Using Auto setting for UW pictures on A570IS

[NeurosurgeryNP]

Has anyone used their Canon camera UW, no strobes, with the Auto setting? I just came back from a trip and took some photos with settings in manual as recommended but couldn't fiddle much as I did not want to be distracted as a novice diver, with fiddling with the settings. So, alot of my pics came out too dark. A poster recommended using the auto setting on the camera. I did not even think of this. Has anyone used the auto setting and do you have pics to post to show me how they came out?

 

[Nemrod]

Do you use manual during surface photography? Ninety eight percent of all P&S cameras do not even have a manual mode---they work in auto or program entirely and many are used underwater as well as on the surface.

Why would you not use auto mode? I don't understand why you resist using the auto mode?

Certainly there are times when you either want to over ride the camera exposure choice or set your own choice but for generic snaps auto is the way to go or Program or Av or Tv which all select the exposure for you.

Manual exposure requires that you use either the camera's light meter or a stand alone light meter. You CANNOT just set in a manual exposure setting and shoot away. You MUST set the shutter and f stop when in manual according to a light meter and then bias it using YOUR experience.

External strobes such as the Inon D2000 also work just fine in auto or Av/Tv or program as well as in manual mode.

Where did you ever get the idea you could just set in a single manual setting and shoot pictures and ever have them come out properly exposed except by purest luck? Nobody ever told you to do that, you misunderstood.

I suggest you get a few books on general photography and read them, they will explain how an expousre is made. Then it would be useful to read your camera manual, both of them from start to finish, every single word.

Hope you get this worked out, good luck.

N

 

[NeurosurgeryNP]

No, no one told me, nor did I misunderstand, that I could use settings manually without adjusting them, or comingup with them sporadically. I was given advice where to start, but did not make changes during the dive out of fear of distraction. I did not think the pictures were going to come out good. I was just looking for some snapshots, which I got, not professional photos.

I never thought to go auto while underwater.

I am just looking for some shots that were taken underwater with this particular camera in the auto mode. I am not resistant, just curious to see how they come out.

 

[Nemrod]

Again, there is no "starting" point manual expousre to set--there is no such thing.

Auto works fine on both my Oly 770 and my two 570IS and my Nikon slrs.

I have been using the Av mode or the Tv mode (570IS) which allows me to set a specific f stop or shutter speed and the camera automatically sets the correct corresponding setting. Full auto chooses both BUT--important---the camera is going to set an equivilent exposure regardless UNLESS you bias it using either the plus or minus under the fucntion button on the 570. Program is essentially auto--read the manual.

I am using the Tv mode last time out and using a Sekonic Marine Meter to set my shutter speed. If I decide instead to use my strobe, D2000, then I have been using either full auto or Av with the strobe in either sTTL or auto and the camera's strobe set to 1/3. However, I have used full auto without the strobe and both with the camera strobe in OFF or automatic.

I can tell you don't understand the operation of your camera, I am not being mean but you need to study those books it seems becuase they give good advice to operating your camera.

There are I think three uw modes including a "portrait mode" I think it is called. There are three expousre meter settings including, center, evaluative and spot. The camera strobe has ON, auto, Forced and manual (in some modes the camera also has 1/3, 2/3, 3/3 instead of auto).

Yes, there is a auto mode for the strobe which when the camera is set in auto the strobe defaults to auto and I think you can also choose OFF.

It is kind of hard to write all this down and have it come out understandable, that is why I refer you to the camera manuals and then if you have a specific question ask it.

Since your a new diver and your concerned with "task" loading whatever that might be then set the camera to auto and let it fuss with the exposure. After a few shots you should be able to decide what additional adjustments should be made. You can see the picture you just took for about two seconds on the viewer. You can also set that time, that the picture stays on the screen, longer or shorter, it is in the manual.

Even though I have an external strobe, strobes are only good for relatively close shots, if I am taking a wide scene using my wet mount Inon 165 I set the strobe to off, camera in auto or I will go to Tv or manual only if I have something I want to accomplish differently from what I have learned my camera would do on it's own exposure choice.

