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Posts Tagged ‘Underwater’

Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack [video]

18 Jan

The post Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.

In this handy tutorial by Raj K Photo, you’ll learn to take impressive underwater-style photos without the need to get underwater! And, even better, this DIY hack costs less than 50pounds.

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What you will need:

  • Clear Acrylic Sheet
  • Wood
  • Woodscrews
  • Duct Tape
  • Multi-Purpose Sealant

You can make it to whatever size you want.

What to do:

  1. Cut wood to size.
  2. Screw in the ends but be sure to drill some holes first to stop the wood splitting.
  3. Draw an outline of the frame onto the acrylic.
  4. Place the acrylic onto the top of the wood frame, lining the outline you just drew up with the frame. It acts as a guide so you know where to put the screws.
  5. Use a drill bit to make pilot holes in the acrylic along each side. Use around 6 screws, evenly placed apart. Screw the screws in but be sure not to screw too quickly or hard so as to not split your acrylic.
  6. Flip the frame over and peel off the protective film.
  7. Take your sealant and seal all the gaps between your wood and the acrylic surface.
  8. Leave to dry for 24hrs.
  9. As a further layer of protection, add duct tape around the sealed areas.
  10. Remove any remaining protective film and clean surface.

Photographing your model using your new underwater hack

  1. Find a place to prop it up so that you can lay it face down with water inside. Ensure that it is secure.
  2. Lay your model underneath.
  3. Set an LED light above so that it is shining through the water onto your model. That way you can get an idea of how the shot will look.
  4. Place the flash units (one with a blue gel to look like water) in position above the model.
  5. use a reflector to bounce some light back to your model.
  6. Wet your model’s hair and have the model keep their head slightly off the background to make it look like it is floating.
  7. Take your photos!

You may also find the following articles useful:

5 Tips for Underwater Photography Without Spending a Fortune

5 Tips for Underwater Photography with a GoPro

Surreal Underwater Shipwreck Photo Shoot

Introduction to Taking Great Underwater Photos

The post Easy to Create Fake Underwater Photography Hack appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Caz Nowaczyk.


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Nauticam launches underwater housing for Nikon Z7 and Z6 mirrorless cameras

23 Nov

Underwater housing manufacturer Nauticam hasn’t taken long to create a new unit designed for owners of Nikon’s new full frame mirrorless cameras. The Nauticam NA-Z7 can accommodate either the Z7 or Z6, and enables users to take them down to 100m/330ft beneath the waves.

The housing accepts cameras mounted with the new Z lenses, but as most users will have a collection of F mount lenses these can also be used via the FTZ adapter. Two lens release buttons have been incorporated into the design so both kinds of lens can be switched without the camera needing to be removed from the housing. If you want to take the adapter off, or indeed fit it, the camera will need to be removed.

While the button layout of the new Z cameras is somewhat different to that of models like the D850, Nauticam has worked hard to ensure users of this new housing won’t struggle to adapt. The company has managed to keep the main controls in the same locations on the housing even though the buttons they give access to have moved. For example, the magnify controls have been kept on the right of the housing, where users of the N120 series housings would expect to find them, despite the fact that the actual buttons on the camera are now on the right of the LCD.

The Nauticam NA-Z7 is available now and costs $ 3450. For more information visit the Nauticam website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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5 Tips for Underwater Photography with a GoPro

07 Oct

Jumping from a cliff. Diving with whale sharks. Documenting a road trip. The compact, rugged technology of the GoPro has created incredible opportunities for capturing the action of events like these. And while the GoPro is known mostly for its video capabilities, improved senor technology means it’s also a camera capable of high-quality imagery that can withstand harsh conditions such as water and dust.

And being able to shoot in adverse conditions opens new opportunities for creative photography.

In the past few months I’ve been experimenting with a GoPro Hero5 to shoot underwater photography. Although shooting underwater is a new realm for me, I’ve found that by applying generic photography knowledge I’ve grown quickly and made the GoPro work for me.

I hope you can learn and adapt what I’ve learned for your own purposes with these five tips for underwater photography with a GoPro.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography,Salmon, Alaska

I used a GoPro under water to capture the behavior of these breeding salmon in Alaska.

1. Know the Minimum Focus Distance

You may already know that the GoPro has a very wide field of view (FOV), which lets you frame a subject with the contextual scene around it. When searching for an image, focus on your desired foreground element and then get as close to it that foreground element as you ethically can. Place your camera close and take advantage of the GoPro’s 12-inch (~30cm) minimum focus distance. Placing the foreground element about 12 inches from the camera will emphasize it while still providing surrounding context.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography, Hawaii, Coral

I kept the minimum focusing distance in mind for this coral. The image was taken from very close while snorkeling.

