Reflection Problem

We just got back late last night from 10 days of diving in Grand Cayman. We really had a wonderful time and the new system works VERY well!!! I will post some photos in the next day or two but I do have a question. When we were shooting with the 60mm there were a few photos that have reflections or light spots in them that are in the shape of what I would assume is the aperture. It would seem to show up much more if I (or my wife) was taking a photo that was not "macro" but perhaps a foot back. What causes this and is there a way in the future to not have this occur?

That is interesting, I haven't heard of this happening with the 60mm. I believe you are firing strobes optically, and you are possibly seeing a reflection of the internal flash hitting the flat port. Installing a focus gear and the Nauticam rubber flash blocking ring will eliminate this.

Hey Ryan. I guess it could be a reflection (or probably better described as flare now that I think about it) from the internal flash. I did not get a focus ring for that lens nor do I have anything to block the flash so I will have to try those.

Here is an example of a photo with the flare and no sunlight to cause the problem:

That is interesting, I haven't heard of this happening with the 60mm. I believe you are firing strobes optically, and you are possibly seeing a reflection of the internal flash hitting the flat port. Installing a focus gear and the Nauticam rubber flash blocking ring will eliminate this.

Nauticam makes a flash blocking ring? For the 60 macro? I might understand with the 10-17 and a dome. I certainly haven't seen any issue shooting the 60 with either the Nauticam port or a Subal port.

Bill

All you need is some dense black foam plastic, cut to fill the gap between the side of the lens and the port.

It can be an inch long, and you can slit it for ease of on off.

Severe backscatter can also cause this, if there is particles in the water that catch the strobe at just the right angle...

This does not look like the reflections we've seen from the internal flash.

To me it looks much more like backscatter induced flare.

Here is another example:

Looks like backscatter to me. I have had this with the 60mm as well but I dont think that is anything to do with the lens, more of the angle of the strobes.

Stew

To me it looks much more like backscatter induced flare.

Yup! I've seen this shooting narrow lenses at longer distances, particularly with a darker background. It's backscatter, I'm afraid.

Tim