New to Underwater Photo

[Brand0n]

I just bought the Casing for my Cannon SD600 Camera Item number: 130087093626 from ebay. Im just wondering should i also invest in strobes? what kind of photos should i expect without the strobes.

 

[JamesD]

Depends on the kind of water you are going to be diving in, day diving in clear water without going too deep you can get good pictures without strobes, Diving deep, or night diving, or diving in murky water strobes become much more required (at least that's my opinion).

 

[Brand0n]

Thanks JamesD i think i will get a strobe do you have any recommendations?

 

[AlaskaDiver]

I agree with JamesD. Depends on where you are diving. I started out with an Oly C5050 in a PT015 (now certainly considered outdated). I used that while taking pictures in warm clear water while still getting the green/blue cast at depth. I decided to get an arm, tray & strobe (from reefphoto.com w/ Ryan). I bought the Inon 2000W and can use this for either fiber optic sync or electrical sync like an SLR uses. It is a way for me to be able to save enough cash for a new camera & housing without having to purchase a new strobe again. I really like the strobe as it creates good quality pictures without spending an arm & a leg on the whole set up. I want to use my cash on a dive vacation.

 

[menemsha43]

I'm a complete amateur - I've only taken photos on 2 of my dive trips. I have a Canon Elph with housing - very basic stuff. First trip with camera (Turks & Caicos) I didn't use a strobe, second trip (Fiji) I did (Sea and Sea YS-25 auto). The strobe makes a big difference although as you can see by the mostly lame photos I have posted in my profile, it takes time to learn to use it properly.

You can tell from the Fiji photos the impact of the strobe in all the colors the lighting brings out. The photos from the no-strobe T&C trip are fairly blue'd out (southern stingray, carib reef sharks). One of the few photos from the no-strobe trip that has some color from the camera's internal strobe is grouper at cleaning station - just blind luck it came out with a little color. Hope that helps.

 

[RonFrank]

I just bought the Casing for my Cannon SD600 Camera Item number: 130087093626 from ebay. Im just wondering should i also invest in strobes? what kind of photos should i expect without the strobes.

You may want to provide a budget. Inon makes great strobes. Ikelite strobes are also nice. For a more budget conscience strobe the Sealife SL960D is a nice strobe. My cuz has one, it has been reliable, and at $300 is going to be a less expensive option than most choices.

Good Luck!

 

[eric229]

I've got a similar setup. I've got the SD500 with the housing Cannon makes for it (the DC70).

The first thing you need to look for is a tray that attaches to your housing that you attach the strobe to. I'm leaning toward the INON setup because they let you add lenses to the setup if you want.

I priced out the INON system for my setup from their web site:

AD Mount Base - $62
Gripbase II - $92
Cables -$90
Difuser - $34
D-2000 Strobe - $540

Here is a link to their example setup: http://inonamerica.com/news.php?news_id=52&newscat=0

The lenses I may want look like another $500. I'm still shopping around for different systems and I'm also a novice at this. I'll post if I come up with a better option.

 

[RonFrank]

I'm leaning toward the INON setup because they let you add lenses to the setup if you want.

The lenses I may want look like another $500. I'm still shopping around for different systems and I'm also a novice at this. I'll post if I come up with a better option.

Adding INON lenses has nothing to do with what strobe one selects. Inon makes add on lenses for SOME housings. I think they would work for IKE, and some Canon housings. How one carry's add on lenses is another topic, and there are options to purchase or create trays that will work with most camera/lighting setups.

Most arm systems attach to the housing with a bracket fixed to the tripod mount hole in the bottom of the housing, or some provide their own brackets that are fixed to the housing (like Ike/Subal). Tray mounts depend on what housing is used, and can be attached to either a bracket, or to some bracket/Arm systems. One can also carry spare lenses in BC pockets, or attached to the camera via a lanyard.

Inon is certainly a great setup, but there is very little an Inon will do that a Sealife for example will not at half the cost. if you want their auto mode, or S-TTL mode, then Inon is a better option. One has to weight if those types of options are worth the additional expense. If we all had unlimited $$$ then getting the most expensive setup without regard to cost is not a bad option, but I assume people are looking at price as a major consideration when they are looking for options.

If price is less of a consideration, IMO go with the Inon's, or maybe an Ikelite DS125. Plan on around $800~950 for a strobe, arms, and sync cords. Ike's also require a non-optional but sold separately battery charger for the DS125, and DS200 models Ryan at ReefPhoto can hook you up quickly with Ike, Inon, and many other choices!

 

[eric229]

I'm thinking about getting a DSLR and eventually taking that diving with me. Would the Sealife be a good enough strobe to start out with for a DSLR setup?

 

[mikerault]

I picked up a Ikelite housing and strobe with arm for my 20D from reefphoto.com for $1925.00. Before the 20D I had the Nikonos IV with dual strobes and a reefmaster with strobe as well as the Sea and Sea Motomarine with strobe. I have the reefmaster still, but have sold the rest.

You definately need a strobe for depths greater than about 20 feet or you will get blue out.