Shooting underwater with Sony A6700

[gremlin]

I did some searching and did not find a thread related to this (there's one called A6700 Settings about video) so I thought it might be nice to create a thread for those shooting the A6700 to discuss best practices settings etc.

 

I'm shooting in a Nauticam housing with a Smart Turtle TTL Trigger I'm currently shooting with YS-D2 strobes and using either the 16-50 kit lens or the 90mm 2.8 macro depending on situation.

 

I've only done one trip so far with the setup (I used mostly the same setup with my a6500 from 2018, so it's fairly similar)

 

I usually start with TTL flashes as I find I get pretty decent results that way but if the critters aren't shy will switch to going manual as I can. One frustration I'm finding right now is there doesn't seem to be anyway to just turn off the flashes in the camera, and as such I can not in Program mode use the knob to shift the aperture/shutter speed values while maintaining exposure. (Going to the flash settings and selecting Off says it's not available in this mode) 

 

I'm shooting in RAW Mode, I select the Auto Underwater White balance as a starting place, and then am shotting in either Aperture priority or Program mode usually using a center balanced metering mode and a center tracking focus using the back button to focus at all times (I turn of focus on shutter). I tend to use focus peaking and DMF as my focus mode as it allows me to see when eyes are in focus a little more easily.

My other frustration is that with the 16-50 lens, on the A6500 in DMF you could hold the focus button down and move the knob that actuates the zoom and it would actually adjust focus, letting go of the focus button it would revert to actuating the Zoom, unfortunately on the A6700 they changed this behaviour and I now have the C3 button set to toggle between manual and auto focus modes so that I can manually adjust the focus (handy when I'm running a macro diopter on the lens)

 

 

[Lewis88]

At least on my A6100, if you turn on silent shooting, it will disable the built in flash. Not sure if that works with triggers as well.

[fruehaufsteher2]

The other way of disabling the flash is to switch to wireless flash. But the behavior of the flashes varies with the brand. 
 

The 16-50 is optically rather weak. We use the combination of 10-20/4 (the new one) with the 6“ acrylic dome. Hard to distinguish some of the pictures from the A7 IV with WACP-C. 
 

Macro-option is the only downside. 

Edited March 17 by fruehaufsteher2

[humu9679]

On 3/13/2025 at 10:42 AM, gremlin said:

I usually start with TTL flashes as I find I get pretty decent results that way but if the critters aren't shy will switch to going manual as I can. One frustration I'm finding right now is there doesn't seem to be anyway to just turn off the flashes in the camera, and as such I can not in Program mode use the knob to shift the aperture/shutter speed values while maintaining exposure. (Going to the flash settings and selecting Off says it's not available in this mode)

 

 

 If you're in a hurry to turn off strobes, you might just pull the fiber optic cable. Usually I have enough time to turn off both if you're thinking about shooting existing light.

[gremlin]

I can turn off the strobes by just turning off the strobes, (easier than pulling the fiber optic cable) but that doesn't turn off the trigger on the camera, so the camera still thinks it has a flash and is limited to flash sync shutter speeds. 

As for the 16-50 yeah it's not the best lens, the 90mm macro is very nice, at some point I might consider changing to something better, but it's nice a versatile, I have a diopter for it and the WWL wet lens as well, making it easy to shoot whatever I find, I'm happy with the results.

[Chris Ross]

A Manual flash trigger might be a solution? If it doesn't recognise the trigger as  a flash then it won't restrict shutter speeds.  You could then point the strobes away till you want to use them again.  The Nauticam manual trigger for example allows the Olympus cameras to shoot at higher than flash sync speed this way. 

[gremlin]

Maybe, as I said above I really like to have TTL as well, so maybe there's not a solution that offers all of this, I'll have to play a bit more with the Turtle and see if I put it into wireless flash mode if I can do that.

[gremlin]

nullPerhaps optically weak it still produces some nice photos, I'm not trying to get published, I just enjoy shooting and we make memory books of our trips and hang things on the wall from time to time when I get something good.

[Barmaglot]

On 3/18/2025 at 10:49 AM, gremlin said:

I can turn off the strobes by just turning off the strobes, (easier than pulling the fiber optic cable) but that doesn't turn off the trigger on the camera, so the camera still thinks it has a flash and is limited to flash sync shutter speeds. 

I have no personal experience with Turtle, but with UWT trigger, my a6700 (and a6300 before it) just goes into HSS mode when I set shutter speed above 1/160s. In this mode, if I don't set my strobes (Retra Pro) to HSS, they will fire, but not sync.

[Nemrod]

I find the 16-50 kit lens works good enough for who and what it is for and especially when coupled with the WWL-1. However, if you can find a Sigma 19mm prime it is excellent with the WWL-1.

