Canon S series

[Dee]

The diffuser panel on the Oly housings are not to eliminate a strobe, nor is it to block the flash in order to use a strobe. Any diffusers purpose is to diffuse, or spread out, the light from the internal flash making it cover a larger area and soften it to keep it from causing harsh shadows. Also keep in mind that none of the digital cameras we use were designed for use underwater so alot of the features, bells and whistles may not always produce the results as promised.

 

[JacknJill]

So we have a bunch of Canon S series users here.....good

When using auto mode. I find don't give very sharp pictures. I presume it is due to
1) object looks nearer than they are,
2) there are too many micro objects in the subject frame that the camera usually dun lock on the correct object
3) the object could be in motion.

So what is the normal aperture and shutter speed our fellow S series set to. I find myself fumbling with the manual control too often to be able to enjoy uw photography. It'll be nice to roughly know for a macro shot using SXX, the distance from object and the manual settings so you can just move in, snap and have the picture. Likewise with WA shots....

Also anyone here toy with addon lens? I think the macro mode is just not macro enough. I have got a Sea and Sea T2 lens but have difficulty focusing. Will try it out on my Aquarium...cheaper than using a dive trip for learning....hee

 

[pdoege]

The S30 has a noisier CCD than the later versions. It may have a slower lens as well.

I got my best results with the S30 by leaving it in sports mode. The manual mode is hard to use underwater, and it really doesn't buy too much.

The Macro mode isn't all that macro either.

Unless you are sitting on the sand or have really good bouyancy, I say leave it in sports mode.

As for the actual settings, I normally set the shutter to at least 1/30 or so, may 1/15 or 1/120 depending on current and whatnot. I then set the f-stop to its lowest possible setting and do some bracketing.

This is only really necessary if you want to get artsy (hey, who doesn't?) or if you are dealing with a low light situation.

In daylight Florida waters, the sports mode works pretty well.

Peter

 

[Eli]

The S40 and S30 are identical except for the megapixel resolution. The camera itself is razor sharp. If you cant get razor sharp images on land in sunlight, you have a defective camera. If you get razor sharp images on land but not underwater, then you are too far from your subject, are using too slow a shutter speed, are moving the camera when you take the picture, or have a problem with lens fogging,
The main reason I had problems with sharpness underwater was due to lens fogging. A small silica gel pack was a must. 3 gm "pillow packs"solved the problem (www.desiccare.com).

There is no right or wrong way to use the camera. I usuallyused it at shutter priority. Many of my images were at F8, 1/250 second, using an external strobe.

A recent gallery of mine showing above and below water shots:
http://www.pbase.com/elif/virgin_islands_underwater
The shots taken within six feet away had minimal photoshop touchup, those at greater distances still had a pronounced blue cast requiring photshop touchup. I have been very happy with my S40, although I may get the Olympus 5060 when its available because of its stock wide angle coverage.

 

[vandco]

Great Photos El !
What type of strobe setup do you have?

 

[Eli]

vandco once bubbled...
Great Photos El !
What type of strobe setup do you have?

Thanks!
I use the Sea Sea YS90DX. Any strobe with a manual controller and the ability to ignore the preflash on the Canon S series camera will work, ie the new Inon strobes or the Ikelite Ds series with a manual controller will work. TTL mode doesnt work with the Canon S series as numerous threads on this issue have attested.
My setup is at : http://www.pbase.com/elif/equipment

 

[vandco]

I'm considering the YS 25dx, but the only experience I have is with the ys-60 on a mmII-ex. Any thoughts?

 

[Eli]

I havent used the YS25DX, but other posts I have seen have said that is underpowered. As far as choice of strobe, Jeff Farris (aka digitaldiver) has done a superlative job of testing and comparing strobes for digital cameras, see:
http://www.digitaldiver.info/images/strobearticle/strobearticlescrn2.pdf
Ive been quite happy with my YS90DX. The Inon strobes sound pretty hot but I have never laid my hands on one.

 

[geebee]

JacknJill once bubbled...
[
So what is the normal aperture and shutter speed our fellow S series set to. I find myself fumbling with the manual control too often to be able to enjoy uw photography. ]




About a year ago I wrote a long review of the S30 with samples and info on it's use. You can read it here:

http://dive.scubadiving.com/members/gearreviews.php?s=465

The settings that I use are usually Shutter priority at 1/125 sec, white balance to Cloudy, flash on, and macro on. This is for a typical fish or coral closeup shot. These settings are perfect for 90% of what I usually shoot. Of course I would change for a wider or non flash shot.

Besides these settings giving you the best results, shutter lag is slightly decreased since the camera doesn't have to check color temp like it does when set to auto.

GB

 

[giantmantaray]

I am having problems focusing on cirtters, especially in macro mode. The recommended method is to switch to maunal and move the camera. I tried fumbling around with the controls on the housing, but they are really tough to use ! Anyone has tips on better better focus ?