Can you do it?

Hi all,

I've been thinking to sell my Nikonos stuff and go digital. Have some questions though. Really hope someone here may advise.

1. Can you really use the build-in camera flash through the housing? Most of those hoisings are transparent, right. I understand the difference between the good external strobes away from the lens and the build in flash but the idea of having a build-in flash underwater sound interesting. Also heard some people complain about the built-in flash causing reflections in the housing?

2. How do you synchronize an external strobe with a digital camera (without cable)? I read here about people using slaves trigered by the built-in flash but I have bad experience trying to use slaves with a Canon s-110 - the thing just won't synchronize. The slaves fire promptly but the pictures are 90% as if only the built-in flash was used and the other 10% are severely overexposed.

3. The optical viewfinder of most digital cameras is useless underwater, right? My question is, how good is the lcd screen when you have to compose, focus, etc. and it is pretty deep/dark?

I'd appreciate any input...

I.

Hi Ivil,

most of your questions should already be answered here or in Steves Digicams Forum.

1. Can you really use the build-in camera flash through the housing? Most of those hoisings are transparent, right. I understand the difference between the good external strobes away from the lens and the build in flash but the idea of having a build-in flash underwater sound interesting. Also heard some people complain about the built-in flash causing reflections in the housing?

Depending on camera and housing you can use the builtin flash for most macro and closeup motives. You'll never get the results of a proper external flash, but usually the results come out well enough.

I never experienced reflections in the housing but due to the position of the builtin flash it is hard to avoid backscatter.

The builtin flash is useless for wa and more distant motives, better turn it off then.

2. How do you synchronize an external strobe with a digital camera (without cable)? I read here about people using slaves trigered by the built-in flash but I have bad experience trying to use slaves with a Canon s-110 - the thing just won't synchronize. The slaves fire promptly but the pictures are 90% as if only the built-in flash was used and the other 10% are severely overexposed.

Have a look at the Ikelite page. Ike explains this perfectly.

3. The optical viewfinder of most digital cameras is useless underwater, right? My question is, how good is the lcd screen when you have to compose, focus, etc. and it is pretty deep/dark?

The lcd is very useful to control the composition and lighting of the picture but it is much to small to decide whether you're in focus.

Most cameras allow you to change the brightness of the lcd through the housing. Change it to a darker setting, when you're in a shallow well lit area and brighter when it is rather dark around you.

On night dives you'll see nothing at all, use your lamp or have a fellow diver help you out.

Sabine.

Thanks Sabine. Wasn't aware of 'Steves Digicams Forum'. It gets clearer...