What settings do folks use?

Hello - I've a Canon G5. I am getting back into U/W photos after 15 years out of the game. Used to use a Nikonos 111......

I'm curious to what settings most people use underwater.

Program, shutter speed priority, aperature priority, auto or manual? I realise that this in many instances depends on the situation - but on average which is the best setting?

Also, when using a stobe - do most folks use a high shutter speed - say 1/250th to stop camera movement?

My guess is that the best option is to have the shutter speed set no slower than 1/100 to avoid camera movement when either shooting strobe or natural light......Thanks.................Iain (Australia)

Not a G5 user, but there are some basics that apply to all...

You should shoot in manual mode, shutter speeds ranging from 1/30 through 1/250 in most cases.

Using an external strobe, you will use aperture settings and strobe intensity to control foreground lighting and shutter speed to control background lighting. The faster speeds are good for turning a background black as well.

For a while, it might be good to use a general setting of 1/125 and f5.6 as a starting point, adjusting strobe intensity for variations. Then shoot, review, adjust, and shoot again.

There are numerous other situations that will causse you to change these settings, for instance shooting into the sun, but these are a good starting point for a point and shoot.

Just remember, the largest advantage to digital is the ability to instantly review and adjust.

And have FUN with it!

some good threads on the subject

Aperature - Shutter Speed

A versus M in flash photography

Fast Shutter Speeds - When?

camera specific settings tips : Canon G2

the last one is an older version of your camera, but is great information, that should sort you out !

Per Ikelite.

http://www.ikelite.com/web_pages/gide_cg5.html

I’ve been away for a few days – many thanks for the comments & links….

I have another question regarding exposure

RicHorn – you say to use manual rather than shutter speed priority. I gather that this is the optimum setting to achieve the best exposure based on subject to distance, strobe output, shutter speed and aperture. Take the shot, look at the result and then re-shoot adjusting one of the parameters.

If you shoot in shutter speed priority – say 1/100 to minimise camera movement, the camera will automatically select the aperture based on the ambient light levels. Surely, if you shoot with the strobe on high setting. the camera will do the same thing and you will obtain a good image correctly exposed?

I’m new to digital so the learning curve is high – I just do not really understand why you shoot manual when you have all these other functions you can use?

Also, should I set white balance to auto white balance all the time?

What is the preferred setting underwater during the day without strobe – daylight, cloudy or auto white balance? With the strobe - auto or flash white balance?

THANK YOU

Hi!

A word on White Balance. You should set it according to the main source of light. For macro this would be about 5000°K for a strobe and around 3400°K for HLX lights. HID will require between 4500°K and 5000°K.

For WA shots with ambient light you'd require a WB of about 29000°K which you won't be able to set with your camera. The only chance in this case is to shoot in RAW mode (if your camera allows to do so) and process the image later on.

Another approach is to use a color compensation filter (more about this in the sticky thread about ambient light shots) ans either manual white balance or RAW and post processing. Keep in mind that when using a filter on the camera you'll need a filter on a strobe too (and it might get tricky at this point).

Helge ;-)=)

If you shoot in shutter speed priority – say 1/100 to minimise camera movement, the camera will automatically select the aperture based on the ambient light levels.  Surely, if you shoot with the strobe on high setting. the camera will do the same thing and you will obtain a good image correctly exposed?

The important thing to remeber about ANY automatic setting on the camera is that it was NOT designed to shoot under water. You will find that the setting the camera thinks are correct will very often give unstatisfactory results. Even shutter priority will often get it wrong.

Since I shoot a TTL camera and strobes, I use manual settings to control ambient aspects of the shot as best I can, and the TTL takes care of the strobe lit foreground.

With the wonders of digital review, I can then adjust and reshot as necessary.

The first lesson I learned when shooting an Oly 5050 was to use full manual. Until I accepted using manual settings, every shot was a crap shoot, and more often than not, bad.

Also, shooting raw took white balance out of the equation as well. The latitude that shooting raw files gives is a godsend. It also allows you to reduce the task loading and concentrate more on the basics of composition and lighting.

You need to shoot manual to force the camera to ask for more light. If you use aperature mode the camera will open up the lens and try to take the picture with the minimum amount of help from the strobe. This works on land, but underwater you need light to properly expose the picture AND bring out the colors. So underwater you need the strobe even if the camera doesn't think it is necessary.

the word i would use to use Shutter Prioty or APerture Priority is inconsistent.

works sometimes, just not that well all the time.

THANK YOU..........IAIN

Iain,

I have found in Port Phillip Bay (with lots of very low contrast situations) you cant rely on Auto WB. Colour cast vary wildly on consecutive shots of the same subject. With the CP5000 I choose sunny WB. Flash WB was too red with my Inon Z220 diffused.

Iain,

I have found in Port Phillip Bay (with lots of very low contrast situations) you cant rely on Auto WB. Colour cast vary wildly on consecutive shots of the same subject. With the CP5000 I choose sunny WB. Flash WB was too red with my Inon Z220 diffused.

HI Panda: Yes I heard some wild stories regarding incosistent results using white balalnce with many cameras. As such I have decided to shoot RAW. This way I can chnage the white balance and have exposure compensation after the event. Iain