Wide angle with one strobe

[zan]

Hiya

I've got myself a tokina 10-17mm lens for UW use, but it's yet to see any as I'm still saving for the 8" port. However, I'm going to Scapa in July and wide angle would obviously be lovely for some of the wrecks, but I can't afford both a port and second strobe. Is it worth trying with only one strobe or is it better just to keep saving, practise through the winter and go back next year?

Bear in mind I'm new to using UW DSLRs, and my current attempts at macro have been mediocre at best!

Cheers!
Zan

[Cussy]

Zan,
What I would suggest is just keep within the limitation of just having one strobe. You will be limited to close focus wide-angle. So find something to have as a strong foreground, get bloody close and use the one strobe to illuminate it. The background will then be in natural light. Something like this (although this is two strobes, without the diver you might light it with one strobe):


[edit] I'm no more than 20cm or so from the Deadman's Fingers and Mark is no more than a metre from the camera.

You have to consider that strobe light, even the DS-125, is only going to travel a couple of metres at most, so for Scapa you are going to have to do close-focus wide-angle or natural light.
HTH,
Rob

PS plenty of people have DS-125s they might lend....

[KenByrne]

As rob says you'll be able to do some close focus wide angle where you use the strobe to highlight an area of the foreground. I find using the Program mode quite good in these situations, you have to watch what shutter speed it selects though. I sometimes set the camera in program, read off the speed and aperture then use these as a basis for using the camera on manual. If you have a DS125 the angle of coverage with the diffuser is 100 degrees, which should cover most of the frame if you've zoomed to 17mm. Although pointing the strobe straight at the subject is likely to produce backscatter. Although the spec is 100 degrees this is 1/2 stop difference between the centre and the edge, there is still light beyond the 100 degree spec.

Finally I'd go with it and try some available light shots if the conditions allow. Bump up the ISO you'll get some noise but sometimes that adds to the effect particulary if you convert to B&W which can be very effective on wreck shots.

[zan]

Cool, thanks for the advice guys! I think I'll give it a go and order the port and see what happens. I've only got a DS51 strobe, but I'll see what I can get. Natural light is something that had completely slipped my mind as well, so I'll give that a go. I love noisy B&W wreck shots, so I'll be happy!

[Cussy]

Originally Posted by zan

Cool, thanks for the advice guys! I think I'll give it a go and order the port and see what happens. I've only got a DS51 strobe, but I'll see what I can get. Natural light is something that had completely slipped my mind as well, so I'll give that a go. I love noisy B&W wreck shots, so I'll be happy!

Don't know why I thought you had a DS-125 - going mad. The 51 is brighter, but has less spread. Same applies really.
Rob
PS I turned my strobes off yesterday on a dive. It was like seeing an old friend again