RonFrank
Contributor
Now that I've had the wonderful opportunity to use my S70 UW, I thought it maybe helpful for S70 owners, and those considering the camera to read about my experience.
This is not going to be a full blown camera review. If you want that, I tip my hat to Phil at www.dpreview.com.
Equipment
----------
I'm using the S70 with the Canon branded housing, and 512mb/1 gig CF cards. My first advice on using the S70 UW is to use it topside to the point where changing settings like ISO, WB, shooting modes, exposure compensation, flash on/off, macro on/off are things that one can do without much thought. If you are struggling UW to remember where the function button is, you are not enjoying the dive or getting good photo's.
Next, it's a very good idea to become familiar with the housing, and play with the camera controls while the camera is in the housing. Having a bulky chunk of plastic with a WHOLE lot of black buttons facing you UW can get confusing even if you know where the controls are. So stick that S70 in the housing, and go to the Local Park or pool, and do some shooting!
Histogram
----------
It has one, USE IT! My Cuz was using her A95 for the first time UW. After the first day of diving, she noticed that a number of her shots looked OK on the LCD, but were very dark on the computer. She asked me, why? I pulled up the histogram in PS, and sure enough, spiked out on the left side with nothing on the right.
I immediately showed her how to use the histogram. It's simple, in display mode hit the display button until you see the histogram. Once Set after each shot, it will display the histogram for a few seconds with the preview.
A histogram is a bar graph that displays a 256 color scale with black on the left, white on the right, and the rest of the colors dark to light running left to right in between. There is no one right histogram as it's based on the colors in any given shot. But if the histogram is spiked at the far right (overexposure) or far left (underexposure) it will result in blown highlights, or blocked blacks, and parts of the image will yield no detail especially if overexposed.
By adjusting the exposure one can often change the histogram to yield much better results. This is the BEST and really only way to judge exposure in digital camera's, as LCD's are misleading (as Tammy discovered). It's not perfect as most cameras use the green channel to provide the histogram. If you are not comfortable with using the histogram, learn by reading the manual, reading online, and using the camera until one has a solid understanding of adjusting exposure and getting the best exposure based on what the histogram is providing.
Light - light is EVERYTHING in photography. If you have good light everything becomes easier. In the absence of good light there are limited options. Those are to increase the ISO, increase the exposure, or to use a flash. Even in the very good light I had at the Keys, I generally shot at ISO 100 so I could increase my Depth of Field (DOF). Increasing exposure generally results in slower shutter speeds, and wider apertures (less DOF).
Settings
--------
Since this was my first time using the camera UW, I tried a few of the shooting modes. Overall most performed OK, as long as one was manually setting the WB. But here is what I ended up shooting with the most.
WhiteBalance - The camera does have an UW white balance setting. I tried it on a few shots, and it does better than Auto. However custom WB is what works best UW. To set that, hit the function button, go to the WB tab, and select the custom setting (far right). The LCD will display a square in the middle, and tell you to set the WB. Point the camera at a white subject (sand works well, or a white slate) and hit the set button. If you plan on using flash, make sure the flash is on. Once you have done this, every time you hit the function button the camera will return to the evaluate WB screen, so it's easy to set WB multiple times during a dive.
Shooting Modes - I used Manual and Tv (shutter priority) for almost all my shooting. Why? In shutter priority one chooses the shutter, and the camera sets the aperture. If you try a few images, and the camera is getting the exposures correctly, Tv mode will allow for changing light conditions vs. manual mode where as the light changes one must adjust the aperture, shutter, ISO, or all three. I generally shot at 1/100 which was enough to freeze most *action* UW. At ISO 100 this generally gave me an aperture of f5.6 or greater. Be careful as if there is a LOT of light, the camera has limited apertures (max f8) and the end result can be over exposure (use that histogram). If you are lucky enough to have so much light that f8 is not stopped down enough, simply increase the shutter speed.
