F10 help please

[paramedic paul]

Hi guys.

As i'm new to u/w photography as well as diving i wondered if anyone can offer me some advice (apart from leave camera at home!!!)

I've just bought an F10 after reading glowing reports on both here and YD! There are lots of different settings on this model as you know!

What would be the best setting for me to have the camera on for taking u/w snaps?

Although i'm quite confident with bouyancy etc i don't want to be messing around altering settings just yet, i just want to point and press!

I'll just add that i am a very experienced photographer, semi pro but zero u/w with the exception of a Decathlon £9 disposable from which i never saw any results as the processing company managed to lose the film!!!

All help greatfully received


Paul.

[Mark]

If you are taking macro shots, leaving it on auto in macro mode will give very good results. Obviously you will get some backscatter from the internal flash, but the closer you get the less backscatter. You will be surprised how close you can get in macro mode.

When using it for wide angle, the internal flash is not adequate and will give a lot of backscatter. In shallow water i.e. <15m, you can change to manual and then alter the white balance using either a white slate or just point the camera at the surface, when setting the white balance will suffice. Everything else can be left in auto.

You can play with other settings, but I found no need until I started using lenses and external strobes.

I took this in March before I had an external strobe or any other bits.

As well as this one.

[TimIngmire]

You're getting some very nice pictures with that camera Mark - A big print of the fish inside the shell would look good.

Might need to make em a tad smaller tho

[Mark]

Originally Posted by TimIngmire

Might need to make em a tad smaller tho

They are directly linked from the TD gallery, which is why they are so big.

Glad you liked them Tim.

[paramedic paul]

Took the gear out for the first time on Sunday, scarey the first time the camera goes underwater isn't it (even though i carried out all the pre dive tests!)

We had a club trip to The Rez, not the most photogenic site but good enough to practice.

The advice was spot on, in macro using internal flash the scatter was non existent whilst wider shots with flash were like photos of a sand pit! Got a couple of reasonable shots using available light near the exit hole although not good enough to post!

Going to Stoney next week so i'll have a go in open water this time!

Thanks again!

Paul.

[TimIngmire]

Well done Paul - this is where it starts to get addictive and more expensive - you'll be wanting an external strobe next, wide angle lens etc etc etc.

[Mark]

As Tim says

F10, Ikelite Housing and 67mm adaptor, ULCS arm, tray and 67mm lens holder, Inon UWL100 lens, DML-2 macro lens and a Sea & Sea YS90 with fibre optic kit. Plus 3x1gb cards.

[paramedic paul]

The wife might hear you!

How much is a strobe arm anyway? (sorry for being lazy but if SWMBO see's me on Digital Depot et al there will be a divorce!)

Paul.

[Mark]

Fuji do a very cheap one for about £130, including tray and strobe!! It is only really any good for macro or close non macro stuff. The arm is too short and the strobe isn't big enough.

My UCLS arm and tray was about £200, I did get a second hand arm, which I use on my video setup for £100 but they don't come up often.

[paramedic paul]

Just one thing confusing me with your earlier post, you mention I will need some 1 Gig cards. I almost bought one when i bought the camera but the guy on the phone said that the F10 can't use 1 Gig cards. The details about the camera also only show cards up to 512 meg?

Do i have to buy a specific type of card or have i misunderstood the info.

W2W have cheap 1 Gig Fuji cards, will these be ok?

Thanks again.

Paul.