Again, most P&S cameras only have an auto mode or maybe a program mode with a exposure compensation of plus or minus two f stops. They do not have a manual setting. The 570IS is unusual in that regard. The manual setting comes into play when using the external strobe. Since your not using an external strobe you should probably be in auto mode for generic snap shots.

Looking at other people's pictures taken in different places and water conditions will tell you nothing really IMO.

Hope that helps. I guarantee the camera can do better on it's own than you can just guessing at an exposure setting randomly. BTW, if you use the camera's light meter it is going to tell you to set exactly the same settings it would choose in auto--YOU have to bias them or change them to suit your desired results. If you use an external light meter like my Sekonic then still it is only averaging the scene, if there is back lighting or shadows etc I then look at the meter and then using my experiance with my camera adjust the camera in manual (or whatever mode) to accomplish MY desired result. That is why you use manual instead of auto--to do something different from what the camera would do, otherwise set it in auto.

It would not matter if you were on the moon, in your backyard or 100 feet underwater, the camera's light meter and exposure program can and will set what it think's to be the optimum setting and most of the time unless you have something you especially want different, like using a fast shutter speed to freeze action or a wide lens oening to blurr the back ground (not really possible with our P&S) or compensate for wide brightness range in the scene or backlighting etc then the camera will do a better job than yourself.

N

 

[lmorin]

I agree with everything Nemrod said. It seems that you are not practicing on land. A real advantage of a digital camera is the ability to practice anything and everything the camera can do without the added expense of film and film development. Go you your manual, adjust the various settings and test out each and every one of the shooting modes to the best of your ability. You will quickly get a clear idea about can or cannot be done easily underwater or with a minimum of practice.

 

[Rickg]

No, no one told me, nor did I misunderstand, that I could use settings manually without adjusting them, or comingup with them sporadically. I was given advice where to start, but did not make changes during the dive out of fear of distraction. I did not think the pictures were going to come out good. I was just looking for some snapshots, which I got, not professional photos.

I never thought to go auto while underwater.

I am just looking for some shots that were taken underwater with this particular camera in the auto mode. I am not resistant, just curious to see how they come out.

NeurosurgeryNP,

I don't have an A570IS but do have an A720IS and they are so close to identical that if were they able to mate they would probably produce viable offspring.

I found that I shoot the vast majority of my pictures in the Manual mode and typically start with the following "standard" settings (that I gleaned from various postings on this list and elsewhere):

- ASA 100
- Shutter speed 1/125th
- f5.6
- macro on
- spot or center focus
- AiAF OFF
- White Balance "Cloudy" unless I am in shallow water in which case I use "Sunny"

If the picture isn't to my liking then I try to get a picture that I like by varying the F stop, then Shutter speed followed by ASA setting in that order.

You can go to the link below for some more info about my first experience with this (or any other) digital camera.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/un...on-a720is-photos-sipadan-island-part-1-a.html

You can also see more (the good, not so good and some bad) pictures that I took with this camera by clicking on the Picasaweb link in my signature below and then selecting the Sipadan 2007 Underwater folder.

The "pink" link at the bottom of all of Alcina's posts also give's some very good pointers. Here is the link.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/un...tting-started-dslr-maybe-look-here-first.html

The best thing about digital is that you get instant feedback so you know when you make a mistake and can try to correct it then (unless your subject swam away) instead of having to wait for the pictures to come back. Don't give up and keep practicing. You'll get there. And things that don't move quickly (nudis, flatworms, etc) make the best subjects to practice on.

 

[Nemrod]

Since you guys want standard setting here they are:

Tips and such Sunny sixteen rule [Archive] - OutdoorPhoto

Google revealed this:

Sunny 16 & digital cameras? - Photo.net Digital Cameras, Including Point & Shoot and Shopping Forum

The old tried and true Rule of Sunny 16 above will work if you practice.

