First time out with a DSLR..

Just looking for a little advice.

I'm on a Red Sea liveaboard next week doing a wreck special, and for the first time I'm taking my Canon 400D in a Ikelite housing with the Canon 10-20 and 8' dome port. Not taking any strobes with me, for the simple reason I can't afford any yet.

As this trip is aimed at diving wrecks I'm sure the WA lens will be just the thing for it.

Up till now I've been a compact camera user and I feel very confident with them.

But being first time DSLR user I'm just looking for some pointers, how ever small I'm sure they will help me out. Are there anythings I should try, any settings I should use or is there anything I should stay away from until I get some experience.

Anyway over to you.

Saeed

1. Magic Filters

2. Patience

3. Pray for good vis!

4. Laptop - So you can play with black and white conversion and adjust your exposure to suit.

5. A good torch for your buddy to model with.

With the sun behind you can probably get away with shutter priority, setting to about -1ev .

Hopefully Peter Rowlands will chime in, i've never seen a picture of him diving with a strobe... Of course that could be a clever marketing ploy for the magic filters...

I'm on a Red Sea liveaboard next week doing a wreck special...

Saeed

Hi Saeed

Are you on one of the Tornado Marine fleet, by any chance?!

If so, which one?

BTW, everything Scuba_SI said!

Hi Saeed

 

Are you on one of the Tornado Marine fleet, by any chance?!

 

If so, which one?

 

BTW, everything Scuba_SI said!

No I'm off on Grand Sea Serpent. Are you out there as well?

1. Magic Filters

 

2. Patience

 

3. Pray for good vis!

 

4. Laptop - So you can play with black and white conversion and adjust your exposure to suit.

 

5. A good torch for your buddy to model with.

 

With the sun behind you can probably get away with shutter priority, setting to about -1ev .

 

Hopefully Peter Rowlands will chime in, i've never seen a picture of him diving with a strobe... Of course that could be a clever marketing ploy for the magic filters...

Thanks for that, with the magic filters are they really that good. Isn't it a case of just setting the white balance correctly. Surely if you put a filter in front of the lens it just cuts out the available light, and it can't add something which isn't there, or is that the magic? I had a red filter for my compact when I first got it but found it was a waste of time.

Any more tips anyone?

It works on the same principle as any other red filter used at depth, adding the red lost from absorption by the water. But the magic is i think in the material used for the filter being specifically designed for white balancing through, whereas many of the red filters on digicams use the same old material that was used in the film days, which isn't the best.

Also they are super thin, so they don't cut out as much light as the others.

Make sure you get a low profile fliter holder for your magic too, the standard ones will vignette slightly at teh wider settings.

No I'm off on Grand Sea Serpent. Are you out there as well?

Yes, but I'm out on the 7th April on m/v Whirlwind.

I would strongly endorse the use of a Magic Filter for the wreck dives; especially for the wide angle shots. I rarely attach strobes now to my housing (other than for macro); prefering the natural light results obtained with the MF.

A word of advice though, follow the guidelines for using the filter (shoot down/sun behind you/white balance etc) otherwise your initial results can be a bit variable - as were mine until I followed them

Some pics with MF:

(but taken in my early days with the filter; check out Alex's site for much better examples!)

This is the Giannis D, bound to be on your itinery.....

The Dunraven, another 'must do' of the northern Red Sea........

Also, it's not just wrecks.........

Now, Alex doesn't endorse the use of strobes with the MF, but I reckon it can work......!

Yes, but I'm out on the 7th April on m/v Whirlwind.

Tried to get on that trip but only 1 space left and thats for a girl.. I did say I would put a dress on

I've done the wrecks many times before but not for about 5 years so look forward to seeing them again

Nice photos, OK you have talked me into it I have ordered the filter hopefully Peter can get it to me before Wed (Peter are you there) and I will give it a go. Cheers for the help.