D80 and D300 possibilities and image quality

I have been diving for a week in the Red Sea last week and the conditions were terrible. No sun, lots of wind and even rain. Despite this I noticed a huge quality difference in RAW shots made with D80 and a D300.

My setup: D80 in Ikelite housing, DS-125 Substrobe (right), DS-51 (left), ISO200, Sigma 15mm fisheye, iTTL enabled.

Other setup: D300 in Hugyfot housing, twin Inon Z240 strobes, ISO100, Nikkor 10,5mm fisheye, TTL enabled.

I've read lots on strobes, placement, distance to subject, but my photos were cyany and drab compared to the D300's.

D300 was set on A (Aperture) priority, ISO100, f/18, 1/60. My D80 was set in the same settings, but I get a dark underexposed photo. I need to set my camera in M (Manual), ISO200, f/9, 1/80 to get some light in the photos.

The D300 manages to get nice clear lit shots and my D80 can't take any photos with the same settings as the D300.

Is there a huge difference in the capabilities of the D300 sensor in combination with the Inon strobes compared to the D80 sensor with (at least) a DS-125 and a DS-51?

Above setups were tested with Wide angle shots at Shaab Ruhr Umm Gamar at depths of 20 metres or 65 feet with coralhead and fan as subject.

Just desperately trying to get more, clearer and better photos from my setup, than I did last week. How can I improve my photos or get more/better light in my photos? You can check out some examples on: http://www.flickr.com/photos/arne/35245400...57617987346056/

I really don't think the issue is the D80 vs d300, I've used both cameras extensively underwater and imho it's not easy to tell the difference in the photos, certainly not in the way you describe it.

The difference could be due to a number of different things - different shutter speeds, strobe power, strobe to subject distance, white-balance, etc. I always shoot in manual mode so I have complete control over my background lighting.

And I would think shooting at F18, ISO 100 for wide-angle would really be testing the power of your strobes, unless the strobes are very close to the subject

maybe you could post 2 photos, 1 from each camera, with their ISO, f-stop, and shutter speed?

hope this helps a little,

Scott

I looked at your Pics (assuming that you mean the Hurghada 2009 folder)

It looks to me that your highlights and midtones are exposed ok. Shadows a little darker than you like? Three possibilities occur to me which could account for part of the difference.

1) "Active D lighting" setting

2) Strobe position/strobes to far from lens

3) photographic technique/composition

I submit these only for you to consider, I am not nearly good enough to give you a definitive answer, I am just tossing a few ideas at the wall.

D300 was set on A (Aperture) priority, ISO100, f/18, 1/60. My D80 was set in the same settings, but I get a dark underexposed photo. I need to set my camera in M (Manual), ISO200, f/9, 1/80 to get some light in the photos.

I use a very similar system and use it a lot in similar conditions (Saudi Red Sea). But I must say that I find your D300 setting surprising as I expect it to give dark WA shots. Your D80 setting seem more reasonable. I beleive that f18 with ISO100 will not give you nice blue bkground at 20m in Red Sea.

Just my 2 cents worth. Good luck

I was diving off Hurghada in the aqful weather May 1st - May 8th with my D80. I shot WA at ISO 200, f8.0 to f11.0 and usually around 1/100th to 1/200th. I have 2 Inon D2000 strobes and was using the Tokina 10-17mm lens. I found that the cloudy weather added some nice saturation to the blue water to make the colors a very nice, deep blue.

My setup: D80 in Ikelite housing, DS-125 Substrobe (right), DS-51 (left), ISO200, Sigma 15mm fisheye, iTTL enabled.

Other setup: D300 in Hugyfot housing, twin Inon Z240 strobes, ISO100, Nikkor 10,5mm fisheye, TTL enabled.

I use a D80 with 2 Inon Z240 type II in iTTL or manual mode. W/A is either Nikkor 12-24 or Sigma 17-70. ISO 100 or 200 M 1/125 to 1/160.

I get very acceptable results. I do not recall using f/18 in W/A shooting; it just not needed.

The ikelite set up is less powerful than the twin Inons;

1/2 GN(in M) for ISO 100

(10^2 + 12^2)^1/2 < (12^2 + 12^2)^1/2

13 < 17

Bob

Yeah, I shoot a D80 w/ 2 z240 and I'd never shoot W/A at that aperture. Your strobes are less powerful as well. Surprising thing is that the Ike's have a warmer color temp than the Inon's, so saying they are cyanny doesn't make sense.

Jack