driver49

I hope I'm placing this question in the right place. My wife uses a small pocket camera (Konica Minolta Dimage Xg) in a nice small housing for underwater photograpy. It actuall takes pretty good pix except for the abundant backscatter caused by the on-camera flash. So we're thinking of getting an not real expensive external strobe, and the one I'm thinking about presently "slaves" to the internal flash, no sync chord required. So, I'm just wondering, if the external strobe requires the light from the internal flash to fire, isn't there still going to be backscatter from the internal flash? Would it do any good to put tape over the internal flash, would there still be enough light seeping out the sides to trigger the external strobe. I recognize that we're taking short cuts here, so be kind when you answer. Thanks, -PS

Since I'm about to drop about $4-grand on scuba gear for my wife and I, I've only got a few scheckels left for a starter u/w camera rig. I'm considering a number of possibilities, like an Olympus C-5050 w/ housing and possibly an external strobe. But I already own two of these DiMage Xg point-&-shoot cameras, and there's an underwater housing for it, but I can't find any evidence that anybody has actually bought or used such a thing to shoot underwater photos. Given where I am in the learning curve, this MIGHT be enough for my next coupla/few dives, and then, after I've digested the cost of the gear, I could consider something a little more upscale. In the meantime, I just wonder if there is anybody out there who is familiar with this camera/housing combo and has anything constructive to say about it. One possible downside: it's rated to 30 meters, about 100 feet, and I 'spect I will soon be diving deeper than that... Thanks, --PS

Here's hoping whoever posted this is monitoring this thread... I'm also thinking about the Olympus 5050 w/ housing, per the recommendation of an underwater photo pro friend of mine. I'm also in the midst of shopping for basic gear for myself and my wife -- BCs, Regs, Wetsuits, Computers -- so we're going to be lightening our bank accounts here, so I'm hoping to put the camera part of the package together via eBay, which looks to make it very affordable. I know this question is fundamental, but I'll ask it anyway: will the Olympus 5050 w/ housing work OK without a strobe? I know that the pix won't be as good as they would be WITH a strobe, but will they at least be passable? Better, say, than a cheaper fixed-focus, no zoom, no exposure controls type digital U/W camera? And, how does the strobe sync with the camera? Does the Olympus housing have a direct wire connect, or is there some other way that is accomplished., From what I've seen of strobes, they can cost more than the camera. But, then, again, there's always eBay... Thanks, --PS