Getting Started with D200 and Ikelite housing and strobe

[InkDiver]

Hi there. I'm new to this place and fairly new to diving. (working on Advanced OW as we speak) I am not, however, new to photography. I just purchased an Ikelite housing and port to go with my D200 and Sigma 10-20 lens (which I'm guessing I'll be using at the 10 end). I also purchased an Ikelite DS-125 Srobe to get me started. If underwater is anything like land, I know I'll probably end up adding another strobe at some point.

Anyhow, if there are any D200 owners out there, do you have any suggestions for getting started underwater?

I pretty much always shoot RAW and process in CaptureNX or Lightroom/CS3, depending on my end goal.

I'll match the WB to the strobe output, which I believe is 4800 degrees.
ISO 100, Manual, 1/60, f/8-22 depending on situation, I would think.

Other thoughts and suggestions? Link to my gallery is below. As you can see, I'm just an amateur, but I love shooting photos!!

Thanks,

Don
Don Currie Photography- powered by SmugMug

[Warren_L]

Hi Don, congrats on the new housing. You'll have a lot of fun learning and playing with that setup. I shoot the D200 also with Ike strobes, but have an Aquatica housing. I have owned an Ikelite housing in the past for my prior D70 and they make quality housings.

I was (am) much like you in that I'd been into photography for quite some time before picking up underwater photography. It certainly has helped immensely in gaining proficiency at shooting underwater.

One of the primary differences you will notice right away is that the quality of light diminishes at a significantly shorter distance underwater than in air - which basically means that ambient light will usually come out greenish or bluish (depending on the water you're in), and your effective distance for your strobe is really not much more than 6 or 7 feet. So with underwater photography in general, you really need to be close to your subject. Having a nice wide lens like the 10-20mm zoom is perfect as this allows you to get within that effective strobe distance more easily.

If you are shooting RAW, you don't really need to worry about white balancing as you can set that after the fact. I generally don't bother as it is an extra step that I don't need to do while underwater since it can be done later on.

One tip to keep in mind is that if you're fairly new to diving, always remember that when shooting photos underwater, you are first and foremost diving and that should be your primary concern - conducting a safe dive for you and your buddy. Photography comes second - and be good with your buoyancy so that you don't have to grab onto anything or set yourself down on anything. This makes for a safer dive and preserves the visibility for others - and it will take time and practise to become proficient.

As far as settings, it really depends on what you are shooting and under what conditions. If you're in clear waters, you can get away with smaller aperatures and higher shutter speeds, but if you're in limited visibility conditions (like where I am mostly), you will have to make adjustments to settings you might never even consider when shooting topside. Quite often, when in low light and low visibility conditions, I shoot as slow as 1/8th sec with a wide open aperature and a mid-range ISO just to be able to capture some background light - which is something I would never do hand held on land, for example. So be prepared to make changes on the fly as you go.

[fisheyeview]

Well said Warren. The most important thing to learn about shooting underwater is bouyancy. I have seen too many shooters laying all over the reef trying to get a shot.

I shoot the D200 in a Sea & Sea housing. It is a great camera for underwater. I don't bother with WB either. Like Warren said this can be taken care of later.

Get your bouyancy down, and get out there and start shooting.

[Darnold9999]

I also use a D200 - Ike housing 60mm and 12-24 lenses for diving. Am a beginner re photography so my 2 cents is to get comfortable diving - then and only then take the camera with you. Too easy to get focused on the camera and forget to dive particularly when slightly narked.

Work out a pre dive checklist re the housing that you follow EVERY time to make sure you don't forget something and flood it. Or my favourite trick leave the lens cap on - makes for a frustrating dive.

[fisheyeview]

I also use a D200 - Ike housing 60mm and 12-24 lenses for diving. Am a beginner re photography so my 2 cents is to get comfortable diving - then and only then take the camera with you. Too easy to get focused on the camera and forget to dive particularly when slightly narked.

Work out a pre dive checklist re the housing that you follow EVERY time to make sure you don't forget something and flood it. Or my favourite trick leave the lens cap on - makes for a frustrating dive.

I've done both of those things.

I flooded my D200 & 105mm lens when I changed lens and port on the boat in between dives. I didn't see the cat hairs on the port o-ring.

I was on the Duane on a picture perfect day. No current and 100'+ of viz. I pulled the cover off of my dome port to see the lens cap still on my 16mm FE lens. I showed it to my wife before I pit the cover back on and carried it around. She spent half of the dive laughing at me as I followed her around while she took pictures.

