Is my P&S hopeless?

[highdesert]

Strobes are helpful, but not necessary. I took all of these pictures using a Casio Exilim Z1000 with no strobe.
... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Great shots, Bob ... do you have a group of your own "default" settings that you used to get these? What mode, etc? What particularly strikes me is the excellent focus on (most of) your macro shots.

 

[cwkline]

You can use the custom white balance feature on your camera to compensate for the loss of light and color. Check the manual for instructions, and remember to reset every 10 feet or so. Try this and see if it works.

 

[Atom]

Thanks to everybody who contributed to the thread. It gave me some really good info, and got me thinking about my UW photography goals.

To answer some quetions...

-No the SD880 doesn't have a manual mode, I have control over exposure compensation and ISO, which I can use to direct the camera to a longer exposure or not but it's a bit backwards ; )
-As Scott said the housing obscures the internal flash in the bottom right part of the image, making it either an opportunity for clever cropping (with the appropriate framing) or just a waste of time.
-I currently dive various conditions, blue, clear and warm water when I'm on vacation and murkier and greener stuff at home. I try to dive minimum one week-end per month, when possible we do more.
-I really enjoy photography
-I didn't really chose the SD880, it was just the inexpensive way to bring back some images, and I don't regret it, it was a simple way to explore UW photography.
-I usually don't like video, but it pretty cool underwater, since movement of the underwater life is as much a part of the experience than the look of it.

Oh well... time to think this through....

 

[Michael Folise]

Some thoughts based on experience. We usually dive with two cameras, a Vivtar 6200W (like the SeaLife Ecoshot-can't get any sheaper than that) and a housed Nikon coolpix 5400 with external strobe. My daugher always brings the Vivitar and the Nikon goes with me on most but not all dives. If the Vivtar is used within its limits (clear water, 2-6 feet shooting distance, depth above 40 FSW) the results are very similar. If the visibility isn't so good, we are deeper, shots are closer or further the Nikon gets better photos and video. So, if you keep within the limits of the camera system you can get very good results. Aslo, if you can manually white balance that makes a huge difference with either camera. Post processing white balance (even RAW) with the program that comes with the camera is limited. Maybe Photoshop or something more expensive would make more of a difference. A final thought, good composition, boyance control and proper exposure also trump most everything. Don't get discouraged. Whatever your system your pictures will get better with experience.

 

[Atom]

Definitively glad I started this thread... it has gotten good info about selecting an UW camera/lens/strobe system... I've been giving this a lot of thought recently (I'll soon go on a dive oriented trip and I'd like to spend some of it taking pictures). Here's my summary of the situation...

-The SD880 with it's lack of manual mode and gimped internal flash is pretty much a dead end, I'm upgrading
-I'm not ready for an SLR housing yet, since I can't just take it with me on a non-camera oriented dive (without strobes) and it's not the best for travel
-Although I've seen great macro pictures, I'm really into wide-angle / fisheye stuff, not only do I prefer those pictures but I'm also more interested in shooting them

So it looks like the solution for would be a compact camera with manual mode and the capacity to add a WA/FE lens like the Inon one or maybe one of the ikelite cases that fit the dyron FE lens for the ikelite housings (but I can't figure out which one would fit since the parts mentionned don't match anything made by canon/ikelite). It's also a bit of PITA to match the Inon lens to an actual camera since everybody mentions compatibility with housings not camera, and all the camera that are still being sold that I've found to be compatible with the lens don't seem to offer manual mode.

I've been looking at the S90 but compatibility with the FE doesn't look good.

So I'm asking does anybody has a recommendation? (doesn't have to be canon)

 

[Nemrod]

I've been looking at the S90 but compatibility with the FE doesn't look good.

I don't know why you think that or get that info from but the S90 with the FIX90 housing is probably going to turn out to be superb for wide angle photography. FIX is supplying adapters for:

67mm threaded (Inon 100WAL and 100WAL with dome and Fisheye UWL-04-67)
52mm threaded (various including ghe Fisheye UWL-04-52
28AD bayonet (Inon 100AD-FE and same with the dome converter and the 165AD-FE)
ST bayonet (Fisheye UWL-04-ST)

Multiple wide angle and fisheye lenses have been shown to be compatible by FIX and those of us with the camera and housing are now getting the housings and adapters in our hands. Yes, this may be THE rig for wide angle in this class. No other camera on the market and housing combination allows the total control and multiple lens compatibility this one does.

