DSC-S85

Hey everyone, I know these questions have been asked before, but I'm new to the underwater photograhy field and could use some help. I have a sony DSC-S85, this is a 4.1 meg has lots of bells and whistles. I purchased an Ikelite case, with a ds50 substrobe. Most of my diving and photograghy will be in freshwater lakes, so visibility isnt the best. The unit works good in auto mode but everything ive read points to the truly great photos taken in manual mode. I have no clue on using the camera in manual mode or which settings to use. I really need some advice on what settings to use, more so on what they acually do. I know its shutter speed and such, could sure use some help.

Thanks so much.

Billy

The easiest way to begin with the manual settings would be with the "A" and "S" settings on your program selection dial. "A" is Apature priority which essentially allows more light into your camera. A note of caution: when this mode is selected your shutter will stay open longer which will tend to blur any moving images. Keeping things still underwater is pretty tricky.

The "S" is shutter priority. This will keep your moving images very sharp but generally you will need more light to keep the image properly exposed.

With all the settings, the key is to experiment first... both above land and underwater. Since digital film is free (the beauty of digital) take a few identical pictures with different settings and compare them. Good settings to experiment with are the + and - exposure controls, White balance settings and flash settings.

Also, learn how to use the macro feature on the camera. The S85 has a great macro and you can get some fantastic close images of small creatures if you have the patience to get in close.

I hope this helps... the key is to play around and experiment and make notes on what you like. Use your creativity in creating shots. If you like the picture, then it is a great shot! Have fun!