[Warren_L]

I've done both of those things.

I flooded my D200 & 105mm lens when I changed lens and port on the boat in between dives. I didn't see the cat hairs on the port o-ring.

I was on the Duane on a picture perfect day. No current and 100'+ of viz. I pulled the cover off of my dome port to see the lens cap still on my 16mm FE lens. I showed it to my wife before I pit the cover back on and carried it around. She spent half of the dive laughing at me as I followed her around while she took pictures.

I don't think I've done quite that, but something similar. One time when I was mounting my wide angle lens, I didn't turn it quite far enough so that it clicked into place, and as a result, you can't focus or change any of the settings. At that point, it just becomes extra ballast.

Now what I do before my dives is to take a few test shots on the surface to make sure all my connections are proper and settings are what I want so that I can deal with problems before I get into the water. Not having the proper settings is not a huge deal as I can change them underwater, but it's much easier not to have to worry about that if you don't need to.

[jarhed]

Anyhow, if there are any D200 owners out there, do you have any suggestions for getting started underwater?

I've been shooting about 2 yearn now with my D200, aside from alot of practice, this book by Martin Edge has made biggest difference in my underwater photography:

The Underwater Photographer, Third Edition: Digital and Traditional Techniques

It is a reference that I tend to review pertinate chapters each time I head out with my scuba gear and camera.

Take care,
John

[philmayer]

These are all great suggestions!

I love Martin Edge's book too. It's very easy to follow. Small bites of info in each chapter.

I always try out my camera above water as well. I've forgotten to load a memory card and left a lens cap on.

One advantage you have with the Ikelite housing and strobe is that you can use TTL. I rarely use manual strobe any more. You'll probably want to set your shutter speed faster than 1/60th though. I can't get sharp photos at 1/60, I have to go to 1/125 most of the time.

I shoot everything in RAW and process it in Lightroom.

Remember that you can change your ISO as often as you want. This is the biggest change for me. I shot film for 30 years and just switched to digital two years ago. I'm so used to being stuck with a film speed that I don't change the ISO when I'm in a low-light situation.

The very best thing you can do to improve your UW photography is to improve your bouyancy. If you're spending all of your effort trying to stay off the reef because your bouyancy is screwed up, you're not going to have enough energy left to be creative.

[InkDiver]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. Fortunately, my dives over the next few weeks will likely be in the springs, so I won't have lots of reef crashing issues, and I'll get plenty of time to work on fine tuning buoyancy with the camera.

A few more questions for any of you that have a second.

The Sigma 10-20 cannot zoom with the port it fits, I have to pick a focal length and live with it. Am I better off closer to 10mm or 20mm?

Do you normally keep your port attached to the housing for storage, or do you remove it after each day of diving?

Thanks again for all the feedback. Also, for those who have photos out there, I looked all the links in posts and signatures and saw some beautiful stuff!!

Don

[Warren_L]

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. Fortunately, my dives over the next few weeks will likely be in the springs, so I won't have lots of reef crashing issues, and I'll get plenty of time to work on fine tuning buoyancy with the camera.

A few more questions for any of you that have a second.

The Sigma 10-20 cannot zoom with the port it fits, I have to pick a focal length and live with it. Am I better off closer to 10mm or 20mm?

Do you normally keep your port attached to the housing for storage, or do you remove it after each day of diving?

Thanks again for all the feedback. Also, for those who have photos out there, I looked all the links in posts and signatures and saw some beautiful stuff!!

Don

I would definitely keep the lens zoomed out as wide as possible, or at least close to the 10mm end. Reason being, you're going to be able to get closer with a shorter focal length than with a longer one, and your quality of light will be better from your strobe with a shorter distance.

I usually leave my port attached, but that is usually because I use my camera pretty well weekly. You do want to take it apart periodically to make sure that any trapped debris is cleaned from the port groove and o-ring. Be sure to clean the sealing surfaces of the port and housing (taking care to visually examine for particles, hairs, and other fibers as these can cause a breach in seal integrity). Also make sure the o-ring is clean and lightly lubed (only a tiny amount of silicone grease specific to the manufacturer's housing - which usually comes supplied). Just enough to make the o-ring shiny. The silicone grease does not form the seal, rather it allows the o-ring to slide into place. Too much grease can be a problem as it can potentially cause a leak and even attract particles.

For extended storage, I take the port off and store it and the o-ring in a case to keep the dust to a minimum.