2. Pre-set your Camera Field of View

Following in line with the minimum focusing distance, be sure to pre-set the FOV for your GoPro before entering the water. Even though GoPros are waterproof, I use a third-party housing to further protect the camera. And if you use a housing you can’t engage the touch screen, so you need to set the FOV first.

If you can’t get close enough to your subject, set the field of view to “Narrow”. This will require you to aim your camera precisely, which can be difficult if snorkeling or swimming. Of course, you can keep an eye on the back screen to help you compose the shot.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography, Hawaii, Triggerfish

I used a narrow field of view to capture this image of this large trigger fish in Hawaii.

3. Set Your Camera Defaults to Maintain Image Quality

Setting your default settings ahead of time will help you capture quality photographs. GoPros have pretty good image quality in well-lit conditions, but the image graininess (noise) will increase quickly as the camera adapts its ISO to low-light conditions. You can control the image quality by setting a maximum ISO setting. With your phone connected to your GoPro, go into your settings and change the maximum ISO to a value of 800 or less. While you’re there, you may want to set the default mode to “photo”. Doing this will ensure you can quickly take a photo if your GoPro shuts off while underwater and you need to turn it back on.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography,

Underwater conditions can be very murky and may cause your camera to boost the ISO, which will result in greater image noise.

 

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography, Herring, Alaska

A slower shutter speed due to low light caused some of the darting herring in this image to blur.

4. Stabilize Your Camera

If the water is cloudy or the day isn’t sunny the camera will shoot at slower shutter speeds, which may result in blurry or non-sharp images. This will be particularly noticeable if you can’t keep the camera  stable. If you’re hand-holding the camera, keep it as stable as possible. You can also mount the GoPro to a tripod and place it in a suitable location. This is more useful when a phenomena or animal is predictable, such as salmon in a river. Just as it does on land, using a tripod will help stabilize the image.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography,Salmon, Alaska

I captured this image from a tripod. This was necessary because this salmon was wary of any movement in the river that reminded it of a bear.

If you’re out of the water and photographing something near you (think of tide pools) you can keep the camera stable by mounting it on a extension pole. You can buy one, or even build one relatively easily. A long pole will help you photograph something far away, and if you have a long pole (say 12 feet) the top of it will help counterbalance the GoPro at the bottom. If you’re using the pole in shallow water try bracing it against the bottom for further stability.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Tide Pool, Photography, Sponge, Orange, Alaska

I used a long pole and a GoPro to capture an image of this sponge during a low-tide cycle in Alaska. I braced the pole against the bottom to take this image.

 

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography, Tidepool, Tidal, Octopus

This image combines a couple of the concepts discussed in this article. I kept the camera on a pole and maintained the minimum focusing distance to capture the image of this octopus in a tide pool.

 

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography,

I used a pole and a GoPro to photograph these colorful tube worms and anemones under a dock.

Another camera setting useful for stability is the time lapse mode. Set the camera to time lapse (say, one shot every second) and start taking images. Compose your shot underwater, and then hold the camera in place while it takes pictures. Since you won’t have to fumble for the trigger button it will be easier to keep it still and ensure your images are sharp.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography,

I used the time lapse mode to capture this school of fish in the clear waters of Hawaii.

In some situations you may be able to trigger the camera with your phone. The GoPro’s wifi network will cut out under deep water, but if the camera is on a tripod with only a small covering of water you can trigger the camera remotely from a distance. You’ll need to experiment with how much water is too much for the wifi network. Remotely triggering the camera may help you ethically and safely photograph wildlife.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography, Bear, Brown Bear

I remotely triggered this image of a large coastal brown bear moving up a river in Alaska.

Although I don’t use underwater lighting, you can avoid blurring by using strobes or other versions of underwater lighting. These will help keep your shutter speed up and your ISO low. But use them with discretion depending on your subject. In some circumstances they may be detrimental to wildlife.

5. Use a Housing for Split-Level Photography

Split-level imagery is a way to help give an image context and tell a story. To create the effect, use an underwater housing with a convex dome and then place the dome half-in and half-out of the water. By doing so you get to observe both the underwater world and the terrestrial world. I use a housing by GoPole to create split-level images capturing the streams and local salmon runs of Alaska. You can use this technique anywhere to create compelling images. You can create split-level images by hand-holding the camera or using a tripod as I mentioned earlier.

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography, Brown Bear, Coastal Brown Bear, Alaska

A GoPole dome housing was used to create this split-level image of a large coastal brown bear.

 

GoPro, Hero5, Underwater, Photography, Salmon, Alaska

The split-level shot helps tell the story of these spawning pink salmon under a large log in Alaska.

The Takeaway

I want to reiterate that I’m not an expert at underwater photography. But I’ve enjoyed extending my capabilities and skills to that realm. The GoPro is a fun way to learn underwater photography techniques without breaking the bank. And since GoPros are naturally waterproof, the likelihood of destroying gear is lowered substantially.

