WpDc34 Housing & Red Filter

[slowhands]

I appreciate all the suggestions. I realize I'm trying to throw everything together at the last minute, which isn't the best option. The instructions on my AF-35 strobe say the following:

The AutoFlash wireless TTL system is compatible with any camera which emits a pre-flash sequence (i.e. Most digital cameras produced in the past few years. Canon compact cameras emit a pre-flash sequence in all camera modes except "M" manual mode.)

If I'm reading that correctly when using the strobe I should be in either Tv or Av mode so the strobe will sync with the G12's pre-flash sequence. If that is the case then which one? Tv at 1/60 - 1/100 or Av f3.5 - f5.6.

If I get any keepers from this trip I'll post them.

Thanks

The AF35 will work with your camera in any mode. It just mimics what it sees your camera flash do. If your camera flash does preflash, the AF35 will copy it. If not (when the camera is in M mode), the AF35 will copy that. OK? Really simple.

The only tricky part is mounting it and aiming the sensor at your camera's flash; it also helps to velcro a reflector over your flash aimed at the sensor. This also blocks the camera flash so it won't cause backscatter.

I assume you have an old Ikelite handle for your older system, so use that. You should be able to figure out how to lash it all together.

Also, shoot RAW + JPEG. It wastes memory, but staring out it's nice to have the JPEG image that you can easily view on anything without using the Canon DPP software to adjust the RAW image. Purely a wasteful convenience, but what the heck, memory is cheap. Get a couple of 8GB cards and you are covered. Later when you are an expert, you can skip the JPEG but for now it is handy.

 

[Funland111]

Thanks again for your post. I really enjoyed your last paragraph. I have been accumulating a "To Do List", which gets longer by the day. My last entry is: "take the camera and housing on the plane and learn the function buttons". I'll do my best to get some good shots, but at the end of the day I'll be diving with my son and that's what counts. Thanks Bill

 

[Mike Newman]

I think the red filters are a holdover from the days of film cameras, where you could not adjust white balance, or shoot RAW. The game is different now and you don't need it. The filter is old school, fuggedaboudit.

Why? Because if you shoot Jpeg pics, you can set white balance custom for the actual depth and water color at which you are.

Even better is to shoot RAW, because even though the water absorbs a lot of the RED light, there is still information in the RED channel that can be used to restore the image.

You have to take the red filter off when you shoot with flash, or take video with lights. So you're fighting it, it's a pain.

Of course instead of spending your money on a red filter, you need to buy a book about digital photo processing -- that's called progress.

Much truth in what you say about filter requirements, but I have attended photo classes where it's pointed out that, even using electronic white balance, it's good to take most of the correction work out of the equation with an appropriate filter. It gives more natural sky sections in the background for one thing. This assumes no use of flash, of course.