Panasonic FT3 (TS3), snorkeling & freediving photos and videos, Red Sea, Egypt

[primus]

Just return from Egypt, Far Garden (near Naama Bay, Sharm el Sheikh):

photos: Sharm el Sheikh, may.2011 album | Primoz | Fotki.com, photo and video sharing made easy.
movies: YouTube - ‪PrimozP's Channel‬‏

Almost all material was recorded using "underwater" scene mode, AWB, continuous focus set to OFF, best picture quality, 8MP at depths up to 15 meters and all of them were made during snorkeling/freediving (mask and fins only), with "naked" FT3, without any additional light. Pictures were just imported to Picasa3, resized and exported.

Primoz

14 meters deep

2 meters wide Spotted Eagle Ray

[video=youtube;y0Xw2Wqyja4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0Xw2Wqyja4[/video]

[video=youtube;rCuOk9Jw6Qg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCuOk9Jw6Qg[/video]

 

[Vyzyl]

Wow, nice pics! Moving fishes are difficult to capture in focus so may I ask which 'focus type' did you use? 1-area, 1-area high speed, 11-area or Spot?

 

[chile7236]

very nice photos. just saw the FT3 in the store and i am tempted to buy one for the wife....already bought the oly TG-610 for myself but had i seen the FT3 (and your shots), i might have gone with the FT3 for myself.

 

[judestudio]

with "naked" FT3

Ie. No underwater housing down to 15 m? This is amazing, Primus!

 

[primus]

Ie. No underwater housing down to 15 m? This is amazing, Primus!

Credit goes to Panasonic, which did an excellent UW camera (with no doubt, the best at the moment) which even withstand more than permitted 12 meters!

 

[primus]

Wow, nice pics! Moving fishes are difficult to capture in focus so may I ask which 'focus type' did you use? 1-Area, 1-area high speed, 11-area or Spot?

In underwater mode this camera has 4 AF options: 1-Area, Spot, AF Tracking and 23-Area. I am using 1-Area mode.

 

[Vyzyl]

I've read that the FT3 AF works 28% faster than it's predecessor, the FT2, which I now own.
The FT3 was also reviewed to have sharper picture quality and better contrast.

I'm gonna go practice more on photographing moving fishes.

 

[primus]

This is a movie about how we recorded underwater shots. We filmed with two cameras (Panasonic DMC-FT3/TS3 and Pentax OPTIO WS80) simultaneously:

[video=youtube;X6hY07V6DA4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6hY07V6DA4&hd=1[/video]

 

[surf4life]

Hi Primus, Thanks for posting from your trip. Free diving is a nice way to get closer to marine life. I've found that using a weight belt helps a lot, too. Well done!

 

[primus]

...Free diving is a nice way to get closer to marine life ...

Very true! After years of scuba diving I decided that I don't want anymore to spent hours on diving preparations and on transportations to dive sites and generally be dependent on other people. And most important, I don't want to be disturbed with hordes of so-called divers.

...I've found that using a weight belt helps a lot, too ...

I know , but I intentionally do not use it, as well as I'am deliberately using only compact underwater cameras without UW housing - underwater I want to be as light and as mobile as possible.

...Well done ...

TNX, surf4life!