filter for pt020 olympus housing

I just started using an Olympus C5060 in the PT020 housing. Will a red filter help restore some of the color absorbed underwater ? I presently do not have a strobe. Just returned from diving in St Thomas and the dive shop operator suggested a red filter would help. Is there a particular filter I should consider. Just wondering if anyone has had succes with this.

Hi

Here is a little more info . Hope it is useful.

I am considering them as an option myself , so

if you go that route it would be nice to see the results.

http://www.oceanoptics.co.uk/urpro.html

Safe Diving

Andrew

I have a 5060, but assume its similar - if you go into My Mode settings, pick the preset white balance for a cloudy day (its ther icon with the little cloud on it). The camera will automatically warm up the shot for you (obviously it can't add in color that is not there from insufficient lighting).

This is better than a filter, because a filter will usually take 1 f stop from you, making you shoot slower, and its an extra piece of glass between the camera sensor and your subject.

cheers,

Philip Lewin

As a general rule, I don't think it's correct to say that preset white balance is better than a filter.

Yes, a filter will knock out about a stop of light - but it's a stop of green light that we don't want or need. In fact, it's exactly that overwhelming green light that overpowers the sensor and makes it very difficult to get a good white balance.

For more information about filters, check out Craig's article in the Features section.

A good way to go is with a filter and custom white balance (if you are shooting JPEG) or a filter and later white balance when doing RAW conversion, if you're shooting RAW.

Cheers

James

Thanks for everyone's input. I have ordered a 'cy' filter from ur-pro.

Hope it helps.