 

As to triggers, perhaps there is some difference with the 6700 vs the 6400 but I have not been able to get the UWT trigger to sync reliably, mostly it does, sometimes it does not, random. 

Edited March 20 by Nemrod

[boduoguo]

On 3/18/2025 at 5:15 AM, fruehaufsteher2 said:

The other way of disabling the flash is to switch to wireless flash. But the behavior of the flashes varies with the brand. 
 

The 16-50 is optically rather weak. We use the combination of 10-20/4 (the new one) with the 6“ acrylic dome. Hard to distinguish some of the pictures from the A7 IV with WACP-C. 
 

Macro-option is the only downside. 

How long is the 6-inch dome extension?

 

Edited March 21 by boduoguo

[Chris Ross]

Looking at the port charts it's about 50mm long, that's how much extension you add to a 180mm dome port to use with lenses that are used in the 6"dome.  Bear in mind that the 180mm and this dome include some amount of extension in that tapered section above the section outlined in the red square compared to ports that have a flat back like the 230 and 140mm ports.

[Barmaglot]

On 3/20/2025 at 10:43 PM, Nemrod said:

As to triggers, perhaps there is some difference with the 6700 vs the 6400 but I have not been able to get the UWT trigger to sync reliably, mostly it does, sometimes it does not, random. 

I've been using UWT since, I think, 2019, and never had that issue. When it fired, it always synced. A6300 with SeaFrogs ST-100 strobes, then Retra Pro strobes, then A6700. I've had other issues, notably the CR1220 batteries running out quickly (the most recent revision of the board that I have now is using larger cells, so that's not a problem anymore), but not that one.

[Chris Ross]

On 3/21/2025 at 2:43 AM, Nemrod said:

I find the 16-50 kit lens works good enough for who and what it is for and especially when coupled with the WWL-1. However, if you can find a Sigma 19mm prime it is excellent with the WWL-1.

 

As to triggers, perhaps there is some difference with the 6700 vs the 6400 but I have not been able to get the UWT trigger to sync reliably, mostly it does, sometimes it does not, random. 

Several things can cause problems with syncing - not dealing with the pre-flash properly is one.  If you are in manual at high power if the pre-flash triggers the strobe it could exhaust the capacitor.  Another is a optic fibre cable issues.  Is it every now and then one exposure doesn't sync or is more like mostly it works but on some dives it gives problems for that dive?

[boduoguo]

Bought a mini flash inducer that can be used inside nauticam's housing. It's also handy to use as a backup.

[Barmaglot]

That actually fits into the Nauticam housing? Specs say it's 29.5mm tall - didn't think there is that much open space in there. 

[boduoguo]

19 minutes ago, Barmaglot said:

That actually fits into the Nauticam housing? Specs say it's 29.5mm tall - didn't think there is that much open space in there. 

Yes, there is enough space.

[dentrock]

Interesting. It's manual only, but with power settings. At approx < AUD $60, could be an alternative to $300 Nauticam manual flash trigger?

And should fit in my A7CR housing.

[Nemrod]

11 hours ago, Chris Ross said:

Several things can cause problems with syncing - not dealing with the pre-flash properly is one.  If you are in manual at high power if the pre-flash triggers the strobe it could exhaust the capacitor.  Another is a optic fibre cable issues.  Is it every now and then one exposure doesn't sync or is more like mostly it works but on some dives it gives problems for that dive?

 

Thanks, it is none of those things, I wish it were that simple.  The random loss of sync is unpredictable, random. It works perfect for a few shots, maybe twenty shots and then one or two do not sync, in the water or on my kitchen table. This in any camera mode, strobe mode, trigger mode with various strobes (S&S, D2000, S2000, S220, YS) and all sorts of cables (Inon, Divervision, Nauticam), with the trigger set to sTTL or M or anything in between. It syncs fine and then it does not. I thought at first when the camera wakes up after going to sleep but even with my booster battery and the camera never goes to sleep, same thing. Tried a different camera and three different UWT triggers. When it works it is great, but it is not reliable.

 

I still like my camera and enjoy using it but next time it will not be a Sony though the above problem is not due to Sony (I think). Here are the irritating things about the Alpha cameras:

 

1. No native fisheye lens, zoom or prime.

2. No pre-flash cancel.

3. The 1/160 maximum sync.

Edited March 22 by Nemrod

[dhaas]

I have only used Sony RX100 VII compact but common complaints I hear from Sony Axxx models underwater are in no particular order:

 

* Slower than other camera brands top synch speed with flash

 

* Flash triggers "problematic" 

 

* On built in pop up flash if your model has one there's no small tripping flashes versus TTL only.   Nikon cameras have a 1/128 on some built in pop up flashes and Canon's do 1/3 - 2/3 - FULL increments plus TTL on their built in pop up flashes.  

