Going film from digital - quick tips needed

I'm a big digital photo guy. i have everything i need there (Canon 10D, 20D, 30D, L lenses, software, lights), but nothing for underwater. Instead of going the digital point and shoot route, i got myself a Nikonos V 35mm lens with dual strobes. I will be taking the Nikonos V this saturday to Bonaire, but not the strobes (not available yet).

From what i've been reading, the Nikonos V is pretty tricky to use. I know everyone says the 35mm isn't good, but i'll try it out and rent the 15/20mm from Capt Don if needed.

Can i get some Nikonos V, 35mm and 15/20mm, without strobe specific tips? i'm not looking for basic/general photo tips, but something more specific since i'm not used to being underwater or manual focus.

This is ironic, but since i'm a new diver, i'd like to find a decent configuration and use the Nikonos like a point and shoot and not fiddle with it so much.

here's what i'm thinking for a Nikonos V with 35mm or 15/20mm without strobes, in Bonaire:
A mode, 800 iso film, f5.6 or f8, take a deep breath, exhale and float down into the subject to about x feet and take one shot. I guess i'll find out what that x feet is after a few rolls of film (or look in front of the 35mm i guess). most of my subject will be my buddy (wife) against the reefs and fish.

does that technique make sense? please let me know if there's another way.

thanks!
G.

I don't know the answer to your question, but I am curious: why go 35mm versus digital?

TOM

SpiderSense:

I'm a big digital photo guy. i have everything i need there (Canon 10D, 20D, 30D, L lenses, software, lights), but nothing for underwater. Instead of going the digital point and shoot route,<snip>

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I can see why you'd have went with a Nikonos, which can produce stunning results, but you may find all the ancillary tasks of developing, no immediate feedback, scanning, etc will all make you wish you'd gotten a PnS, which can produce great results with auxiliary lenses.

Anyway, you have the Nikonos, so that's what we'll address.

The V will do OK on autopilot. If I'm reading you correctly, you're shooting within a few feet of the surface, right? If so, you'll find that 800 will probabally outrun your max shutter speed at 5.6.

In your shoes (fins) I'd bring 400 (cloudy) and 100 (bright sun).

Shoot with as wide of a lens as you can...the 20mm underwater will behave like your 24mm, on a 30D, in the air. The 15mm would be better. The stock 35mm is pretty much only good for extension tubes.

Get close. If you are using the 15mm, when you feel that you're too close, you are probabally just right.

Good luck! You're about to get sucked into spending some serious dollars.

All the best, James

Tom,
after i get more experience with diving/underwater photography, i'll probably get a case for my digital cameras. but i couldn't get myself to spend on a point and shoot (yuk!) or disposable film camera. and i always wanted a Nikonos.

its really just to try it until i go digital slr. i've tried underwater digital point and shoot before and... eh..

James,

i'll be going deep, and hoping its sunny enough to shoot without strobes. i'm hoping i can read those LEDs underwater (i can barely see them on land!) and will stop down if needed. but i'm thinking i need to go widest possible for decent shutter speeds but fear the shallow DOF. guess i'm trying to get some tips on whats a decent compromise to start with so i can just P&S the first few rolls (and focus on diving, no pun intended).

i hope Bonaire is sunny next week!

SpiderSense:

I'm a big digital photo guy. i have everything i need there (Canon 10D, 20D, 30D, L lenses, software, lights), but nothing for underwater. Instead of going the digital point and shoot route, i got myself a Nikonos V 35mm lens with dual strobes. I will be taking the Nikonos V this saturday to Bonaire, but not the strobes (not available yet).

From what i've been reading, the Nikonos V is pretty tricky to use. I know everyone says the 35mm isn't good, but i'll try it out and rent the 15/20mm from Capt Don if needed.

Can i get some Nikonos V, 35mm and 15/20mm, without strobe specific tips? i'm not looking for basic/general photo tips, but something more specific since i'm not used to being underwater or manual focus.

