First camera Sea&Sea MX10/YS-40 Strobe ..Help

[BBL-Butt]

Well I know it's 35mm and I've taken some pictures up in the San Juan's and used fuji film I didn't know what F stop to try so I used a few.So a few pics turned out a bit green( I hear that's the film) fairly close ups.Any one have lots of experience they can share using this camera.Takes great shots outside of the water.
Thanks all

 

[gert7to3]

There is a 1997, out of print book titled : "The New Guide to Sea & Sea" by Joe Liburdi and Cara Sherman. It covers your MX 10 and has alot of good advice for underwater photography in general.

It is likely available through Amazon or your LDS might still have a copy around.

Regarding your photos. Were you using a strobe or just available light? Print film is more forgiving than slide film. One of the higher speed (eg: ISO 200-400) would probably be better for you than a slower speed film. Most photo processors are able to scan your film onto CD's for digital viewing.

The reason you saw a predominantly green cast was that, at depth, water filters out red wave lengths of light. There are some underwater color correcting filters available, but they cut down on the light, increasing exposure time and/or forcing you to open your aperture. Using a frame of film to take a picture of a white slate or an 18% photo gray card, at depth, would give your photo processor a reference to perform some color correction. You would not need to do this if you use a strobe.

 

[BBL-Butt]

Thanks Yes I was useing the strobe for most shots,I now have the F-stops maked on my strobe I'll have my local bookstore do a search for the title you gave me and I guess more practice and more film I'm going to try a Kodak Ultra max 400 speed and see what that does.

 

[gert7to3]

Since you are using a strobe there are some basic rules of thumb to consider.

Set your f stop small, f 5.6 or higher, to increase your depth of field.

Use your shutter speed to control the background lighting. Faster shutter speeds will underexpose the background hue and brightness, generally creating a more pleasing appearence.

Use your strobe controls to adjust the exposure of your subject.

If you have a dive buddy with a digital camera, you can ask him/her to shoot a few images at different shutter speeds to get a pleasing background hue, then apply those settings to your camera. You will need to know their settings, but you can extropolate from them to determine your settings.

For instance, say they are using ISO 100; Shutter speed 1/60 sec; an aperture of f5.6 and this gives them an acceptable background color.

For your ISO 400 film, a shutter speed of 1/250 sec. at f5.6 or 1/125 sec. at f8.0 would create a similar exposure. Then the chief variable you will have to work out is adjusting the strobe for closer in subjects.

What you are trying to do is reduce the number of variables you have to deal with. With experience you will be able to make educated guesses and the exposure latitude of color print film will give you some wiggle room.

After you get this all worked out, then you will get a digital camera,,,,,and another,,,,,,,and another,,,,,and another.

 

[herman]

Since you are using a strobe there are some basic rules of thumb to consider.

Set your f stop small, f 5.6 or higher, to increase your depth of field.

Use your shutter speed to control the background lighting. Faster shutter speeds will underexpose the background hue and brightness, generally creating a more pleasing appearence.

Use your strobe controls to adjust the exposure of your subject.

If you have a dive buddy with a digital camera, you can ask him/her to shoot a few images at different shutter speeds to get a pleasing background hue, then apply those settings to your camera. You will need to know their settings, but you can extropolate from them to determine your settings.

For instance, say they are using ISO 100; Shutter speed 1/60 sec; an aperture of f5.6 and this gives them an acceptable background color.

For your ISO 400 film, a shutter speed of 1/250 sec. at f5.6 or 1/125 sec. at f8.0 would create a similar exposure. Then the chief variable you will have to work out is adjusting the strobe for closer in subjects.

What you are trying to do is reduce the number of variables you have to deal with. With experience you will be able to make educated guesses and the exposure latitude of color print film will give you some wiggle room.

After you get this all worked out, then you will get a digital camera,,,,,and another,,,,,,,and another,,,,,and another.

