Ambient light or dont waste my time....

[krfoote]

I need a little help for my upcoming trip, I have a Cannon D70 with a Ikelite housing that i have been pleased with so far, however i do not have a strobe to go with it.

This saturday i am diving a WWII battleship @ 130 Ft and i want to get some good pictures but i am not sure at that depth if it will be worth taking the camera or not.
I am somewhat familiar with camera settings and MIGHT be able to get some with just ambient light but i dont want to drag it around if i am just going to come back with Black undistinguishable photos.

does anyone out there have any suggestions or ideas for the right settings? or should i just make sure to get copies from my dive buddies camera?

[scottg]

hey KrFoote, which camera do you have? I don't think Canon makes a D70, I couldn't find any reference to it on google. Also, do you own a compact camera or a dSLR? Does the ikelite housing allow you to use the internal flash?

[krfoote]

AHHH sorry, Its a NIkon D70, My wife shoots with canon and i had a brain fart.
It is a DSLR, but i havent tried to use the built in flash yet, Its an Ikelite housing so i kind of doubt it but i am going to play with it tonight and see if it will work.

[scottg]

Nikon D70 - got it. you can't use the internal flash.

which lens will you use? do you have a true wide-angle lens?

if you have a wide-angle lens, clear water and a sunny day you might be able to get some ambient light shots. especially if you shoot in high ISO, don't underexpose and convert to black and white. take a look at our wreck photography page. where is the wreck?

[krfoote]

Its just off Okinawa japan, the Uss Emmons sunk in a kamikaze attack in 1945.

I have a 15-35 MM lens, i would like to get a fisheye but i really want to get more practice first.

Thanks for the advice!! I will play with my camera a little to get familiar with the settings i will need and give it a try.

[tswinner]

You can definitely pull off shots without a strobe. Take a look at this page as well as the wreck page Scott sent you. http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/ambie ... hotography

Good luck,

Todd

[scottg]

Its just off Okinawa japan, the Uss Emmons sunk in a kamikaze attack in 1945.

I have a 15-35 MM lens, i would like to get a fisheye but i really want to get more practice first.

Thanks for the advice!! I will play with my camera a little to get familiar with the settings i will need and give it a try.

your welcome. practice taking some photos in very dimly lit rooms.

I would really get a fisheye lens. The 15-35mm without a strobe will be of limited use, imho, except for silhouettes of marine life. I would just get it and not worry about more practice with the 15-35mm. But others may have a different point of view.

[CompuDude]

As long as you can brace the camera sufficiently to take long-exposure shots (wedge yourself in tight, or brace the camera against some rocks, or use a tripod), you can do quite nicely with ambient light. If you're hand-holding the camera in any sort of surge or other water movement, however, there's no way to avoid blurry shots when ambient light is extremely limited.

[smb2]

A Nikon lens 15-35mm? There is a 17-35mm 2.8...
Anyway with the D70 Dx sensor that is a 25mm lens at its widest. You will have to be pretty far away to get a full view silhouette, adding to the low light issues.
I would vote for a fisheye. The Tokina 10-17mm or Nikon 10.5mm, both around $650, I think.

[krfoote]

SMB2,
You are correct- I was mistaken (Again), anyway i am glad to report that the dive went well and i did manage to get some decent pictures.
None of them are professional quality, its quite obvious i need more practice but i did get some good experience and ill get better pictures next time. Thanks for the help everyone and if you are interested i will post a few of the better pictures in the photography section if anyone wants to take a look.