This works for normal surface conditions, for use underwater in clear tropical water, every 30 feet increase your exposure by one stop. If your using f8 and 1/250th second shutter on the surface then at 30 feet you would set f8 and 1/125. At 60 you would set f4 and 1/125. At 90 feet you would set f4 and 1/60th second and at 110 feet set f2.8 and 1/60 etc. In fact, I have found this does not work all that well and I usually find my pictures underexposed and therefore the use of the Sekonic Marine meter with my once upon a time Nikonos III.

Since most toy digital cameras do not have a full range of f stops and shutter speeds you are somewhat limited. Furthermore, the dynamic range of even the best digi snapper is nowhere in the range of exposure latitude with a good color negative asa 100 film and therefore any attempt to use a standard setting will meet with standard poor results except by luck. Practice with the Sunny 16 Rule and see if you can out smart your camera. I would suggest, as an experiment, shoot on auto, then shift to manual and apply the Sunny 16 Rule and then apply your standard f5.6 and 1/125 that is suggested and see which you like best. Shoot various scenes with extremes of lighting and contrast, see if you can out guess the auto expousre meter consistently especially with average lighting. Hope the Sunny 16 rule might help. BTW, this was how pictures were exposed before cameras had light meters much less auto exposure.The lucky few had a hand held meter, poor students used the Sunny 16 rule.

A little more on exposure settings:

F-stop - Camerapedia.org

A good photography basics book would help greatly. Film or chip, the basics remain the same.

N

 

[Rickg]

Why complicate things when I found something that works for me when I'm shooting natural light for most of my pictures? Just because you prefer Auto doesn't mean that it is the best method for the rest of us. Besides, I know what I like better than my camera in a lot of cases.

My next trip will be with a Inon D2000 and I'll have to see which mode I like best using the strobe:

- S-TTL
- Auto TTL
- Manual

I'm looking forward to my Maldives trip in a couple of weeks to see which I prefer (although 9 days of diving might not be enough of a test).

 

[alcina]

Wow, talk about making something simple complicated!

You're going to be fine, Neuro - just get more dives and more dives with the camera under your belt

My cons for auto modes, as many know, are:
- the camera will often select a shutter that is really slow, tempting motion blur
- the camera will often select an aperture that is "wide open", tempting soft images
- the camera doesn't really know what I want from an underwater scene. they do great in auto on land, but uw? not so much often.

I'll try to get one of my divers to do some comparison shots next time a camera is out!

 

[Nemrod]

Why complicate things when I found something that works for me when I'm shooting natural light for most of my pictures? Just because you prefer Auto doesn't mean that it is the best method for the rest of us. Besides, I know what I like better than my camera in a lot of cases.

My next trip will be with a Inon D2000 and I'll have to see which mode I like best using the strobe:

- S-TTL
- Auto TTL
- Manual

I'm looking forward to my Maldives trip in a couple of weeks to see which I prefer (although 9 days of diving might not be enough of a test).

Complicated, OK, suit yourself or "us," thanks for letting me help you out. Good luck, hope you figure it out to your satisfaction and have fun on your trip.

Not to complicate things for you, just one thing though, better read the manual with your D2000, I don't believe the sTTL mode will work correctly with your camera with your camera in manual mode. Look up the section on sTTL and read it, kinda confusing, enough so I may not be right but that is what I understood and that is what appears to be the case with my 570 and D2000. In manual (on camera) mode there is no preflash and the sTTL mode uses the camera's preflash. When you select sTTL the "magnet" switch function is cancelled. In the strobe's auto mode you must still select preflash or no preflash using the magnetic switch, same case with the strobe in manual. The 570IS does not have a preflash in Av, Tv or manual so you must select the correct position for the magnetic switch. It does appear that the sTTL function is designed to operate with the camera in that "complicated" auto mode. I am still trying to figure all of that out as well so please verify with your unit beforehand. Again, good luck with it.

N