In manual mode, one has to play a bit to find the right exposure. However if one is staying around the same depth, and the sky is clear the light should remain constant so that once the exposure is set, it can be left alone, or adjusted only to change aperture/DOF.
Program Mode, and the other automatic settings on the camera do work. However the camera is choosing the aperture and shutter, and if it selects a high shutter speed and a large aperture DOF is reduced. If it selects a slow shutter speed shots may blur do to camera shake. IMO use your brain, not the brain of the camera when selecting ISO, shutter, and aperture values.
FLASH - I was using flash on most every shot for the first few dives, and this proved to be a mistake. In good light, all the flash does is add back scatter, and with the tiny flash so close to the lens, the back scatter can be huge. If you have enough light, turn off the flash, there is little need for it. If you do need to use the flash keep in mind that it has a range of maybe 5 feet. So limit your compositions to macro shots, and things that are within the range of the flash. One can attempt to use the flash as fill when shooting a wider view, but I did not great success with this. Here is where an add on flash is necessary.
Format - This camera can shoot RAW, and I would highly recommend using RAW. Basically a RAW image is the closest thing to a negative digital has. It is the image right out of sensor without any of the sharpening, WB, tone, hue, etc., applied.
Of course shooting RAW means that one is familiar with processing RAW images, and has some software to do so. I played around with the ZoomBrower just enough to realize it is much inferior to PS. However it does allow one to tune the WB, and comes with the camera.
The jpg images I shot were great as long as I did everything perfectly. If any of them needed color correction, they were a real pain to adjust. With the RAW images and PS, I could get them adjusted and saved in a couple of minutes. With the jpg images, if they were not close to perfect, I'd spend 10 minutes or more attempting to get them adjusted. IMO RAW is the only way to fly for UW work.
Lens Settings - I was very pleased with the 28mm f2.8 lens on the S70. I generally shot at the 28mm setting, but not always. Shooting wide provides a couple of advantages. First this is a variable aperture lens, so when shooting at 100mm one is shooting at f5.3, so 1.5 stops less light maybe getting to the sensor. Second WA lenses have much more DOF vs. normal or semi-telephoto settings given a fixed aperture. So more of the image will appear in focus if the focus is not 100% sharp. Don't get me wrong, I used other focal lengths when composition suggested such use, however that 28mm setting is very nice, and sometimes it's better to get closer to a subject vs. zooming in.
Focus and Shutter lag
---------------------
This is IMO the biggest problems with these little digital wonders. Judging focus using the LCD is next to impossible, and while the camera may confirm focus, it's next to impossible to judge if what it confirmed focus on is exactly what you wanted to focus on (like the eye of a fish). I used the center focus area for almost 100% of my shooting. In fact in M or Tv mode I don't think there is any other option. I would generally compose a shot, lock focus, recompose, and then fire.
The Digital Advantage
---------------------
Digital has several HUGE advantages over film for most users. First WB can be adjusted. Second, one can shoot almost endless shots without having to take the camera out of the case. I was easily getting all the shots I wanted on two One hour dives shooing RAW with a 1gig card. The battery was generally close to being spent, but the S70 is hardly the best in breed with it comes to battery life.
IMO the biggest advantage digital has is learning curve. One can instantly view the results, modify the exposure or composition, and reshoot. That type of instant feedback reduces learning time dramatically, and the end result is better shots in a much shorter time. My Cuz Tammy was SOOO thrilled with her results out of her A95. She had previously owned a film base Sea&Sea, and she indicated that she was LUCKY to get 2-3 good shots from a roll. Imagine spending $50 to process your film only to find your exposure settings were way off, and nothing came out well.
Overall I'm very pleased with the results of the S70. I have some very nice shots UW, and for what it is, and the cost, it's difficult to beat.
I'm starting to write a book, so that is enough for now. I hope this is helpful for S70 owners, and those shooting other camera's as well. If you want to see some of my results my gallery is at:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/31565
I still have a lot left to add, so check back as I'll be adding a few photos every few days.
