Underwater Photos?

[ttheod85]

Hello people.I'm really happy to finally join our forum!!!I'm a photo REAL picture newbie from Greece and i'm looking for your advice!
I'm interested in underwater photography (especially spearfishing videos/photos) and really need some of your knowledge:mrgreen:.
Since i want to buy my first digital camera,i would like to know what are the important features of camera to be able to take good photos in such a low light place as sea.I've been told that the white light balance is one of those features,but thats all i know.Some help please.

Thanks Theo

 

[thekoolcody]

umm....depending on what camera you have you can probley get a waterproof plastic case or something like that....you need to be careful what the cases you buy and what depth you are going to so you dont fry your camera....check thease out...

http://www.keepitdrycase.com/35slrcamhous.html

it depends how expensive you want to spend on a case. it can be from like $80-340.

 

[(Ghastly) Krueger]

The type of lens would be more important than the camera, IMO. You need a fast lens, due to the low light, like you said.

It would be also important to get an undewater flash.

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Underwater photography (done well) is not cheap. A good camera & lens will really help, but you will probably need some good lighting and a good case for the camera & lens.

You can start HERE, and have a look at some different equipment.

 

[ttheod85]

Hello again and thanks for your replies guys.As i said, the camera will be used to capture spearfishing scenes (mostly videos) so there could be no flash used and most of all it should be small sized.I was thinking about a camera of the Sony Cyber-shot -W-range.Maybe an Olympus or Fuji?
I would appreciate if you could point me towards some specific brand models making my choice easier.
I was also told to get a camera of the 8Mpixel range,rather than of the 12Mpixel one,as the videos in such low light will be better with it.Could someone please tell me why?I dont really get it
My budget is a bit limited as well,so i can spend about 200 to 300 euros for the camera.

Thanks for your knowledge ppl:thumbup: Best regards, Theo

 

[jedithebomber]

Heres a link that may be of use to you.

http://www.underwaterphotography.com/

The "Underwater Photography Course" section has lots of information and seems to go over everything you may need to know.

 

[osirus]

Or if your really cheap get an old digicam for like $10 off ebay.. 2 ziplock baggies or condoms..
and some of those silicone pouch things that absorb moisture.. haha

i did the ziplock bag thing with my old 1.3mp fuji camera at a pool party i was at.

Actually worked alot better than i expected


but yeah alot of cameras do have a plastic underwater housing you can buy.
there pricey though, i was looking for one for my D50.

 

[sabbath999]

Flashes are the key. For top quality, you need two good strong flashes.

Forget about trying to use ambient light for anything over 3 feet down.

 

[(Ghastly) Krueger]

the camera will be used to capture spearfishing scenes (mostly videos) so there could be no flash used

I don’t understand why you can’t use flash. Of course, you would need to get a special underwater flash.

I was also told to get a camera of the 8Mpixel range,rather than of the 12Mpixel one,as the videos in such low light will be better with it.Could someone please tell me why?I dont really get it

To increase the pixel count while keeping the sensor the same size, the pixels need to be smaller. Smaller pixels=more noise. Also low light means more noise. A lower res camera could give you less noise.

That is for still photography and I’d guess at least part translates to video.

 

[sabbath999]

I don’t understand why you can’t use flash. Of course, you would need to get a special underwater flash.

Since water is so very much more dense than air, the ability of a camera to see clearly through it is quite limited at the best of times... any disturbance in the water (say from fish thrashing around bleeding throwing out pools of dark blood, air bubbles from said fish and the diver), etc, will reduce the range further because these bubbles and blood will reflect the strobes... basically you will end up with a really nice shot of blaring white bubbles.

Underwater photography with any definition at all means you have to get CLOSE to it, and remove as many particles in the water that you can.

Spear fishing photography is a whole different thing than "regular" underwater photography, which is most generally done in extreme close-up (3 feet or less) which you obviously can't do with low-end equipment.

This question would be better asked on a forum for divers that has a photography section. Underwater photography is a very specialized discipline (and one that I am just learning) and spearfishing photography is a very specialized subsection further on down the pipe.

 

[ttheod85]

Thanks for your answers guys.You are being really helpfull.:hail:

Since water is so very much more dense than air, the ability of a camera to see clearly through it is quite limited at the best of times... any disturbance in the water (say from fish thrashing around bleeding throwing out pools of dark blood, air bubbles from said fish and the diver), etc, will reduce the range further because these bubbles and blood will reflect the strobes... basically you will end up with a really nice shot of blaring white bubbles.

Except from that,when spearfishing, one needs to be as invisible as possible(the smaller the better).In my opinion the flash would drive the fish away.
I am on a spearfishing forun as well,but there is not the needed knowledge there to make me choose a camera by myself.People there can tell you if they like their camera quality or not,but cant explain why one camera is better than the other.
To sabbath999: in my case i cannot get that close to the fish i want to film.The closest i can get is about 2.5-3m

So from what you guys tell me,i should get a camera that works well at low light (white balance?) about 8 Mpixels...something else????
Emmm...and a stupid question...what's the measuring value of video quality?:stun:

Greetings, Theo

 

[seh34]

Theo, where are you spearfishing?

most of mine is done in poor visibility so i really have no need to have a great camera.. at least until i get more into it...

i have a canon powershot A80 with the underwater housing. the housing was much more than the camera... i haven't updated because the housings are camera specific and this one works well for now..

up on the air side i'm trying to figure out a canon 20D.. and i just stumbled upon the site looking for some pointers with the camera..

here are a few shots from this summer where the vis was good.. i have some video too if i can figure out how to post...

my brother with a mahi-mahi:

worse visibility:

and one just fishing.. released this one(rod and reel, not spear)