This is ironic, but since i'm a new diver, i'd like to find a decent configuration and use the Nikonos like a point and shoot and not fiddle with it so much.

here's what i'm thinking for a Nikonos V with 35mm or 15/20mm without strobes, in Bonaire:
A mode, 800 iso film, f5.6 or f8, take a deep breath, exhale and float down into the subject to about x feet and take one shot. I guess i'll find out what that x feet is after a few rolls of film (or look in front of the 35mm i guess). most of my subject will be my buddy (wife) against the reefs and fish.

does that technique make sense? please let me know if there's another way.

thanks!
G.

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in Bonaire your available light will usually be f 8(very shallow-10') to f5.6(deeper) with an iso 100 film at shutter speed of 1/90...without a strobe you may want to use this film-iso 100 or go for iso 400 which will let you use an f 11 and that aperture will give you a greater depth of field so that you will find more focused photos.you really are limiting yourself with that lens and no strobe..lens is great with a macro tube on it and a small strobe..camera is great with a 15mm lens and strobe..shots of wife against reef shots-shoot upwards at about 40/45 degree up -get surface light to outline subject ...you will not get any real colors(no strobe) and EVERYTHING will be blue/green..unless real shallow 10' or less..no reef at 10' all starts at around 30-35'..Try to at least rent a 3:1 macro tube and strobe-set up with iso 100 f22 --shutter at 1/90 or dial on "A"..focal distance minimum distance..you will have a real point and shoot setup this way -colorful shots and more acceptable exposures when you get it developed..Really a waste of expensive film without the proper tools.I use digital and my 3 nik5"s on shoots..my gallery has shots done digital and with nik 5's

You've got some good information here. If you go below 10ft, the only thing you can really do without a strobe is a silhouette. And for that I'd stick with 100 speed slide film.

oly,
thanks for the tips. wow, your macro shots are nice. i guess you stopped down the aperature alot which gives you very dark backgrounds.

i don't know about getting tubes just yet. and i'm not a good enough diver to handle the strobes. for this trip, it looks like i'll be 35mm, no strobe (unless i feel up to it and rent them), maybe rent the 15mm, and just point and shoot. blue cast is ok for now, since i want to capture what i see. just snapshots of our first big dive trip.

thanks again.

I recommend that you get a strobe. I like the Ikelite 100a for wide angle. A 15mm or 20mm lens would really help your results. Here's how to use them:

Set your focus to 3 feet and leave it there. Set your ap at f8 and leave it there. Shoot all photos from an apparent underwater distance of 3 feet. A 15mm or 20mm lens will have enough DOF to help with mistakes, and you can get a full-figure shot from that distance with a 15mm.

Set your shutter speed to M90 and set the strobe to either full power or TTL. If you set it at TTL, it will probably make a full dump, but it has the possibility to quench if the entire scene is too bright.

Use 100 speed film. You can bracket the background (blue) exposure by changing the shutter speed. You have options of 1/60 or 1/30 in addition to the M90 setting. Don't worry about shooting at 1/30--it's easy to hold a Nik steady enough underwater for this shutter speed. Shoot at about a 45 degree angle toward the surface. M90 will work well shooting toward the surface in Bonaire. Shoot at 1/60 when shooting horizontally (not toward the surface).

So, Nikonos point and shoot mode is 100 speed film, focus at 3 feet, Ikelite 100a at full power (Nikon 105 also at full power with the diffuser on), f8, shutter speed M90, shoot at an angle toward the surface from a distance of about 3 feet.

The photo at http://claycoleman.tripod.com/id220.htm was shot in Bonaire using this technique. Feel free to PM me if you have more questions. -Clay

Clay - WOW.. looks like i need strobes! nice shots.. i love shrimp shots.

well, i actually have two strobes, just not available right now (shipping to Nikon). so i was hoping to just use the Nikonos with 35mm and thats it. looks like it isnt possible? being a new diver, i didnt want to fuss with strobes, but i may go for it towards the end of the trip.

thanks again.