CP5000 Setting for underwater

[Reefkeep 0]

CP5000 Setting for underwater

 

David, James & Marc,

 

Let me know what you think about the below options for the cp 5000 with the 19 mm lens and a DS 125 corded.

 

Exposure - Manual

White Balance -Auto

Metering- Matrix

Image Adjustment -Auto

Saturation Control

Lens - Wide Adapter (19m)

Exposure Options AE lock

Focus Area Mode -Auto

Image sharpening - Auto

Noice Reduction - Off

ISO - 100

Zoom Options Fixed Aperture

 

Speedlight Cntrl - Auto

Speed Light Variable Power Opt. -2( this is not possible if the Lens option is set to Wide? Did you set yours lens to wide?

 

SIze 2560 - Res Fine

[davephdv 0]

You managed to confuse me good. I anserwed this where you posted it under member galleries and couldn't figured where my post went.

[Reefkeep 0]

Sorry Dave, This is the new cheat sheet with your stuff added!

 

Take II

 

Exposure - M or A

White Balance - Auto

Metering- Center weighted or Spot

Image Adjustment -Less Contrast

Saturation Control (I would assume low)

Lens - Normal

Exposure Options AE lock

Focus Area Mode = Manual (Need to look this one up)

Image sharpening -Low

Noice Reduction - Off

ISO - 100

Zoom Options Fixed Aperture

Speedlight Cntrl - Auto

Speed Light Variable Power Opt. -2

[Reefkeep 0]

OK I tested the cheat sheet worked really well!

[james 0]

Looks good Chris. I see you picked up the "Lower the contrast" trick to cut down on blown highlights.

 

RE the Focus Area Mode: That lets you select where you want the camera to autofocus. I usually tell it to focus in the middle brackets, but sometimes for CFWA and off center macro, you might want it to focus somewhere else (Like the bottom of the frame brackets).

 

HTH

James

[james 0]

Oh, and one more:

 

Shot Confirmation Lamp - Off

 

J

[Reefkeep 0]

Thanks James, let me know what you think about my pics.

 

http://www.wetpixel.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=555

[edwin van riel 0]

1 more, what AF settings do you guys use? Have been using continuous, but getting tired of the shutter-lag...

 

Edwin

[james 0]

Get used to the shutter lag.

 

Chris, looking good!!!

 

I'm assuming you were using the wideangle lens for those shots. You need to remember that that lens has a lot of depth of field, but it's not infinite. You should shoot to get the foreground in focus and let the background blur - not the other way around - if you can help it. That will make the pictures much more appealing.

 

Otherwise, those are great exposures! What strobe did you use? The addition of a smaller slave strobe will cut down on some of the harsh shadows, but then again, that costs more $$$.

 

Did you take these in the Keys, or the Dry Tortugas? or across the street at Lauderdale?

 

Cheers

James

[Reefkeep 0]

Thanks for the Feedback!

I used the DS 125 on TTL, I am looking at getting another DS 125 or maybe a DS 50. I took the shots in the Dry Tortugas on a liveaboard. I did use the wideangle lens and I'll admit I didn't spend a lot of time focusing on anything but exposure. I figured if I can get that down the rest would be easy. Anyway, I am going to spend 8 nights in Mexico doing nothing but still shots. I'll upload them when I get back or maybe from the cyber cafe accross the street from the hotel.

 

I really like the DS 125 but wonder if I need another strobe that powerfull. What do you think? (I really need a rapid charger)

 

I know you sold your cp5000 what are you getting, a Fuji or a Nikon DSLR?

[james 0]

I have an S2 on order. They should be hitting customers Friday or Monday.

 

I just sent back my friends S1 Pro which I have been borrowing. It wrocks.

 

Cheers

James

[davephdv 0]

The 5000 dosen't need powerfull strobes. The 125 would be better for wide angle in shallow bright water. The 50 should be fine in most situations though. Thing is the 125 has 4 power settings and the 50 only one. The 125 is a much more versatile lens and it's usefullness will outlast your housing and camera. Also it will be easier to get the light balancing ratio you desire with 2 strobes of the same power. Especially if they have more power settings.

