Digital photography with computerized innovations has not changed the basic rules of underwater photography. In some cases ability to take pictures in low light conditions then correct them with various computer software programs is a boon. Using film, a picture that was too dark or too light was always a discard. Cropping was a problem and recopying on film reduced the resolution. Editing had limits. The basic premise that a good photograph can be taken only once still applies. Digital does not mean sloppy.
Digital photographic equipment for underwater use is not inexpensive. There are housed units that cost thousands of dollars depending on the camera system. Some underwater cameras range from about $500 to $1200.
No matter what camera is selected, knowing its limitations is important. Read the instruction manual. Features that are not often used can be skipped over until the very macro-close up aspect of the flash, pictured with a rose, is wanted. There are important aspects and a learning curve that must be reached with every new piece of equipment. Do not wait until you are aboard the dive boat to try and figure out your new camera.
O rings and seals are priority inspection items. I have one digital camera that has a slight bend in the housing. That means the O ring becomes bent at an eccentric angle. Some manufacturers realize then disregard the plain fact that O rings provide integral seals for their units. O rings are round or oblong. Wild curves and bends enhance the chance of making a mistake or having a piece of the O ring miss the channel when the camera is closed.
One major film camera manufacturer brought out an underwater camera in its series that “improved” previous models. It was a nightmare. Divers often brought them up flooded. The reason was the bend in the O ring seal. In selecting an underwater camera and housing insure that O rings are intelligently designed so that they are perfectly round or oblong without bends. That is why they call them O rings. When SeaLife, one of the world’s major underwater camera manufacturers, brought out their new DC 1400 camera and housing, they used a perfectly oblong O ring. A great improvement over the bend in their DC 1200 housing that required special attention before closing. Kudos to their engineers.
O ring care and maintenance is very important. Check the O ring with your finger before every use. Be sure there are no grains of sand or foreign objects on it. Use O ring grease to improve the seal and enhance the O ring’s flexibility and suppleness. Check the O ring channel to be sure no sand grains, hairs or other objects have gotten into it that will disrupt the integrity of the seal once the camera or housing is closed.
Before sealing the unit check to be sure no hairs, dust or debris is on the camera lens or inside the camera housing’s port. Many great pictures have been ruined by hairs in front of the lens. I took a whole sequence of underwater footage with Mel Fisher, the late fabled underwater treasure diver, only to have the motion picture film come back from the lab with a hair across the frames. Grrrrr—I had just had the camera serviced and put it in use without checking the front housing port myself. Leave nothing to chance. Always check. Photo shop programs notwithstanding, a hair or dirt in front of the lens or on the housing’s port will ruin the image.
Dry packs come with many underwater digital cameras. Some are silica gel BBs, some are cylinders that fit into the housing. Moisture inside the port means it is fogged up. A fogged lens underwater ruins pictures. Remember that the little silica gel packets or BBs can flake off and put foreign matter in front of the lens so use them carefully. Some manufacturers recommend putting these drying packets into a microwave oven after use to rid them of moisture. Always be sure they do not leak the material inside before putting them into your housing.
Fogging occurs when temperature changes. Same principle as windows of an automobile. Anti-moisture packs inside the housing will help to some degree. Keep the camera out of the sun. All too often I see careless storage of cameras on dive boats. Some are left in the direct sun, lens up. When the camera is taken below the lens immediately fogs up. Temperatures can build up when a housed unit is left in the sun and the water is colder than the air. High temperatures and direct sun on cameras and housings are not compatible. Manufacturer’s instruction manuals make it clear: keep cameras and housings out of direct sunlight.
I use a plastic dive box for my gear. It fits under the seat on most dive boats. Not only does it keep my gear in order and out of the way, it provides protection for my camera and is out of the sun. My camera is less likely to be kicked or washed overboard in my box. The box is secured by a line or bungee cord to the boat’s bench supports. My box stays in place in rough seas. One hapless photographer put his camera in the tank holder next to him. Of course when a diver returned to his seat, his tank crushed it.
Innovate the way your camera is attached to you underwater. In two weeks four cameras were lost by divers on the dive boat I use. They were never found again. I use cameras that I can manage while doing other things underwater. That includes taking students and inexperienced divers below. I like to offer them photos of themselves after the dive. The ability to e-mail photographs makes that handy. It is a much easier process than when I shot only color slide film.
There are times when I must abandon my camera entirely and use both of my hands. I carry a flag below when drift-diving in the Gulf Stream on Florida’s Atlantic coast. One hand is therefore always occupied until I can hook the flag line safely into the reef. It takes a moment for me to find a spot and make sure the reef hook will not do any damage to coral. The digital camera system I use is perfectly suited for that. It does not interfere with nor detract from my instruction or dive guiding.
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