nikon coolpix 5000

I'm a newbie (and that's an exageration) to UW photog. In fact I'll be doing my first dive for same, this Sunday.

I got my cp 5K +/- 6 weeks ago and gotsome experience with it topside. Just theother day, I received my Ike housing and ds50 flash. I don't have the 19mm lens yet and won't have it by Sunday.

Can anyone give me some pointers on the best presettings to program the camera with? Based on my total acsence of experience and current equipment, all comments would be appreciated.

Thanx!!

Peter

Welcome to the forum. I don't have a Coolpix 5000, but if you go back to the U/W Housings and Digicams page, you'll find two threads, "CP5000 Setting for Underwater" and "Staring with cp5000", that look like what you're after.

I just had my first uw photo experience. I too just got a CP5000. I had pretty good luck with mostly auto settings.

For your first pics I suggest trying:

Auto:

white balance

ISO

focus

use TTL if the DS50 has it

Vary:

f-stop

speedlight output

macro mode if needed

Basically, dial your camera in for a set distance by adjusting these 3 variables. Look for items to shoot at this distance. Don't try to change settings everytime you see something you want to shoot. As a newbie you will waste half of your dive trying to dial in the correct settings for each shot (I know from experience). I linked to some of my photos with these settings in the gallery section. They can be improved on, but I am quite happy with my first experience. Don't forget to enjoy the dive. Good luck.

I’m confused, did you mean this will be your first dive using

underwater photo equipment or this is your first dive using scuba or both ?

Either way using a camera underwater can be most challenging.

All those concerns about how I should best set up my camera to get the best possible

picture. F stop’s, shutter speed, strobe settings, white balance, filters, the list goes on

the more control you have over your camera equipment. Not to mention composition

and keeping your buoyancy. Taking good picture underwater is a art

which takes many hours of practice. Getting familiar with your equipment is just one

aspect which you’ll have to learn. If you’re a proficient diver you’ll learn much faster.

My recommendations is get familiar using your camera with the least amount of effort.

First using auto mode and slowly taking more control over your manual adjustments

later. Understanding why your pictures are not coming out the way you would like

them to look commands you to take manual control over your equipment. Understanding

the relationship between aperture, and shutter speeds, and correct exposure will give

you that control .

Marc