Beginner photographer needs light advice

[bethie]

Hi all,
I have an Olympus TG2 which I just found a housing for. I understand that extra lighting is pretty much a necessity, so am looking for recommendations on a not too expensive option, as this is an older model camera and am not sure I will enjoy diving with a camera setup. If I love it, I will then upgrade to a newer, better camera, but for now this is an experiment. Thanks.

 

[Spudlet]

Sea & Sea YS-03 Universal Lighting System, good cheap entry point

 

[fmerkel]

Welcome to the 'slippery slope'. It's a problem......
Taking photos UW is ALL ABOUT LIGHT. Water absorbs a LOT of light.
You can use a really nice strong hand held/focus/video light and be somewhat successful with close pictures. Somewhat. I did it, my wife did it, for years. We got some nice photos, occastionally.
Finally we got strobes. More $$$, more crap to haul around in the water. Unfortunately.....much better pictures once we figure out how to use them.
So it goes.
Good luck with the experiment.

Note on the above reply: The YS-03 is TTL only. I DO NOT know if your camera will do that. I suspect NOT. I have a camera that will, I have 2 strobes that will, and I don't use it.

 

[tarponchik]

How about this one? I haven't used PX-21, but I'm happy with my Intova ISS2000, which is, quite unfortunately, discontinued. Note that for $101 you'll get only the flash. You'll have to buy 3 pieces below for $143 (that is, the fiber optic cable and the flex arm), and still you'll miss the handle that will connect you housing to the flex arm. I made one myself once, just bought an aluminum stripe in Lowe's, cut it and drilled a hole for the screw. Hope you'll figure this out. Don't forget, when you use the outer flash, you have to cover your camera's flash with some screen above the cable connector to reduce back scatter.

They ask $200 for SeaLife SL961, but this one has everything included.

 

[outofofficebrb]

Agree strobes are the way to go. Either go with strobes that you can unload easily on a second hand market in case you don’t like it or go with a video light that you can double as a night dive light if you decide you don’t like it.

 

[bethie]

Will every strobe work with the Olympus TG camera that I have? I am confused about the "slave" attachment etc.

 

[bethie]

Welcome to the 'slippery slope'. It's a problem......
Taking photos UW is ALL ABOUT LIGHT. Water absorbs a LOT of light.
You can use a really nice strong hand held/focus/video light and be somewhat successful with close pictures. Somewhat. I did it, my wife did it, for years. We got some nice photos, occastionally.
Finally we got strobes. More $$$, more crap to haul around in the water. Unfortunately.....much better pictures once we figure out how to use them.
So it goes.
Good luck with the experiment.

Note on the above reply: The YS-03 is TTL only. I DO NOT know if your camera will do that. I suspect NOT. I have a camera that will, I have 2 strobes that will, and I don't use it.

Can you explain that? Thanks!

 

[tarponchik]

Will every strobe work with the Olympus TG camera that I have? I am confused about the "slave" attachment etc.

"Slave" means the outer flash is triggered by the light from the camera flash, not by an electric impulse via wire connection. A slave flash will work with any camera that has a built-in flash.

In theory, you can use the camera's flash underwater (at least, for close-up shots) but in practice this works only when water is exceptionally clean. Otherwise, all the particles close to your lens will be brightly illuminated and block the subject with ghost spots, so-called backscatter. So your outer flash advantage is not only that it is more powerful but also that it is located sideways from the camera. Thus, it won't illuminate all the crap close to the camera lens.

The light impulse from the camera's flash is transported to the sensor of the slave flash through the fiber optic cable which, most often, is attached at both ends by sticky velcro pads. You still have to block your camera's flash over the cable attachment to avoid backscatter. If your housing does not have a screen, just use some electric tape.

 

[bethie]

"Slave" means the outer flash is triggered by the light from the camera flash, not by an electric impulse via wire connection. A slave flash will work with any camera that has a built-in flash.

In theory, you can use the camera's flash underwater (at least, for close-up shots) but in practice this works only when water is exceptionally clean. Otherwise, all the particles close to your lens will be brightly illuminated and block the subject with ghost spots, so-called backscatter. So your outer flash advantage is not only that it is more powerful but also that it is located sideways from the camera. Thus, it won't illuminate all the crap close to the camera lens.

The light impulse from the camera's flash is transported to the sensor of the slave flash through the fiber optic cable which, most often, is attached at both ends by sticky velcro pads. You still have to block your camera's flash over the cable attachment to avoid backscatter. If your housing does not have a screen, just use some electric tape.

This is how the flash is supposed to attach to the camera (and is it really necessary to buy that black plastic piece for $30?)
Or is this a different method than the "slave" function?
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7RBiPGGB...lD_CableDoubleHoleRubberBushSet_on_PT-053.jpg

 

[wetb4igetinthewater]

You may want to check out some of the guides here: Underwater Photography Resource Center :: Handbooks for Better Underwater Photography regardless of what setup you decide on. Some really useful information.