G12 Settings Advice

Hi all,

I have a work trip to South Africa next week and have booked myself to go out on a great white shark diving trip next weekend on one of my days off. While I did ask about scuba diving, the answer was a resounding "no", that I had to stay in the cage, and that the only option aside from a snorkel or breath-hold was to use the hookah system from the boat. During the booking process, I asked about photography, and was told that while I could bring my camera, there was a very clear "no strobes or lights in the cage" policy. I assume this is partly due to space constraints, and partly because it might bother the sharks?

So I have my little G12 with a Recsea housing and a wide angle and a macro lens. I am intending to bring the camera, housing and the w/a lens...But am not so sure on the settings I should be using without strobes or a light? Has anybody done this kind of "near surface" diving before without additional lighting and have any suggestions? And if anybody's done this kind of cage shark dive before, should I leave the w/a lens at home and just stick to the regular flat port?

Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

WetPup

IMHO I would suggest maybe bumping your ISO up to about 400 and using shutter priority set the shutter to about 1/100th to freeze the action and let the camera chose the F stop - test and adjust from there.

Karl

Sounds like a good starting point. Thanks for the advice

I think if you come up with a plan of attack, have several settings in mind and before the sharks show up try a few and review your results. I like Karl's idea shooting Shutter priority as one plan but I think Program might be a good setting to try too. I shot a G10 for a few years and had very good luck with ambient light and Program mode. I suggest -⅓ to -⅔ photo compensation to avoid over exposure. It doesn't sound like you would be deep enough to worry about white balance to much but still under water mode might be something to try while waiting for the main attraction to show up. You could set a couple ideas up in you short cut settings so a quick knob twist would completely chance a plan.

Well,

i use a G12 but never did cage diving.

Wetpup and Aquapaul had said what i would had written too.

Tv or Program mode, at least 1/100 shutter time and negative compensation to avoid burnt whites.

I would use as less ISO as possible to avoid grainy images and best quality if you crop and blow-up.

Absolutely only RAW shootimg to be able to do some correction after.

Chris