scotdiver

Thanks for getting the day started with a smile :-)

I would suggest trying to get your hands on John Shaw's 1987 book - Closeups in Nature. I've just seen it secondhand on Amazon £2.69 here in the UK. He has many options but using his directions for stacked lenses P112 should give you the workable high magnifications you are looking for using an aquarium and the 7d. You will need a reversing ring to link the lenses, and perhaps a step up ring for one of the lenses if they do not have the same filter sizes. The magnification obtained is 1000mm divided by the focal length of the front reversed lens. So a 50mm stacked on a 100mm lens will give you 1000/50 or a 20x magnification. I would also look at using the smallest aquariums available for the filming and use the larger aquarium as a keep tank. Try creating a small aquarium with microscope slides sealed with silicon at the edges, and a moveable slide inside to confine the object being filmed. A watch glass suspended on a ring of plasticine / modelling clay will also allow you a shallow depth for the specimen and the ability to light from behind as well. Black velvet suspended in front of the aquarium with a hole to shoot through will also cut down on reflections. Camera on a tripod, and the aquarium on the heaviest table /surface you can find. I remember reading somewhere that Oxford Scientific Films had special granite tables built for their super macro filming. Cheers Rob

Gozo Diver Survey Well I never got asked :-) but I can see where the results came from. I would have chosen a different sequence for the best underwater photography sites on Gozo! And before you say anything Tim - I know they rate Double Arch over Xlendi! Must all have been depth merchants :-) Rob

Tim Nice pic of Double Arch, but I don't think 36 meters, housed DSLR and Strobe fits with the Junior Open Water Diver, and camera to 30 feet question of the original post :-) When are you planning your next Gozo holiday? There is quite a cadre of underwater photographers building on Gozo now. Folk like Pete Bullen, and Richard Salter who are also out there most of the time. Cheers Rob

Ben Funnily enough, I've just been looking at replacing the compact cameras used on my photo courses out here in Gozo and was seriously considering moving away from housed compacts to these wee rugged all-in-ones. My favourite was also the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 (european version) though I still have some doubts about how rugged they are. Should be testing a sample towards the end of October. The 12m limit would not be a problem as it is easy to maintain that depth or shallower in my main teaching site in Xlendi Bay. Also any practice dives you can grab to get your buoyancy up to speed will also help when you come to shoot. And in the words of the famous photographer Robert Capa, "If your picture isn't good enough, you're not close enough." Cheers Rob

Just came across the thread. My fault for not keeping up to speed with the forums. :-( I tend to take the opposite view on diving the likes of the P29 in that I prefer diving from the shore. The swim out takes 12 to 15 minutes, but I use that time to reset the old brain to being underwater and to "tune in". The swim back and safety stops on the reef all add to a different set of images as well. Competing for space on a dive boat with non photographers and trying to protect your camera rig from the occasional oaf trying to sit on top of you is way more stressful. On the other hand - early or late season boats dives to the likes of Comino Caves can be very rewarding with a big camera rig. Cheers Rob

Just came across this posting - really should keep up with the forums more :-) Great set of images! Which dive shop were you based with on Gozo? Rob

Even though the photography is not directly relevant to the forum, you may want to read through what Brooks Jensen has to say about selling prints and have a look at his straightforward display methods.

Having just reviewed the equipment I'll need for the course I'm doing prior to the 17th there is no way I'll manage to bring u/w gear as well. As much as I would have liked to get some dives in, I'm afraid I will need to drop out. Rob

Count me in for both days - I'll bring my gear!

For once my timetable may just work out. I will be in Anacortes for a workshop 13 - 16th. Getting back down to Seattle for dives 17th and 18th looks feasible, if I can pick up some rental gear. Had not planned on bringing my underwater kit all the way from Gozo, but this swings it. As long as the logistics work, count me in for both days. Cheers Rob

I have a pair of darkbuster lights for my video set-up and tried to use them on a macro set-up with my dslr. While the lights work great with video, they did not produce enough light to allow a stopped down F11/F16 exposure on macro. I've also tried them as a focusing light - shooting in caverns here in Gozo. Worked great for focus but had a very negative effect on the marine life - they all shied away from the bright video light while taking macro flash images.

Will this give us the same vision as an F3 and DA2 action finder? Showing my age, but also why I first bought Aquatica housings :-)

Do any of the UK based photographers know of a swimming pool for hire that would be available to do some underwater figure work with a model? I'm based in Windsor but happy to travel a bit. Oceanic facility in Devon is a tad expensive for some test shoots.

I know where you mean Trevor - Crarae Bay Jetty beside the disused quarry. Most of my ARPS portfolio was shot there :-) Squat Lobster

Great shot Trevor - where abouts in Loch Fyne were you when you got the shot?

Alex Is that related to the water in the housing syndrome Cheers Rob

Nostalgia rules - oh how I miss the DA2 action finder from the old F3.

I've been playing about with the same set-up recently on my Fuji S2 + 10.5mm. The Fuji manual states:- "Hold up a piece of white paper or similar object under the traget light source so that the paper fills the viewfinder screen". This is probably why the focus has to be in manual. I was using a small white slate but realised it would have to be a larger A4 / 10x8 size if it was to work. Also toyed with the idea of adding a small black cross to let autofocus get a grip, but have not tried that yet. I don't think a fin will work - I've got some pool test shots with the small slate at my feet when using the 12-24 at 12mm and the coverage with my feet in shot is much bigger than a fin would be - the 10.5mm would be worse. Don't know it this helps with your D70 set-up though. Cheers Rob

Problem was the contacts flattened in the battery compartment lid. Even on the new strobe! Many thanks Rob

Thanks for the info - I'll have another go this afternoon with the contacts pulled down a bit, though one of the strobes is brand new. Cheers Rob (ex Farmington NH)

My 2100MAh rechargables do not fire up the strobe, but normal alkaline AA do fine. There is a bit tucked away in the manual that states up to 1000MA but then produces a table for flashes with 1700 MAh. Before I invest yet another set of rechargables and charger, does anyone else have practical experience with rechargables that work with these strobes. Cheers Rob

Thanks for the post - I've been doing a lot of thinking about what I'm comfortable with going solo and camera. Just this weekend I bought a travel wing to take 2 x 10l - I normally dive twins when I have my own gear. Gives me extra redundant gas. The other items that will be in my "solo" kit are Jon line for hanging off in a current, red DSMB for "normal" drift and a yellow DSMB for "a wee problem". Boat skipper needs to know what the yellow one means. Plus air horn & strobe for the surface. I'm not keen on working with the camera on a lanyard, but there are times when I think it will be handy to have one and gain the extra hand. Not a lot of kit overhead and will not add too much to the travel weight - just need to leave more clothes behind :-) Toothbrush is already cut down!! Cheers Rob

Are there any dates for the Aquatica version? Nothing on the site the last time I looked, but this would be my upgrade path from Fuji S2

Second conversion with the Fuji EX converter. Settings as camera - Org Colour, Org Tone, Sharpening off.