underwater camera

I am getting the Reefmaster dc500 and wanted to know about getting a strobe.
Many years ago I bought a housing for disposable cameras and a strobe, but I
needed it as the disposable camera flash was pretty worthless. I then had a
point-and-shoot camera in a pressurized case (a Reefmaster camera) and just
used the built in flash, and the pictures were just fair. But now with
digital cameras the electronic ISO settings will, I think, be better than a
film camera. Of course a strobe is much better than the built-in flash, but
how necessary is it for someone who is not a professional and not diving
more than once a year?

Thanks!!

Eddie G

Eddie G wrote:
> I am getting the Reefmaster dc500 and wanted to know about getting a
> strobe. Many years ago I bought a housing for disposable cameras and a
> strobe, but I needed it as the disposable camera flash was pretty
> worthless. I then had a point-and-shoot camera in a pressurized case (a
> Reefmaster camera) and just used the built in flash, and the pictures
> were just fair. But now with digital cameras the electronic ISO
> settings will, I think, be better than a film camera. Of course a
> strobe is much better than the built-in flash, but how necessary is it
> for someone who is not a professional and not diving more than once a year?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Eddie G

A strobe will allow you to bring the true colors out without the use of
a filter. If most of your diving is going to be shallow, (20ft or so),
a strobe is not going to do you much good. Some of the pictures I have
taken, are actually more colorful than what *I* actually saw unless I
was using a light.

Most of the strobes I have seen have a maximum range of about 8-10 ft,
depending on water clarity.

Another option instead of a flash is a "blue filter". If ambient light
at depth is sufficient, a "blue filter" really brings the colors out.

janusz_w@hotmail.com wrote:
> On 9 Kwi, 02:58, nitespark <nitesp...@cox.net> wrote:
>
>>Eddie G wrote:
>>
>>>I am getting the Reefmaster dc500 and wanted to know about getting a
>>>strobe. Many years ago I bought a housing for disposable cameras and a
>>>strobe, but I needed it as the disposable camera flash was pretty
>>>worthless. I then had a point-and-shoot camera in a pressurized case (a
>>>Reefmaster camera) and just used the built in flash, and the pictures
>>>were just fair. But now with digital cameras the electronic ISO
>>>settings will, I think, be better than a film camera. Of course a
>>>strobe is much better than the built-in flash, but how necessary is it
>>>for someone who is not a professional and not diving more than once a year?
>>
>>>Thanks!!
>>
>>>Eddie G
>>
>>A strobe will allow you to bring the true colors out without the use of
>>a filter. If most of your diving is going to be shallow, (20ft or so),
>>a strobe is not going to do you much good. Some of the pictures I have
>>taken, are actually more colorful than what *I* actually saw unless I
>>was using a light.
>>
>>Most of the strobes I have seen have a maximum range of about 8-10 ft,
>>depending on water clarity.
>>
>>Another option instead of a flash is a "blue filter". If ambient light
>>at depth is sufficient, a "blue filter" really brings the colors out.
>
>
> "blue filter" ??????
> Or maybe rather Red for blue water or Magenta for green water?
>
> Janusz
>
>
>
The filter itself is actually sort of "redish orange", but it is
referred to as a "blue filter". I used one on with a Sony Mavica
digital camera in an Ikelite housing. Since these cameras didn't
require very much light, I actually got some fairly nice pictures at
depth just on ambient light. If you try to use a light or strobe with
the blue filter on, your subject will be a redish orange color.

<bracuk@axxent.ca> wrote in message
news:1176092162.362895.327640@e65g2000hsc.googlegr oups.com...
>> But now with
>> digital cameras the electronic ISO settings will, I think, be better than
>> a
>> film camera. Of course a strobe is much better than the built-in flash,
>> but
>> how necessary is it for someone who is not a professional and not diving
>> more than once a year?
>
> I don't use one. I use either natural light or the camera's built in
> flash. My camera is a Sony Cybershot, 4 megapixels.

not bad photos what was the casing worth?

"Dan Bracuk" <NOTbracuk@pathcom.com> wrote in message
news:q7u723d739an006qofa8kpj4sqrsb55g3e@4ax.com...
> "dechucka" <dechucka@vomithotmail.com> pounded away at his keyboard
> resulting in:
> :not bad photos what was the casing worth?
>
> About $230 (Cdn).


thanks

Depends on your intended depth. I have a reefmaster as one of my underwater
cameras, and found that if the water's clear, you can go down about 50 feet
and the built-in flash will do "OK", but below that you would have to stay
very close to your subject to get any kind of results.

Max.

"Eddie G" <mickeddie@(removeme)comcast.net> wrote in message
news:Kd2dnat6ArFD64TbnZ2dnUVZ_v2knZ2d@comcast.com. ..
>I am getting the Reefmaster dc500 and wanted to know about getting a
>strobe. Many years ago I bought a housing for disposable cameras and a
>strobe, but I needed it as the disposable camera flash was pretty
>worthless. I then had a point-and-shoot camera in a pressurized case (a
>Reefmaster camera) and just used the built in flash, and the pictures were
>just fair. But now with digital cameras the electronic ISO settings will,
>I think, be better than a film camera. Of course a strobe is much better
>than the built-in flash, but how necessary is it for someone who is not a
>professional and not diving more than once a year?
>
> Thanks!!
>
> Eddie G