UW camera settings

[Mike7]

I'm getting a housing for my Sony cybershot p73 soon and I could do with knowing the run down on what settings etc to use, to get me started.

Another thing, its the MPK-PEA housing I'm getting but this applys to all manaul housings... it says they are proof to 40m or so but silly as it sounds will it still be fine with pressing all the buttons for changing settings and modes while under? or is the shutter button to take the photos just best to press. I dont want it to leak

Thanks

 

[herman]

Welcome to the board Mike.

I start with the camera in manual mode, F-stop in the 5.6 range and shutter speed around 1/80 to 1/100. The exposure of the subject lit by the strobe is controlled by the F-stop and strobe setting. The backround exposure is controlled by the shutter. For a black backround, increase the shutter speed - the faster the darker the backround or slow it down to get a blue backround- the slower the lighter blue but there is a limit to how slow you can get away with as objects quickly get out of focus. Obviously, ambient light plays a big factor in this as well.

As for the buttons on the housing, I know of no reason to not to use any of them at any time. My Olympus housing has a lot of buttons and I use many of them all the time, no reason to put them on the housing if you can't use them. I would highly recommend you test your housing BEFORE taking the camera down in it. You can either take the housing on a test dive without the camera in it and while at depth, use all the controls or you can have it pressure tested by a dive shop. When I have mine pressure tested, I have take it to it's max rated depth and keep it there for at least 30 minutes. I choose not to test my housing to their limits during dives, nothing much past 30M or so that I want to shoot anyway.

 

[Mike7]

Hey Herman, thanks for the reply.

I will try the settings out but I can only try these in a pool untill I go on holiday but hopefully I can tweak the settings to match my picture. The reason I asked about the housing is my dad has one too and his has started to leak but his cam+housing costs just under the price of my housing will so maybe thats why although its still rated to 40m.

It would be daft to have a housing and not be able to use the features like you said, I guess I'm just a little touchy atm

 

[MN Lakeman]

I have a similar Sony housing for my 150, & have used nearly all the buttons down to 110' with no problems at all - even on 4 dives-a-day, week long liveaboards. I am still experimenting w/ various manual settings, but must say - I have had terrific results w/ just the automatic setting, & then cleaning up w/ a photolab on the computer.

 

[Mike7]

I have a similar Sony housing for my 150, & have used nearly all the buttons down to 110' with no problems at all - even on 4 dives-a-day, week long liveaboards. I am still experimenting w/ various manual settings, but must say - I have had terrific results w/ just the automatic setting, & then cleaning up w/ a photolab on the computer.

Cool, makes me feel better.

 

[gert7to3]

Here's a link to a review of your camera, it may be more clear than the instruction manual:

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/P73/P73A.HTM

I have used the P-5 and P-10. The P-5 was last seen off Witche's Hut at Bonaire.

Don't worry about the buttons. The 40m depth limit means that the buttons will be fully compressed, so they won't function. It doesn't mean the camera case will implode. Soaking the camera in clean fresh water for 20 minutes or so after diving will disolve salt which works its way into the mechanisms.

Be very careful with your "O"ring. Don't stretch it, don't scratch it, grease it very lightly, don't let dirt or excess silicone build up in the "O" ring channel, don't get any lint, hair or tissue flecks on the ring. Always check the "O" ring through the clear camera housing to make sure the silicone seal is patent and there are no fibers on it. The smallest thing interrupting that grease seal will provide a path for water.

Don't leave the camera on constantly as this can cause fogging problems. Load the camera in the dryest environment possible. An air conditioned room is good. Small humidity absorbing gel packs can help too, but watch your controls.

You will probably want to turn off your AF illuminator. I think the lens bezel on the housing will block it.

Auto focusing. Setting it to monitor can help with a moving subject like a fish, but it uses more battery power. Remember to slightly pause as you set the button halfway down to let the focusing process occur.

Spot mtering helps alot with exposing for your subject, but you have to keep the spot on the subject to meter properly.

I usually set the ISO to 200 and use "P" (programmed mode). I have also found using fluorescent light white balance helps to get some red into U/W shots without a flash. I use the macro mode most of the time. The flash is only good for less than a meter, but it can throw a nice highlght on silvery fish in very clear water.

I have a Sea&Sea YS 25 flash and their wide angle lens. That lens has given me the best pictures from this camera (P-10). These of course drive up your cost, so learn the camera, then get the toys.

 

[Mike7]

Thanks gert7to3 !

I just have a bit of worry because my dads camera has started to leak and it looks very much like the same as the sony one.

Cheers for the tips on using the camera I must admit I'm still working some of them out on land but can wait to use it underwater. I will try everything out in the coming weeks in the pool before I go away.

 

[TeddyDiver]

I'm getting a housing for my Sony cybershot p73 soon and I could do with knowing the run down on what settings etc to use, to get me started.

I have the same camera and housing for stils. Easy to chance settings/flash options but I should need +1,5 in my mask to see whats on the screen :06: so trying to remember the last setting.. It's anyway depending what you are shooting at! (auto, close up, scenery etc) Best to concentrate in one thing at the first times. Housing is with double O-rings making it quite secure. Internal flash enough up to 1,5'/45cm

 

[Mike7]

Ahh I thought it was single O'ring well the sony site says that whats the video like on it? its pretty decent on land just takes up memory space.

 

[MN Lakeman]

...I have also found using fluorescent light white balance helps to get some red into U/W shots without a flash.

I appreciate you mentioning the fluorescent light mode on white balance. I posted last month regarding this manual adjustment but did not get a response. Though my computer photo lab corrects the still shots w/ respect to getting red back into the scene, I can't use the program for the great mpegs this Sony takes. When using the memory stick pro, I can get near DV quality movies, and the camera does allow for adjusting the white balance in various preset modes - I'll try this next time. Thanks!