a very easy way to toggle between your Super Macro, Macro, and WA MyModes. I find myself periodically pressing the AEL button (also referred to as the Custom Button) just to verify what MyMode I am in. It is also nice to use to get back to the basic predefined settings of the MyMode that you are in (by toggling around to that MyMode again).
You can change the function of the AEL button (Custom Button) by going into the Menu, Right button to Mode Menu, Down button to Setup tab, Right button to get to the option list, and then Down button (scrolling) to the very last page (5) of options (or by hitting the up button to go backwards to the last page). The only option on this page is Custom Button. Press the Right button to get to the list of actions that you can assign to the AEL button. The third option in the list is the MyMode toggle. Select it and you are all set. Now you can use the AEL button to toggle between the four MyModes.
Another thing that I found useful was to set up the Short Cuts. This is where you can assign three items that appear along with "Mode Menu" option when you press the Menu button. I have set up White Balance, ISO, and Picture Quality as my shortcuts. Now I don't have to page through all of the menus just to manually set the White Balance or to change the ISO. You can set these short cuts very similar to how you set the AEL Button. The only difference is that the Short Cut setting is on the fourth page of the Setup option list whereas the Custom Button was on the fifth page. Press the Right button on the Short Cut item and it will take you to where you can set the three short cut items.
Hope this helps a little.
Larry's post above about changing the AEL botton to be the toggle between the four MyModes is an awesome tip. It is a very easy way to toggle between your Super Macro, Macro, and WA MyModes. I find myself periodically pressing the AEL button (also referred to as the Custom Button) just to verify what MyMode I am in. It is also nice to use to get back to the basic predefined settings of the MyMode that you are in (by toggling around to that MyMode again).
You can change the function of the AEL button (Custom Button) by going into the Menu, Right button to Mode Menu, Down button to Setup tab, Right button to get to the option list, and then Down button (scrolling) to the very last page (5) of options (or by hitting the up button to go backwards to the last page). The only option on this page is Custom Button. Press the Right button to get to the list of actions that you can assign to the AEL button. The third option in the list is the MyMode toggle. Select it and you are all set. Now you can use the AEL button to toggle between the four MyModes.
Another thing that I found useful was to set up the Short Cuts. This is where you can assign three items that appear along with "Mode Menu" option when you press the Menu button. I have set up White Balance, ISO, and Picture Quality as my shortcuts. Now I don't have to page through all of the menus just to manually set the White Balance or to change the ISO. You can set these short cuts very similar to how you set the AEL Button. The only difference is that the Short Cut setting is on the fourth page of the Setup option list whereas the Custom Button was on the fifth page. Press the Right button on the Short Cut item and it will take you to where you can set the three short cut items.
Hope this helps a little.
We can get you started, but really it's just practice makes perfect. One cool thing about the SP is that when you're in a given set-up, it's easy to adjust if it's not working. In manual settings, if your pictures are too dark, blurry, etc. you can just use the scroll buttons around the menu/OK button to increase or decrease your shutter speed and f-stop. Practice with this topside, and get familiar with the process. When you review a picture underwater and there's a problem with it, just adjust the shutter speed or the f-stop up or down and take the same shot again. The best way to get your baseline settings is to do this on a few dives, then look at the EXIF info on your best pictures. You can do this by right clicking and going to "properties". It will tell you your focus distance, shutter speed, f-stop, flash settings, etc. Another thing to look at is the histograph. If the colors are balanced, your settings are usually pretty good. If you get a peak at one end and a dominant color, you can adjust your lighting accordingly.CheddarChick:
Every condition is different. Shooting in Monterey, in 8ft. vis at 80 feet with big chunks of Algae and little white plankton floating about is totally different from Cozumel, with 150-200 feet, and you can night dive by moonlight without a light. You just have to take lots of pictures and see what works best for you.
"Gary,
I was wondering what the settings are that you use for each of the 4 preset (my mode) configurations. I just got the camera (sp-350) and I am waiting on the housing and strobe. It sounds like you found a really efficient way to change the settings."
Like Larry, I have my hotkey programmed to change cycle through the mymodes. There is 4 of them, mymode 1-4. You can choose any setting change that you like and save them as a mymode. When you select that mode, it places the camera settings exactly like you programmed them. It is a very efficient way of selecting different settings. Again, the hardest thing I had to do underwater was remember which mymode I had programmed for the corresponding mymode 1-4. So I chose a simple progression, mymode1 = supermacro, mymode2=macro, etc. As for the exact settings - Whatever you can program the camera for...full-time AF, digital zoom on/off, iso, aperture, etc will be saved and there are too many to list here. There is a graphically represented histogram in the setup. Turn this off. If you don't turn that off, your screen will appear black in lowlight settings. Working with it in the pool is key to discover which settings work for your setup. The only other bit of advice I have is to be vigilant about halfway depressing the shutter and focusing on things you don't even plan on taking pictures of (fellow divers, fish, coral). This keeps the camera from going to sleep and it also allows the camera to prefocus and set white balance and ttl, therefore when that pelagic swims by you'll be ready to shoot.
I was wondering what the settings are that you use for each of the 4 preset (my mode) configurations. I just got the camera (sp-350) and I am waiting on the housing and strobe. It sounds like you found a really efficient way to change the settings."
Like Larry, I have my hotkey programmed to change cycle through the mymodes. There is 4 of them, mymode 1-4. You can choose any setting change that you like and save them as a mymode. When you select that mode, it places the camera settings exactly like you programmed them. It is a very efficient way of selecting different settings. Again, the hardest thing I had to do underwater was remember which mymode I had programmed for the corresponding mymode 1-4. So I chose a simple progression, mymode1 = supermacro, mymode2=macro, etc. As for the exact settings - Whatever you can program the camera for...full-time AF, digital zoom on/off, iso, aperture, etc will be saved and there are too many to list here. There is a graphically represented histogram in the setup. Turn this off. If you don't turn that off, your screen will appear black in lowlight settings. Working with it in the pool is key to discover which settings work for your setup. The only other bit of advice I have is to be vigilant about halfway depressing the shutter and focusing on things you don't even plan on taking pictures of (fellow divers, fish, coral). This keeps the camera from going to sleep and it also allows the camera to prefocus and set white balance and ttl, therefore when that pelagic swims by you'll be ready to shoot.
Rockbrother
Registered
I always wondered what that little AEL button was for, that will teach me right for not reading the manual :shakehead
When not used as the custom button, pressing the AEL button gives an explanation of the current setting.
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