help!!! basic camera knowledge

hey all,

i have bought a cheap digital camera with housing, flash diffuser and red lens attachment, but i have no idea what the diffuser and red lens is used for.

i know im not going to get magazine quality snaps, but i just want to be able to show friends and family and get a good reaction.

just a brief description on each and where and how to use them would be great thanks.

thanks everyone.

I'm no camera expert but as far as I know the red lens is because the deeper you go, red is the first color you lose. If you look at some u/w photos they may look very blue or green, that's because the red is gone. If you are going to be deep, the red lens can come in handy. The diffuser, I believe, is to reduce backscatter from your flash.

You might want to send a PM to Alcina, I think she is pretty good with all the camera stuff.

The diffuser is to soften the flash and spread it so the bubbles and particulate don't bounce it back into your lens as backscatter. The red lens is for color correction, but if you use it below about 25-40ft. you'll probably get very dark pictures. Light is already scarce at depth, and when you filter it it gets even scarcer.

thank you both for the great help, im pretty sure i understand what you are saying.

cheers guys