This is not going to be a full blown camera review. If you want that, I tip my hat to Phil at www.dpreview.com.
Equipment
----------
I'm using the S70 with the Canon branded housing, and 512mb/1 gig CF cards. My first advice on using the S70 UW is to use it topside to the point where changing settings like ISO, WB, shooting modes, exposure compensation, flash on/off, macro on/off are things that one can do without much thought. If you are struggling UW to remember where the function button is, you are not enjoying the dive or getting good photo's.
Next, it's a very good idea to become familiar with the housing, and play with the camera controls while the camera is in the housing. Having a bulky chunk of plastic with a WHOLE lot of black buttons facing you UW can get confusing even if you know where the controls are. So stick that S70 in the housing, and go to the Local Park or pool, and do some shooting!
Histogram
----------
It has one, USE IT! My Cuz was using her A95 for the first time UW. After the first day of diving, she noticed that a number of her shots looked OK on the LCD, but were very dark on the computer. She asked me, why? I pulled up the histogram in PS, and sure enough, spiked out on the left side with nothing on the right.
I immediately showed her how to use the histogram. It's simple, in display mode hit the display button until you see the histogram. Once Set after each shot, it will display the histogram for a few seconds with the preview.
A histogram is a bar graph that displays a 256 color scale with black on the left, white on the right, and the rest of the colors dark to light running left to right in between. There is no one right histogram as it's based on the colors in any given shot. But if the histogram is spiked at the far right (overexposure) or far left (underexposure) it will result in blown highlights, or blocked blacks, and parts of the image will yield no detail especially if overexposed.
By adjusting the exposure one can often change the histogram to yield much better results. This is the BEST and really only way to judge exposure in digital camera's, as LCD's are misleading (as Tammy discovered). It's not perfect as most cameras use the green channel to provide the histogram. If you are not comfortable with using the histogram, learn by reading the manual, reading online, and using the camera until one has a solid understanding of adjusting exposure and getting the best exposure based on what the histogram is providing.
Light - light is EVERYTHING in photography. If you have good light everything becomes easier. In the absence of good light there are limited options. Those are to increase the ISO, increase the exposure, or to use a flash. Even in the very good light I had at the Keys, I generally shot at ISO 100 so I could increase my Depth of Field (DOF). Increasing exposure generally results in slower shutter speeds, and wider apertures (less DOF).
Settings
--------
Since this was my first time using the camera UW, I tried a few of the shooting modes. Overall most performed OK, as long as one was manually setting the WB. But here is what I ended up shooting with the most.
WhiteBalance - The camera does have an UW white balance setting. I tried it on a few shots, and it does better than Auto. However custom WB is what works best UW. To set that, hit the function button, go to the WB tab, and select the custom setting (far right). The LCD will display a square in the middle, and tell you to set the WB. Point the camera at a white subject (sand works well, or a white slate) and hit the set button. If you plan on using flash, make sure the flash is on. Once you have done this, every time you hit the function button the camera will return to the evaluate WB screen, so it's easy to set WB multiple times during a dive.
Shooting Modes - I used Manual and Tv (shutter priority) for almost all my shooting. Why? In shutter priority one chooses the shutter, and the camera sets the aperture. If you try a few images, and the camera is getting the exposures correctly, Tv mode will allow for changing light conditions vs. manual mode where as the light changes one must adjust the aperture, shutter, ISO, or all three. I generally shot at 1/100 which was enough to freeze most *action* UW. At ISO 100 this generally gave me an aperture of f5.6 or greater. Be careful as if there is a LOT of light, the camera has limited apertures (max f8) and the end result can be over exposure (use that histogram). If you are lucky enough to have so much light that f8 is not stopped down enough, simply increase the shutter speed.
In manual mode, one has to play a bit to find the right exposure. However if one is staying around the same depth, and the sky is clear the light should remain constant so that once the exposure is set, it can be left alone, or adjusted only to change aperture/DOF.