Great suggestions on a lot of cameras but it will not work on the MX-10. The shutter speed on the MX-10 is fixed at 1/100 and the strobe is also fixed (although the Ys-40A has some auto function).
Your best bet is to stick with 100 speed film, 400 is grainer and will not produce better photos. The 100/400 setting on the camera ONLY controls the light meter in the camera. It DOES NOT control any other function and has no impact on the outcome of the photo. The green in the photos may well be your film processor and not the shot. Any UW shot is going to lack red, a processor (kid at Kmart) is not likely going to take the time (or know) to correctly set the printer to correct the color of the shot. The good news is the art in photo printing is in the printer and not the negative development, so try taking your negatives to a real processor...some place you can talk to the print machine operator and explain you need special color correction...you need a little more red added to the shot.
When using the strobe, the proper F-stop is determined by the distance to the subject and film speed..there should be a sticker on your strobe that gives the proper F-stop and distance for a given film speed. If not, the chart is in the book listed above.
A couple of things to keep in mind. Your strobe is good 6 to maybe 8 ft MAX, no more reguardless of the water conditions and less in bad conditions. The minimum focal distance for the MX-10 is 4 ft underwater so the usable range for well lit (strobe) photos is 4 to 8 ft. Less and the photos will be over exposed and out of focus, more and they will be dark. If you intend to keep the MX-10, I highly recommend the aux lens. The close up and macro lens do a good job.
The book mentioned above is a very good reference for the MX-10 and it's accesories, well worth the $25 or so it cost.
Just in case your wondering, I shot an MX-10 for a lot of years and still have it and the book.
A Nikonos it's not but the MX-10 when used correctly is capable of some pretty nice shots. I have a lot of them as well as several other that use to be on this board.

 

[BBL-Butt]

Thanks I found the book in Seattles Goodwill on line used $4.00 3.99 shipping,Thats intresting on the 100/sp film I thought only 400/sp would work.It's sure is fun being a 100ft down watching my air ,depth setting the F/stop and watching a sculpin not sit still to get his photo taken.At least Sea urchins,and star fish went along with the program.Where can I find parts I found a strobe diffuser at lesiure pro for a few bucks.
Thanks again Gert and Herman for you help

 

[diver 85]

Well I know it's 35mm and I've taken some pictures up in the San Juan's and used fuji film I didn't know what F stop to try so I used a few.So a few pics turned out a bit green( I hear that's the film) fairly close ups.Any one have lots of experience they can share using this camera.Takes great shots outside of the water.
Thanks all

I only always used 100 speed film for my S&S MM II---with good results usually.....I shot that camera from '95 till last year, in fact the shark picture in my avatar was shot with that camera(100 speed film)........

 

[DivePhotoGuide]

By the way - someone had made a comment earlier about having your friend meter the water with their digicam. That won't work. A digital sensor and film and the amount of light they require to properly expose an image are different . The f-stop equivalent on a DSLR and any film camera will be very different for the same situation.

Doesn't the MX-10 have some sort of light meter in it?

 

[herman]

Doesn't the MX-10 have some sort of light meter in it?

It does. That is what the 100/400 speed switch actually controls. It only changes the meter (leds actually) to respond to the correct light based on the Fstop and the position of the switch. If you attach the strobe,it means pretty much nothing.

 

[DivePhotoGuide]

"If you attach the strobe,it means pretty much nothing"

actually, if it has a light meter in it, this will still be useful to meter against a proper ambient exposure of the background. apparently you are working at a set shutter speed, so your light meter and aperture will be your tools to determine proper background exposure. you'll be somewhat limited in terms of strobe power, so you'll need to shoot your primary subject from a pretty close distance, and as someone else pointed out - get the accessory "wet lenses" and you'll have more flexibility in what you can shoot.

i wonder if you can shoot fuji velvia 50 film in that camera and have the lab push it a stop because you can only set the camera to 100. if so, try that. this film is almost magical as far as color saturation colors. makes underwater images look great.