s90 macro

[seedy]

any tips on stopping macro shots blurring. I dont have a strobe and use AV settings.
I try and stay as still as possible, conditions permitting. Should I be trying to use the flash and or changing shutter speeds.? ....... thanks for any advice

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Seedy--So what shutter speed are you getting at what f/stop? If you are using Aperture Variable (AV) you do usually try for a higher f/stop setting to get more depth of field in close-up work--but there is a tradeoff. The slower the shutter speeds that the camera sets (due to you setting higher aperture values), the more movement of camera & subject becomes apparent.

Yes, use the flash (though at the closest distances you will probably get some shading from the housing). Maybe start w/ a more modest aperture setting (lower number) to get increased shutter speeds (something approaching 1/125 or higher would be nice). You may also want to increase ISO setting but the images will have more noise as you bump up the ISO speeds so maybe do some testing to see what you can live with.

Do some searching for more camera/shooting tips. Everyone is up against the same basic things shooting underwater and you'll find plenty of tips on the Board for solving challenges. Oh and one of the very best sites for UW photography help is done by Scott Geitler Underwater Photography Guide so check it out. // ww

 

[Uncle Pug]

Seedy, the biggest problem I've had with point`n`shoot macro has been the slow focusing+shutter lag.

Even though I have better than average bouyancy control there is really no way to keep critters from moving when it takes your camera 4~5 seconds just to lock focus.

So with my Pentax Optio the keeper rate was down around 10%.

However the Canon S95 (and I imagine the S90 is the similar) aquires focus very fast by comparison and my keeper rate is more like 90%.

With the Optio I always used the onboard flash but I've been experimenting with something else using the Canon S95 ~ continuous lighting.

I put a DIY diffuser on my HID canister lighthead and use it to light the scene. This has worked well for both macro and wider angle shots. You might try that if you have a dive light.

 

[seedy]

Here are the details. If I can manage I'll try an upload the photo
thanks for your help...invaluable
File Name IMG_0683.CR2
Camera Model Name Canon PowerShot S90
Shooting Date/Time 7/11/2010 10:19:04 AM
Shooting Mode Aperture-Priority AE
My Colors Mode Off
Tv (Shutter Speed) 1/8
Av (Aperture Value) 6.3
Light Metering Evaluative
Exposure Compensation +1/3
ISO Speed 200
Lens 6.0 - 22.5mm
Focal Length 6.0mm
Digital Zoom None
IS Mode On
Image Size 3648x2736
Image Quality RAW
Flash Off
White Balance Underwater
White balance compensation B1, 0
AF Mode Single AF
AF Range Mode Macro
Parameters Contrast Normal
Sharpness Normal
Saturation Normal
Color Space sRGB

 

[Warmwater Wank]

Jeepers, turn that flash on! Go to Force Flash, make sure it is firing and you'll see a big difference. Your shutter speed is 1/8th of a sec. which may be fun (once) for a creative blur of the middle of a bait ball but otherwise you can't use speeds this slow. The flash will fix that when it dumps a lot of light on the scene.

You won't have positional control of the camera flash of course so you'll notice the light isn't always revealing your subject as well as you've seen in other uw shots. Either learn to be happy with it or figure what sort of external strobe you can afford!

First though look at Gilligan's recent photo posts using an S-90 with just the on board flash (his Bohol pics from near the end of Oct.). Shows what a good photographer can do with basic lighting. // ww

 

[Uncle Pug]

You probably could have shot this at 1/125 second and f/2.0

1/8 second is too slow.

Adding the on board flash would have allowed you to use a smaller aperture for greater depth of field and still freeze the action/movement.

 

[stu_in_fl]

you can always switch to Tv and go for a speed at which you can freeze the shot and hit the little macro button to make sure the close focus is on. As the guys states above 1/125, 1/100 and possibly 1/80 are probably the slowest speeds you want to use (if you are really lucky you may get by with 1/60).
I always force the flash, but you will have to zoom a little to get ride of the shadow caused by the lens port (although this will depend on your housing I guess - Ikelite, you need to zoom a little).

 

[Dave C]

With my Canon A630, I have gotten underwater shots reasonably in focus at shutter speeds of 1/60, but never slower. The next slower speed, 1/50, has been invariably out-of-focus. You should try to use speeds of 1/100 or faster. I don't like ISO settings of 200; I absolutely hate noise in my photos, and I've found 200 ISO is too grainy.

 

[seedy]

thanks all, great help