As I like to say, “pixels are cheap,” so I hope you make a lot of pixels while shooting photographs underwater with your GoPro.

The post 5 Tips for Underwater Photography with a GoPro appeared first on Digital Photography School.


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Underwater macro photography in Anilao, the Philippines

02 Jun
1/160, F20, ISO100, diopter 12.5 This Emperor shrimp is about 1.5 cm long, shut using a 12.5 diopter.

A few months ago, a friend invited me to try underwater photography and join a macrophotography workshop in Anilao, the Philippines. I’ve been shooting above the water for more than five decades but had no experience shooting underwater. I decided to take up the challenge, renewed my diving license, acquired the necessary photography gear and took a few dives with an underwater photography guide in the Red sea, Eilat, preparing myself for the workshop.

The workshop was conducted in Anilao, Batangas province of the Philippines, with full diving service, dive masters, boat riding, etc. provided, as well as an excellent camera room to take care of the photo gear. Anilao is considered an ideal place for macro photography. The diversity is incredible – rich reefs, a wide variety of fish, unexpected critters and nudibranchs are all over. The beachfront resorts are nestled against the jungle and provide exotic scenery while riding to and from dive sites.

1/160, F9, ISO100. Face to face with a yellow Cubicus boxfish.

The workshop schedule is quite intense: Breakfast at 0630, Review of the previous day photos between 0700 and 0830, two morning dives between 0900 to noon. Lunch break at 1200; a theoretical learning session (light, macro photography, use of strobes and more) at 1400 to 1500, two afternoon and evening dives between 1530 and 1900, dinner, photo editing and submitting some images for the next morning review, and falling asleep.

I use all full-frame cameras when shooting above the water: the Nikon D850, D5 and Sony a9 mirrorless. For my underwater excursion, I have decided to use the Sony a9 for two reasons: It is smaller and therefore the housing is smaller, and one can review the photos without removing the eye from the viewfinder. The latter is of paramount importance, especially when shooting miniature critters from a distance of less than five centimeters. If you have to move the camera to review a photo on the back screen, the subject gets out of your sight and finding it and focusing again is time consuming.

I exclusively used the Sony FE 90mm F2.8G macro lens, sometimes with a 12.5 diopter wet lens attached in front of the lens port for shooting critters that are smaller (and some are much smaller!) than a centimeter. Each photo provided here includes the main exposure parameters in the caption, and the use of the diopter is noted as well.

The Nauticam housing I used holds two powerful strobes. Below the surface, most of the sunlight is absorbed by the first few meters of water. At depths of 5 meters and more, all critters look almost colorless and it is the light of the strobes that brings back the colors. Even the light of the most powerful strobe is absorbed by the water and therefore underwater the distance from the camera to the (main) subject is usually less than 1.5 meters. Macro photography distance is less than 50 centimeters and super macro (magnification ratio above 1 – the recorded image size on the sensor is larger than the actual size of the subject) distances can be as close as 2 centimeters.

For our diving sessions we were usually three photographers to a boat, accompanied by a local dive master who knows the waters very well and finds the critters for us. We were also accompanied by two boat drivers to handle the boat and help with the diving and photo gear and getting in and out of the water.

1/160, F14, ISO100, 12.5 diopter. Glossodoris Cincta Nudibranch

The diversity of the creatures in this area is reach and unique. Colorful and beautiful Nudibranches populate the waters, ranging in size from 4mm to 600mm. Most we encountered were between 10 to 60mm in size. They can be identified by the pair of rhinophores, on which it makes sense to focus.

But it’s not all serene beauty underneath the water. Survival is a continuous daily battle, and every critter has developed a unique method of protection against predators. There are many such methods, but below are a few in particular that we saw in use:

  • Using a deadly poison and flashing bright colors warning potential predators
  • Camouflage
  • Hiding in small hard to reach holes
1/200, F13, ISO1000. This wire coral shrimp on top of the coral is about 1.5 cm long uses camouflage to protect itself.
1/160, F14, ISO100. Blue-ringed Octopus, one of the world’s most venomous marine animals. If provoked, it will change color quickly as a warning.
1/200, F14, ISO100. 12.5 Diopter. The Pink Hairy Squat Lobster, about 1.5 cm long, hiding under the projections on the sides of sponges.

The underwater world is rich with life. It is so beautiful and exciting and I am sure going to put more time and effort into exploring this new (at least for me) amazing world.