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Photo showing Inon fisheye dome lens on the Canon S90 with FIX90 housing, courtesy of Backscatter Photo:

I will shoot the Inon 165AD-FE with my FIX90 and it will work and it will give the full 165 degree FOV. I will use my DIY adapter to the FIX 67mm adapter kit.

No matter what you get, good luck with it.

N, Saints Win!

 

[Atom]

I don't know why you think that or get that info from but the S90 with the FIX90 housing is probably going to turn out to be superb for wide angle photography. FIX is supplying adapters for:

67mm threaded (Inon 100WAL and 100WAL with dome and Fisheye UWL-04-67)
52mm threaded (various including ghe Fisheye UWL-04-52
28AD bayonet (Inon 100AD-FE and same with the dome converter and the 165AD-FE)
ST bayonet (Fisheye UWL-04-ST)

Multiple wide angle and fisheye lenses have been shown to be compatible by FIX and those of us with the camera and housing are now getting the housings and adapters in our hands. Yes, this may be THE rig for wide angle in this class. No other camera on the market and housing combination allows the total control and multiple lens compatibility this one does.

Google Translate

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Photo showing Inon fisheye dome lens on the Canon S90 with FIX90 housing, courtesy of Backscatter Photo:

I will shoot the Inon 165AD-FE with my FIX90 and it will work and it will give the full 165 degree FOV. I will use my DIY adapter to the FIX 67mm adapter kit.

No matter what you get, good luck with it.

N, Saints Win!

Humm.... I got the info by reading some of the threads about the S90 and the fix housing. Maybe I got confused.

The fix housing looks amazing, even if it's not cheap, and it gives access to the 2 control rings which is a big plus.

So if I understand you correctly, you have to build a DIY adapter to hook the Inon 165AD-FE to the Fix housing for the S90? Or is fix now providing the correct adapter and you just built it before it was avaible? It seems the fix website refers to the 165AD with the fix housing, so it's probably the former.

... this is very interesting, thanks for pointing this out too me.

 

[Nemrod]

Humm.... I got the info by reading some of the threads about the S90 and the fix housing. Maybe I got confused.

The fix housing looks amazing, even if it's not cheap, and it gives access to the 2 control rings which is a big plus.

So if I understand you correctly, you have to build a DIY adapter to hook the Inon 165AD-FE to the Fix housing for the S90? Or is fix now providing the correct adapter and you just built it before it was avaible? It seems the fix website refers to the 165AD with the fix housing, so it's probably the former.

... this is very interesting, thanks for pointing this out too me.

Atom, the FIX website shows pictures taken with the Inon 165AD-FE using their 28AD adapter and the FIX90 housing and it definitely shows a great improvement in FOV over the native lens and flat port. However, and I know this will confuse you, I plan to use their 67mm adapter (on order) and my own DIY AD to 67mm adapter to achieve BETTER results.

If I were buying the FIX housing and did not already own several Inon wet lenses I would probably get their Fisheye UWL-04 lens or an Inon 100-28AD with dome.

Yeah, I don't see how you got confused, perhaps you misunderstood between the FIX housing and the Ikelite and Canon units. The Ikelite will accept threaded lenses to advantage per several user reports, the Canon housing, don't think so. But the FIX90 housing is a big, resounding YES!!!!!!

A further yes with the FIX90 is that both shutter speed and f stop are available with individual rotary knobs in Manual mode without any button pushing--amazing. I have not had the housing in the water yet and I am still waiting on some parts for it before further testing but this housing is invisible to the function of the camera--the camera works installed in the housing as good as without, maybe better, pretty slick.

The 800 dollars (for the FIX housing) is a lot, I admit, but, at least the housing and camera seem able to live up to the investment. Time will tell for sure. There are just darn few cameras (P&S) that offer full manual control, especially without button pushing, in fact, this may be the only one in this class. In any case, there are not very many.

Anyways, hope this helps, oh, back to the strobe thing, since this FIX90 housing has a very compact port, it appears that without the lens adapters installed one should be able to do decent with the onboard strobe as long as expectations are kept in check. What I am saying is that in test shots the port does not seem to block the strobe very much at all.