Program Mode, and the other automatic settings on the camera do work. However the camera is choosing the aperture and shutter, and if it selects a high shutter speed and a large aperture DOF is reduced. If it selects a slow shutter speed shots may blur do to camera shake. IMO use your brain, not the brain of the camera when selecting ISO, shutter, and aperture values.
FLASH - I was using flash on most every shot for the first few dives, and this proved to be a mistake. In good light, all the flash does is add back scatter, and with the tiny flash so close to the lens, the back scatter can be huge. If you have enough light, turn off the flash, there is little need for it. If you do need to use the flash keep in mind that it has a range of maybe 5 feet. So limit your compositions to macro shots, and things that are within the range of the flash. One can attempt to use the flash as fill when shooting a wider view, but I did not great success with this. Here is where an add on flash is necessary.
Format - This camera can shoot RAW, and I would highly recommend using RAW. Basically a RAW image is the closest thing to a negative digital has. It is the image right out of sensor without any of the sharpening, WB, tone, hue, etc., applied.
Of course shooting RAW means that one is familiar with processing RAW images, and has some software to do so. I played around with the ZoomBrower just enough to realize it is much inferior to PS. However it does allow one to tune the WB, and comes with the camera.
The jpg images I shot were great as long as I did everything perfectly. If any of them needed color correction, they were a real pain to adjust. With the RAW images and PS, I could get them adjusted and saved in a couple of minutes. With the jpg images, if they were not close to perfect, I'd spend 10 minutes or more attempting to get them adjusted. IMO RAW is the only way to fly for UW work.
Lens Settings - I was very pleased with the 28mm f2.8 lens on the S70. I generally shot at the 28mm setting, but not always. Shooting wide provides a couple of advantages. First this is a variable aperture lens, so when shooting at 100mm one is shooting at f5.3, so 1.5 stops less light maybe getting to the sensor. Second WA lenses have much more DOF vs. normal or semi-telephoto settings given a fixed aperture. So more of the image will appear in focus if the focus is not 100% sharp. Don't get me wrong, I used other focal lengths when composition suggested such use, however that 28mm setting is very nice, and sometimes it's better to get closer to a subject vs. zooming in.
Focus and Shutter lag
---------------------
This is IMO the biggest problems with these little digital wonders. Judging focus using the LCD is next to impossible, and while the camera may confirm focus, it's next to impossible to judge if what it confirmed focus on is exactly what you wanted to focus on (like the eye of a fish). I used the center focus area for almost 100% of my shooting. In fact in M or Tv mode I don't think there is any other option. I would generally compose a shot, lock focus, recompose, and then fire.
The Digital Advantage
---------------------
Digital has several HUGE advantages over film for most users. First WB can be adjusted. Second, one can shoot almost endless shots without having to take the camera out of the case. I was easily getting all the shots I wanted on two One hour dives shooing RAW with a 1gig card. The battery was generally close to being spent, but the S70 is hardly the best in breed with it comes to battery life.
IMO the biggest advantage digital has is learning curve. One can instantly view the results, modify the exposure or composition, and reshoot. That type of instant feedback reduces learning time dramatically, and the end result is better shots in a much shorter time. My Cuz Tammy was SOOO thrilled with her results out of her A95. She had previously owned a film base Sea&Sea, and she indicated that she was LUCKY to get 2-3 good shots from a roll. Imagine spending $50 to process your film only to find your exposure settings were way off, and nothing came out well.
Overall I'm very pleased with the results of the S70. I have some very nice shots UW, and for what it is, and the cost, it's difficult to beat.
I'm starting to write a book, so that is enough for now. I hope this is helpful for S70 owners, and those shooting other camera's as well. If you want to see some of my results my gallery is at:
http://www.scubaboard.com/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/31565
I still have a lot left to add, so check back as I'll be adding a few photos every few days.
