"Does this diffuser make me look flashy?"

[Xarifa]

Thanks to the wealth of knowledge on this board, I purchased my first UW setup: Canon A710is & Ikelite housing (thanks alcina, kyakdiver, et al). No external strobe quite yet. In preparing for an upcoming tropical dive, and experimenting with Manual settings, F-stop, W/B, ISO, reading and searching, I still have a final few questions, if anyone is game:

[ ] For the closer shots (within 3 feet), using the flash, should I use the difusser all the time?​

This was posted in the (extremely helpful) pink sticky--​

"...Set your shutter speed for 1/125 or so. A fast shutter will help freeze action and you shouldn't get too much blur. Dropping below 1/80 is begging for motion blur in many instances...
Aperture
Try your aperture around 5.6 or so...you may have to change one or both of these settings during the dive if it looks like your photos are blown out or too dark. Use f8 on things like nudibranchs and other tiny, detailed critters."​

[ ] Are these recommendations utilizing the internal flash, or without it?

[ ] Whether yes or no, what would be a ballpark ISO (100)? ​

[ ] Practicing on land, I am still having trouble on the 'manta-ray' shots--objects outside the internal flash range.​

For these I am shooting in Manual mode, flash = off, W/B = manual, and experimenting with F4 - 5 at a shutter speed of 1/80. The problem is I have to crank the ISO way up (backscatter, right?) and/or the shutter speed way down (blurr, right?) to get these to lighten up...what have I missed?​

Thanks for any insight, and thanks for all the info that has already been shared.

 

[alcina]

[ ] For the closer shots (within 3 feet), using the flash, should I use the difusser all the time?​

I always use the diffuser on my Canon A series.

From the Pink Sticky:

"...Set your shutter speed for 1/125 or so. A fast shutter will help freeze action and you shouldn't get too much blur. Dropping below 1/80 is begging for motion blur in many instances...
Aperture
Try your aperture around 5.6 or so...you may have to change one or both of these settings during the dive if it looks like your photos are blown out or too dark. Use f8 on things like nudibranchs and other tiny, detailed critters."
[ ] Are these recommendations utilizing the internal flash, or without it? Whether yes or no, what would be a ballpark ISO (100)? ​

Yes, with internal flash is fine. I'd actually start at f4.5 and work from there - it still gives good depth of field but gives a little more light and flexibility if you aren't as close as you should be. Yes, ISO 100 or the lowest your camera has is best in relatively good light.

You may find you need to play with these slightly especially if you have turned off your flash and are setting your white balance instead.

Practicing on land, I am still having trouble on the 'manta-ray' shots--objects outside the internal flash range.[/B] For these I am shooting in Manual mode, flash = off, W/B = manual, and experimenting with F4 - 5 at a shutter speed of 1/80. The problem is I have to crank the ISO way up (backscatter, right?) and/or the shutter speed way down (blurr, right?) to get these to lighten up...what have I missed?.

I'm a bit lost here. In reasonable light underwater those settings should be fine. On land in the daytime I can't see why these would be dark at ISO 100. Something's wonky there. Again, try f4 or f4.5 and it should be fine. I can't remember the last time I moved my shutter under 1/100, my aperture wider than f4 or my ISO off 100 for underwater stuff...​

 

[Xarifa]

Thank you so much! I will try the distance shots again. Thanks for the 'ranges' too: "I can't remember the last time I moved my shutter under 1/100, my aperture wider than f4 or my ISO off 100 for underwater stuff..."