[Reefkeep 0]

I think I am going to get another 125 a rapid charger and two extra batterys. Yeah..That shoud do it!

[davephdv 0]

Actually, if you are truly obsessed you need 3 125s and an extra battery pack. One for each checked bag and one for your carryon. Two for your housing and one for your backup. But I'm not excessive compulsive, am I?

[Reefkeep 0]

Take III

 

Exposure - M or A

White Balance - Auto

Metering- Center weighted or Spot

Image Adjustment -Less Contrast

Saturation Control (I would assume low)

Lens - Normal

Exposure Options AE lock

Focus Area Mode = Manual (Need to look this one up)

Image sharpening -Low

Noice Reduction - Off

ISO - 100

Zoom Options Fixed Aperture

Speedlight Cntrl - Auto

Speed Light Variable Power Opt. -2

Shot Confirmation Lamp - Off

[nchaney 0]

Housing on its way from UPS/Ike and trying to get all the settings ready for a trip next week. Sheet III shows AE Lock and ISO 100. I could not get ISO 100 set with AE Lock. Also with Lens set to wide in one of the post. No flash with wide selection. Confused about some of the other settings as well, but got to start somewhere. Learning.....:cool:

[Reefkeep 0]

This document changes as we lear, please notice in take three the lens is set to normal.

[james 0]

No need to set to wide. That is a custom setting and all it does is zoom out full and turn off the camera's internal speedlite.

 

Not sure about the AElock and ISO 100 thingy. You definitely want ISO100. I don't think those functions are inter-related so you might try again.

 

Cheers

James

[Mathis 0]

Hi. I have been reading all the comments about the CP5000. I am thinking real hard about the A5000 housing with their dome port to use the 19mm lens. I am quite impressed with some of the close up photos I have seen on the site with that lens ... that appears to be really nice.

 

I do wonder about that shutter lag. I experienced a little bit of that with a temporary Olympus 4040 set up in Tahiti recently. That is really frustrating when the action is going. So, I just wonder if I should wait on a housing for a digital SLR (I have D100 on order).

 

James, and others with CP5000 (or otherwise) ... your thoughts???

[davephdv 0]

shutter lag is a problem. Note in manual focus mode there is almost no lag.

[Mathis 0]

Manual focus sounds scary to me with the CP5000. I guess it just takes a learning curve. I will probably yeild better results with the "lag" and auto focus. Thanks for the feedback.

 

Anyone out there thinking about getting the A5000? It looks and sounds real nice to me... just wondering if anyone else has been waiting for this one.

[Reefkeep 0]

Dave - Did you shoot in Manual focus? I find that scary as well, the view finder on the cp5000 is difficult for me to focus on let alone trully tell when the subject is in focus.

[davephdv 0]

I spent several nights shooting the white tip reef sharks in their dusk feeding frenzy at Cocos Island. I felt that autofocus would be too slow.

 

I set the camera to A, one DS125 set to full, F8, and manual focus set to 4 feet. I just waited for sharks to come to that 4 ft dx. Seemed to work well. I don't think you could have shot the camera any other way. I couldn't see the command dial to change settings. I think maybe a small light rigged to see the controls if I try another night dive.

 

I don't see whats scary about trying manual. If It doesn't work just turn back to Autofocus.

[davephdv 0]

Well, in Cocos I shot 3 great rolls of dolphins, silky sharks and manta rays with my Nik V and a 28 mm lens. Thats what inspired me to try it with my 5000. I was shooting at night and couldn't see the controls and so I preset it to manual before the dives.

 

The other problem is knowing the hyperfocal distances of the 5000 (with the 19 mm lens). That is what you are talking about with the focus caliphers on the Nikonos lenses. I just used the max F stop which worked fine. But this was at night. In the daytime when you would want to balance with the avalible light would make knowing those hyperfocal distances important.

 

Also I read in the manual where the manual focus distances the camera give are not valid if you are using the 19 mm lens.

[james 0]

WC-E68 means a .68x multiplication factor. Not sure how that applies to DOF - whether you multiply it or divide by it.

 

Cheers

James