DC800 Focusing and Built in flash Issues?

[KevinG58]

Hi maybe I am getting a little better at UW snap shooting, I've had the camera about 1.5 years, and I am starting to see some issues I didn't notice before:

1. Camera focus is soft, UW or top side it will not take sharp pictures except in blazing sunlit situations, and even then it's iffy. I've even put it on a tripod.

2. I have not tried this top side but using the built in flash UW, roughly half the picture will end up underexposed, sometimes to the point of inky blackness, usually just very green indicating the flash coverage, did not... Is there a known issue with part of the housing blocking the flash, if so would a diffuser help?

FYI Sealife has replaced my housing due to the sticky button issue, with zero hassle. :cool2:

I know this is not a EOS 7D, but the focus is poor enough that it's discouraging me from buying a external flash. Spending $20 for a piece of plastic (aka the diffuser) potentially falls under the same category of (less) money down a hole.

Have others seen these issues, does the 1200 have known issues? Am I just outgrowing the DC800 (thus my question about the 12)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[KevinG58]

No replies, perhaps this came across as a bash on Sealife. It is not, it is my musings on what to do about either expanding my DC-800 equipage, going to DC-1200, or making a really big $ move to DSLR territory.

(I figured out how to cobble up a diffuser from a coffee can lid, I'll test the DC-800 flash performance with this, this weekend.)

The thoughts and experiences of others would be a help me with my decision. Thanks.

 

[SeaLife Joe]

Kevin, let me try and cover some of the questions you had:
1) The DC800 and 1000 took some pretty great pictures, wondering if possibly you have a hardware issue with the lens that could be causing the softness. Send in some pics for us to look at
2) Due to the proximaty of the flash and lens port, you will get some blocakge of light to the bottom left corner. However your statement about the grenn pictures is easy, the flash on the camera really won't travel much further than 2 -3 feet in good conditions. this is common with most point & shoot type cameras underwater. Best to shoot in the camer only dive mode which would adjust the colors for you.
Hope this helps you out a bit.

Cheers,
Joe

 

[ggibson]

I've had my DC800 for a about 2.5 yrs now. It does seem to need a good amount of light to focus, although on the dives I have been on it hasn't really been a problem. I've had issues focusing topside at night trying to take pictures w/ flash. In the water I can't remember having the same problem (usually my focus issue is w/ macros, which the camera seems reluctant to take unless you are in macro mode).

Regarding the flash, I haven't had any problems with underexposure though sometimes the extended lens blocks the flash as Joe said. The only other problem I've had with flash is that the white balance can go awry sometimes, making the scene look very blue-green. Here's an example:

With Flash:

Without Flash:

 

[KevinG58]

I was not able to test my homemade diffuser, diving in Monterey was like diving in kelp soup.

@sealife joe, thanks for getting back to me. Can I send some pictures direct to you? Since all the free hosts modify pictures, I'd like for you to see the originals.