Maximum shuttertime with the 10-22

Im planning a dive to a WWII airplane wreck next weekend. The wreck is fairly deep and light is limited.

I have dived the wreck before and it is possible to stand on the bottom in front of the airplane (dont worry no corals here).

How long shuttertimes do you think it is possible to shoot without to much blur with the 10-22 at maximum wideangle and standing at the bottom...

I will ofcourse try several different settings when I do the dive but since time is limited I thought it would be good to have some guidelines before i decend.

/Jonas

I understand that the rule of thumb for handholding a 35 mm SLR is the inverse of the lens length. With a 10-22 mm lens, you would expect to be able to work at 1/10 to 1/20 of a second shooting topside. (Some shooteres can apparently hold a camera still enough at even longer exposure times, but let's stick with this.)

Underwater, the water will have at least a slight damping effect on camera-housing movement, which is good. That would normally be offset by the fact that an underwater photographer is literally floating, but this doesn't apply if you're negatively buoyant and standing on the bottom. Good ergonomics and twin handles that make it easy to brace the camera against your body could help. Any current could hurt.

Finally, since you say the dive is fairly deep, if you'll be breathing air, I think you have to factor in the likelihood that you will probably be at least slightly narked.

Since you'll have a clear bottom, what about using (or improvising) a tripod or monopod? There have beena couple of threads about this, and the situation you've described could be the perfect place to try this. If conditions are good (no current), you really wouldn't have any maximum restriction on shutter speed. And the fish, like cars driving around the Arc de Triomphe, will all disappear as well!

I hope you will let us know how this worked out and show us the results.

Frogfish

Since you'll have a clear bottom, what about using (or improvising) a tripod or monopod?  There have beena couple of threads about this, and the situation you've described could be the perfect place to try this. 

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I agree a tripod would be ideal, but I do not have a tripod for underwater use yet and I do not wish to use my topside tripod in this harsh enviroment.

Do check the threads on this topic. One option would be to pick up a very inexpensive metal tripod. Another would be to improvise a tripod out of arm sections and a triple clamp.

You could probably improvise a monopod out of just about anything, including a broomstick, a boathook, or whatever. If it's likely to be a muddy or soft bottom, you'd need something to serve as a 'shoe' on the bottom.

Frogfish

Yes I am very aware of the treads in the subject. I have (half heartedly) been searching the local used marked for a sturdy tripod to use but I have yet not found one.

The thing is that for the tripod needs to be atleast 1,6 meters and pretty sturdy an stabil (the cheap alumimun ones are not likely to withstand this hars enviroment)

A monopod is an interesting idea I have not thought of this... But the problem with a monopod is that I have no means of attaching it to my sea&sea housing (I need both strobearms for detail shots later in the dive).

I will get one in the future no question about that but for this trip I will try handheld.

Well well, thanks for your input robert, lets see how it goes...

Hi Jonas,

I've had pretty sharp results from using shutters as slow 1/15s for wreck shots by controlling my breathing and buoyancy. The only things not sharp in the shots are typically moving fish in the foreground...

Good luck!

You mention you use ulcs arms. If you have a tray that bolts on to the bottom of your housng, you might be able to improve a suitable fitting from a good photo store that could be bolted to the tray and into which you could screw the monopod . Or at least, this is how I've thought I would try to connect a monopod or tripod..

Frogfish

The S&S dx350d housing have the handles bolted into the housing from the side so no help there.

But I have thought of this way of attaching a tripod for whenever I do get a god tripod. I fold the ulcs arms down under the housing and attach the tripod to the arms under the housing. You cannot have the strobes attached to the strobe arms if you choose to do it this way, but I do not feel that strobes is nessecery if I descide to shoot with "self timer" and a tripod.

You mention you use ulcs arms.  If you have a tray that bolts on to the bottom of your housng, you might be able to improve a suitable fitting from a good photo store that could be bolted to the tray and into which you could screw the monopod .  Or at least, this is how I've thought I would try to connect a monopod or tripod..

 

Frogfish

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im quite curious too see how your experiment turns out. been wondering myself about an uw stabilizing tool. post pics

Like mattdiver, I routinely shoot handheld U/W at 1/15th at 12mm. Slower usually turns out motion blurred in the vertical axis, but there's a keeper once in a while.

All the best, James