Beefer

Well, I got my first 200+ UW photos while snorkeling in the Bahamas, and overall, I'm fairly pleased with myself. It was a bit of a chore to stay somewhat still while being on top of the water, so many of the shots were a bit blurry. Most of them are a very green/blue, as I wasn't using my external strobe (not really sure how much it would've helped). I wanted to enjoy myself, and just get a feel for using a camera in the water, and I found myself fumbling around enough just taking snapshots (they are a far cry from the word 'Photographs"). I don't have Photoshop, but I do have the Olympus Master 2 photo editor, and I was playing around with color balance, RBG saturation, etc., and noticed I could get the pics to look better. YAY! I need some help in getting the basics of color balancing. As the pics are blueish/greenish, do I remove blue and green, and add some red? Is there a standard/basic rule of thumb in doing this, as in how much to remove/add of each? I played around with some pics for an hour, and while they got better, some colors just didn't seem right. As an example, I am having trouble keeping a natural silver on fish after making adjustments. Tips from you pros (and non-pros) are appreciated. Thanks!

I really hate being a newbie. I have a kajillion questions, and feel like 99% are too basic to ask/answer.... On that note; I have 2 UW cameras, a SeaLife D300, and an Olympus C-5000Zoom with housing. I also have a ReefMaster/Sealife SL960 strobe. I have NEVER taken an UW picture in my life, and for the last 20 years have been nothing more than a family picture-taker. I used to be into photography when I was in my late teens/early 20's, but life took over and I lost touch. I'll be diving in the Bahamas first weekend in Jan, and want to have some photos for memorabilia, and possibly a couple of shots of the creatures I'll be encountering. I don't expect anything close to the fantastically amazing photos I see here. I'm just hoping for semi-decent shots. I'm guessing the Oly would be the better of the 2 cameras, coupled with the 960. I was able to rig them together, and the 960 acts properly as a slave unit. My main question is, is there a basic set of camera settings I should preselect before diving to get the most out of my pics? I'm trying to figure out which setting on the dial I should use, or manually adjust stuff for an all-around shoot. I think this is probably one of the most basic things I could ask, that may result in a few cool keeper shots. Thanks!

Can I use a SeaLife SL960 (?) on an Olympus C-5000zoom/housing? What do I need to be able to do it?

Thanks for the great advise. I somewhat accidentally/on purpose bought 2 UW camera setups (SeaLife 300 $40, and Oly C-5000Zoom w/housing $70). I figured they were cheap enough, and I can give one to the wife. I'll see how comfortable we both feel during certs, and take it from there. We'll be going to the Bahamas, and I wanted to be able to dive, but we're also going to snorkel while there. For now, it'll be 'vacation fun' type photos, just for the memories. As I live on the Gulf, and have a boat and at least 2 friends that dive, I expect to dive fairly frequently. Unless I end up freaking out, which I highly doubt, I hope to be taking 'real' UW pics by summer. Thanks again for the advise!

I can't wait to dive in (pun intended) to underwater photography, but I haven't even gotten my dive certification yet. I'm wondering if I'd be putting myself in a precarious position by not only familiarizing myself with breathing/being underwater, but trying to take photos at the same time. Any comments are greatly appreciated. Thanks from the

Hi - Figured I ought to introduce myself. I'm new to diving, and have a great desire to do some UW photography. I'm in West Central Florida (Tampa area), and plan on diving mostly in the area other than the all-to-infrequent vacation. That's about it. Oh, thanks for this website, and all of you members! Ive learned alot in my short time as a lurker!

Just picked up an Olympus C-5000zoom with a Oly PT-019 housing, and looking for opinions. I'm brand new to diving (and UW photography), and was wondering if this is a decent setup for a beginner. Do I need an external strobe, or (generally speaking) would the onboard flash be sufficient? I'll be diving the Bahamas and the West Central Florida Gulf Coast (Tampa/Clearwater). Any basic recommendations as far as operation during the dive is truly appreciated (white balance, etc.). Thanks!

Thanks for the advise. I took your advise, and picked up a Sealife 300 housing with a Vivitar Vivicam 3705 and accessories. I'm not a diver yet, but the wife and I are going snorkeling in the Bahamas next month. I hope this will be decent for my very basic expectations. I paid less then $50US for it, so I think I did ok. I also wanted something cheap and waterproof I could keep on my boat without worrying about it too much. Once I get certified, and get more experienced, I'll upgrade as soon as the wife/banker says I can. Thanks again!

Hi All - Brand spankin' new member here, and I'm looking forward to learning. Love what you guys do, and hoping to get into this hobby slowly. I'm looking and looking at all the cameras out there, and there are tons to choose from. Then I remembered 35mm. I have 2 Canons, an AE-1, and an EOS 620, both of which were (are?) great film cameras, and I started to wonder if it would be beneficial to try and find a housing for either of them. I stumbled onto a website the other night that would match a housing to your camera, but I can't locate the site anymore. Anyone know where I can go? Would either of these cameras be good beginner setups? I have both EF & FD lens up the wazoo, and I'd hate to have to start from scratch dumping tons of money into equipment before I know if I'm any good, or if I even enjoy it. Any advise is appreciated. Thanks!

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