Alex, Have you tryed Stacking Magic?

Alex. When you were experimenting with your Magic filter, did you ever try stacking 2 filters on top of each other for depths > 20 meters?

I'm sure that the loss in light would requre a boost to ISO....Just thinking out loud...Most of the wrecks around here are between 20 and 30 meters...I want the first full colour photo of the Speigle Grove...

Yes, stacking would work in theory, William.

But first I would try with just one - only double up if you really need too. The problem below 20m is more the total lack of any red light and increasing the strength of the filtering is not going to help much.

The Giannis D sits in about 25m of water and this shot is OK. I reckon I took it at about 17m. Its not perfect colour, but you don't need perfect colour for a wreck!

Make sure you choose a downward camera angle for the wrecks - as this will keep the water blue. I would think you'd be OK in good viz down to 20m and a bit (nice vague answer there, Alex).

Alex

I set up the filter in T&C last week for a test dive with the Aggressor sitting in 55 fsw, using the 10.5 FE. I knew it would be a bit too deep, but thought I would try it. Did a white balance setting for the S2 on a coral head just as the first shark arrived... Damn, wrong lense, no strobes, and a surprise shark frenzy...

Long story short, I took a lot of shots and "hoped".

Here is one example of the results. I did have to use ACR to redo the white balance, and I was obviouusly shooting up just a bit in this one.

Not sure how I could have handled this differently, as the activity was a bit "frenzied"!

I think that is an excellent shot, Richard. Was it really taken at 55ft? Wow. The colours on the sharks and reef is pretty darn good for 55ft. And so is the water colour.

The main problem is that you are shooting into the light and as you say a bit upward, which is why the surface is so hot (I realise that you had to shoot in the direction that the sharks were coming from). If you crop the sun out of the top and then hit auto-contrast - to lighten it up a bit - it is hard to argue with that shot. The only other advice I have is that you could have tried a horizontal shot - so that there was less variation in the background water exposure.

Those are the Magic Filter's first sharks!

Alex

I have more, but am too busy to post process them at the moment. When I get the gallery in order I will let you know. In the meantime, I have a few of the regular shots up at www.negative-altitude.com/gallery/Turks-and-Caicos