Snooting

[RVBldr]

Just got a new Marelux snoot to work with my Sony A7C, 90mm macro, and YS-D3 strobe. I'm shooting in Puget Sound, drysuit, and bulky dry gloves. I have a couple questions after today's first time out with the snoot.
1) With the battery and adjustment knob for beam width, what's the best way to store the snoot if not using? It barely fits in a Santi pocket, so I was thinking a short tether and clip it off. 
2) What's the best way to aim the snoot? I had the snoot shooting center and overhead the target, but getting the beam to center where the macro focus point sets, is a challenge which took a bit of fidgeting. Any helpful hints other than practice? Any good words of wisdom for those with more experience?

 

Shots below were first time out and I got a bit lucky with the frosted nudi as the beam was a little to the left. 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 17 by RVBldr
Reduce file sizes.

[TimG]

Hi RVBldr

 

Yeah, never easy to start with.

 

A couple of thoughts: my understanding was that the Marleux had quite  a sophisticated focus light and aiming system? So was the snoot aiming light on  the right place but when you took the image, the strobe was not hitting where you thought?

 

Snoots do/can have a sweet spot for focussing the beam. Does the manual give an indication of this? 

 

The images look underexposed to me which is not unusual for starting off with a snoot. I found in my early snoot days that  this was sometimes the reason that I thought the snoot was not aimed right! Might be worth increasing the strobe output  a click or two.

 

If you've not seen it already, quite a useful article here:

 

https://www.divephotoguide.com/underwater-photography-techniques/article/underwater-snoot-photography/

[Griffer]

Hi  RVBldr

I like mine above the housing pointing at the subject .

Photo taken with a Backscatter strobe and snoot, with the strobe lying on the top of the housing pointing at the subject ,all you need to do is find out the focus point 

[RVBldr]

On 2/17/2024 at 1:36 PM, Erik H said:

On 3/16/2024 at 7:29 PM, TimG said:

A couple of thoughts: my understanding was that the Marelux had quite a sophisticated focus light and aiming system? So was the snoot aiming light on the right place but when you took the image, the strobe was not hitting where you thought?

https://www.divephotoguide.com/underwater-photography-techniques/article/underwater-snoot-photography/

It's an interesting focus light that's adjustable in width, strobe seems to be hitting where it's pointed, just shooter's error on my part in getting it on target. Thanks for the link, good info and we'll try it again next weekend.

 

[theocean]

On 3/17/2024 at 10:00 AM, Griffer said:

Hi  RVBldr

I like mine above the housing pointing at the subject .

Photo taken with a Backscatter strobe and snoot, with the strobe lying on the top of the housing pointing at the subject ,all you need to do is find out the focus point 

That's a stunner @Griffer! Nicely done!

[RVBldr]

Getting better, just takes some practice:

 

[NealL]

1. I have a clip on mine that I tie off to my BC.

2. I use a stainesssteel stick with a 1" ball. I move my remote fired strobe to the stick, place it in the pud or reef aim it, and then I am free to compose the image as I want.