 

Being a Canon fan I've never had anywhere near the flash problems I read about over decades shooting manual or TTL whether in an Ikelite, Fantasea, Nauticam or whatever housing.  I usually had direct hot shoe connection (Ikelite corded ) or took any flash trigger out of the equation using a camera's built in flash which simply works for manual or TTL on Nikon or Canon.

 

The latest obsession seems to be shooting in low or high speed multi-frame flash, even with macro nudibranch shooters (WTH ?????)  I can see maybe low speed continuous but seriously, as a "standard" way of shooting?

 

I guess I don't feel the need to have that,  but hey,  if it's your jam go for it !!!!!

 

Just another nobody's opinion 🙂

 

David Haas

 

PS - I'll be trying an Ikelite Canon TT5 Optical TTL trigger in a different camera and housing  in a couple weeks and will report on results 🙂 

 

I'll use Ikelite DS160 strobes (for years I shot back to the DS125.)   Using one or two wide beam strobes despite the size always delivered nice warm images and recycle time was never an issue.

 

Stay tuned!

 

 

Edited March 22 by dhaas

[Barmaglot]

19 minutes ago, dhaas said:

even with macro nudibranch shooters (WTH ?????)

Maybe for focus stacking?

 

1 hour ago, Nemrod said:

1. No native fisheye lens, zoom or prime.

I just did my first trip with Tokina 10-17mm; couldn't tell any difference AF-wise from my native 10-18mm or 16-50mm. Camera grabbed focus instantly and held it reliably. I have it set to AF-C with expand flexible spot, and it was trivially easy to, for example, grab focus on a subject in the center of the frame, then rotate camera to place the locked focus point in a corner, so as to add some negative space to the composition.

[dhaas]

As I said if it works for you that's fine.

 

The focus stacking is one I hadn't thought of but might make sense in today's modern cameras with a sessile type creature.

 

Hmmmmm........

 

DH

 

 

[Chris Ross]

14 hours ago, Nemrod said:

 

Thanks, it is none of those things, I wish it were that simple.  The random loss of sync is unpredictable, random. It works perfect for a few shots, maybe twenty shots and then one or two do not sync, in the water or on my kitchen table. This in any camera mode, strobe mode, trigger mode with various strobes (S&S, D2000, S2000, S220, YS) and all sorts of cables (Inon, Divervision, Nauticam), with the trigger set to sTTL or M or anything in between. It syncs fine and then it does not. I thought at first when the camera wakes up after going to sleep but even with my booster battery and the camera never goes to sleep, same thing. Tried a different camera and three different UWT triggers. When it works it is great, but it is not reliable.

 

I still like my camera and enjoy using it but next time it will not be a Sony though the above problem is not due to Sony (I think). Here are the irritating things about the Alpha cameras:

 

1. No native fisheye lens, zoom or prime.

2. No pre-flash cancel.

3. The 1/160 maximum sync.

One thing that seems to be quite a negative to me for Sony is the flash connector, there have been a few posts around the fragility of that connector with those tiny pins that are used to make contact.  I'm wondering if it could be connected to that?  Why it would be random I don't know, but it could be a marginal connection there?

[Nemrod]

22 hours ago, Chris Ross said:

One thing that seems to be quite a negative to me for Sony is the flash connector, there have been a few posts around the fragility of that connector with those tiny pins that are used to make contact.  I'm wondering if it could be connected to that?  Why it would be random I don't know, but it could be a marginal connection there?

 

Thanks for the brain drain. It hurts my head thinking about it sometimes. Thing is, I have two A6400 cameras widely separated in serial number. And UWT sent me a replacement with newer software way back, I mean, it is a now nearly a 5 yo camera and the same with the UWT trigger. None of them worked, not a different camera nor trigger. Beats me :(.

 

I know one thing, this has put me off on (future) cameras that require an external $$$ trigger. At least with the A6400 I can sync off the built in flash which works perfectly, every time, all the time, just not super fast. And it eats my battery if I did not have a booster or onboard charging capability.

[fruehaufsteher2]

9 hours ago, Nemrod said:

I know one thing, this has put me off on (future) cameras that require an external $$$ trigger. At least with the A6400 I can sync off the built in flash which works perfectly, every time, all the time, just not super fast. And it eats my battery if I did not have a booster or onboard charging capability.

I just sold my A6400. The biggest downside compared to the A6700 is the small battery... but, yes, you need a $$$ flash trigger.