N

 

[Atom]

Atom, the FIX website shows pictures taken with the Inon 165AD-FE using their 28AD adapter and the FIX90 housing and it definitely shows a great improvement in FOV over the native lens and flat port. However, and I know this will confuse you, I plan to use their 67mm adapter (on order) and my own DIY AD to 67mm adapter to achieve BETTER results.

Better results? If you don't mind me asking, how exactly is that adapter going to provide better results? (I'm genuinely curious about this).

If I were buying the FIX housing and did not already own several Inon wet lenses I would probably get their Fisheye UWL-04 lens or an Inon 100-28AD with dome.

Let's see if I got this right... the UWL-04 ST is actually a port replacement not a wet lens so you pick what you want to do before the dive (probably not a big deal for me). But it is compatible with the Fix S90 housing (some sites only mention the G10/G11 but that may be because they were edited before the S90 housing was available). The UWL-04 M52/67 with the M-52 adapter is a wet lens you can install.

The UWL-04 M52/67 + M-52 also seems to be the offering the best WA of all lenses available for the Fix S90. The 165AD + adapter when it's used with proper zoom to eliminate vignetting doesn't seem as wide as the UWL-04 and most the "fisheyeness" seems removed.

A further yes with the FIX90 is that both shutter speed and f stop are available with individual rotary knobs in Manual mode without any button pushing--amazing. I have not had the housing in the water yet and I am still waiting on some parts for it before further testing but this housing is invisible to the function of the camera--the camera works installed in the housing as good as without, maybe better, pretty slick.

The 800 dollars (for the FIX housing) is a lot, I admit, but, at least the housing and camera seem able to live up to the investment. Time will tell for sure. There are just darn few cameras (P&S) that offer full manual control, especially without button pushing, in fact, this may be the only one in this class. In any case, there are not very many.

Anyways, hope this helps, oh, back to the strobe thing, since this FIX90 housing has a very compact port, it appears that without the lens adapters installed one should be able to do decent with the onboard strobe as long as expectations are kept in check. What I am saying is that in test shots the port does not seem to block the strobe very much at all.

N

Good arguments for the Fix S90 housing.

Once again, thanks for taking time to talk this through with me, I appreciate it.

 

[Nemrod]

Atom, sorry I confused you, I leave out important info sometimes.

No, the Fisheye UWL-04 lens for the FIX90 is a wet lens, not a dry port like the G10 and G11. It is a different lens most definitely.

How you ask will I get a better result than the one posted by FIX with their 28AD adapter and the 165AD-FE?? Oh dear, because I will make it so, that is how To be clear, since I do not have their adapter in my hands yet I cannot be 100% positive but I have been fooling with this lens now for three years and now on my fifth camera so I know a little about what it likes. It is my opinion, based on what I am seeing that the FIX 28AD adapter is holding the Inon 165AD-FE lens slightly forward of the "sweet" spot, this is based on my use of the lens and now several dry test shots and even a few wet test shots and comparing to what I see on the FIX site. The key is keeping the lens very close to the port. The 28AD adapter is not an AD adapter--it is a 28AD adapter. The 28AD adapter is not optimal for AD series lenses. Read carefully, it is my belief that I can get the lens closer to the port using my DIY adapter with the FIX 67mm adapter kit instead of their 28AD. If I am wrong I will let you now as soon as possible which may be soon, as soon as I get my adapter kit from my favorite underwater camera store!

If forced, I will machine my own entire adapter in order to use the 165AD-FE to it's fullest advantage--it must be mounted CLOSE!

In the pics (on the FIX site) showing the lens performance, the threaded 52/67mm UWL-04 seemed to provide the widest FOV, however, as I have said, the 165AD-FE should do as well when CORRECTLY mounted. The Inon 100WAL T2 with dome and the Inon 100-28AD with dome should do very well, these are glass optical ports and should have a very nice FOV comparable, if slightly less, to the threaded Fisheye UWL-04. I admit, this is again an opinion based on two years of playing with my 100WAL T2 with dome. It is a very fine lens and I look forward to using it with the FIX90.

Lenses currently at my disposal

165AD-FE
100WAL T2
100WAL T2 with optical fisheye dome
165AD macro

I am not trying to sell you anything, you asked.

N