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About the Author: Ze’ev Kirshenboim, an Electronic Engineer by trade, is a seasoned amateur photographer of 52 years and makes his living as the president of ACS Motion Control Ltd which he founded 33 years ago. He likes shooting sport, wildlife and people, and lately has combined his photography hobby with scuba diving, the results of which are depicted in this article.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Gates unveils underwater housing for RED cinema cameras, will probably cost around $15K

16 Nov

You’d have to be pretty brave to immerse your $ 50K RED cinema camera beneath the waves—or very sure of the quality of your underwater housing. Fortunately, underwater specialist Gates has been making housings for cinema cameras since 1969, and they just released their newest (not their first…) housing for RED cameras last week.

The new Pro Explore from Gates Underwater Products is designed for Red’s DSMC2 series of bodies, and thus will look after and allow access to the controls of the Weapon, Epic-W, Scarlet-W and Red Raven cameras.

The company hasn’t released any detailed spec yet, but claims the new housing is lightweight and easy to transport and that small PL lenses and DSLR lenses can fit within its domed ports. There’s a rear door for quick access to memory and the battery, and 14 assignable buttons to control the camera’s features.

Gates says the Pro Explore will come with a housing for an external monitor as well as tool kits, spare parts and cables.

The Gates Pro Explore will go on sale in the next month or so, but the price has yet to be announced. I can’t imagine it will be cheap. The Pro Action housing, which can go to 200ft, costs around $ 15,000.

For more information, visit the Gates website.

Press Release

NEW PRO EXPLORE UNDERWATER HOUSING

GATES UNDERWATER PRODUCTS ANNOUNCES PRO EXPLORE UNDERWATER HOUSING

Cinema to commercial, Natural History to enthusiast, Pro Explore delivers comprehensive features for the traveling underwater professional.

Gates Underwater Products – manufacturer of the world’s most reliable underwater housings – today announces the Pro Explore Underwater Housing. A dedicated, purpose built motion imaging acquisition tool for the RED DSMC2 platform, Pro Explore breaks barriers in underwater high resolution 8K imaging in a compact, travel-friendly rig.

Pro Explore Key Features include:

  • Expedition ready, Pro Explore packs tight and travels light.
  • Latched rear shell for fast media / battery change;
  • Full Camera and Lens management via housing controls and REDMOTE Controller
  • Tailored design for the RED DSMC2 for the finest user experience, including 14 assignable buttons to access *anything* on the camera;
  • Compact PL and all DSLR lenses readily supported;
  • Diverse V-Lock battery support including REDBRICK, Blueshape, and the popular travel friendly SWIT 8192-S 192 WHr split battery;
  • 60 and 80 series port compatibility;
  • Stackable Port Rings (SPR’s) cover a wide range of lenses with one base set;
  • Surface SDI and Gig-E options for topside DP viewing or AC camera control;
  • Surface, close-range wireless connectivity with foolcontrol;

“While Pro Action is perfect for high intensity, fast action situations, I needed a dedicated rig for my type of shooting on Helium 8K. Pro Explore is it. Control, flexibility, size. And a Gates…of course.”

Like all Gates professional systems, you get the works. Pro Explore housing price includes numerous items like RT47 External Monitor housing (with shade extension), Seal Check Lite, woven carry lanyard, tether points, spare kit, tool kit, interface cables, and more. Port and SPR’s are ordered a la carte to fit your lens(es) of choice and application.

Pro Explore is well considered for accessories, like:

  • GT14 underwater lights. 14,000 lumens, 90 CRI and 5000K color temperature;
  • Light bar offering a variety of light mounting options using the Ultralight Control System;
  • Support for Gates RT7 and RP5 External monitor housings;
  • Cheeseplates for mounting to poles, booms or your own rigging;

“Gates is part of my production team. I count on Gates to be there when needed. Tech support, parts, whatever – response is fast and experienced.”

Pro Explore is a Gates through and through. Durable, reliable, ‘bulletproof’. And backed by Gates legendary factory direct service and 2 year renewable warranty. Only Gates offers this level of commitment to your success.

Price: To be announced
Availability: Q4 2017

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Outex launches clear, universal underwater camera housing

04 Nov

Outex has launched a clear version of its rubber underwater camera ‘housing’ via Kickstarter, where it is seeking $ 35k in funding to bring the product to market and help even more people get into underwater photography without breaking the bank.

This clear version joins the company’s original rubber sleeve, which features a solid blueish color with the exception of the lens cover. The clear design, according to Outex, makes it easier to adjust camera settings after putting the camera in the sleeve. And while the Kickstarter doesn’t mention it explicitly, we assume this version features the same IP08 rated waterproof design as the blue version, which can withstand depths up to 10 meters or about 33 feet.

Unlike most camera housings, which are made of rigid materials and designed to fit a specific camera, Outex’s rubber sleeve stretches to accommodate a variety of camera and lens shapes and sizes. Additionally, Outex says its new model has an “improved material composition” that makes both installation and removal easier by offering increased malleability and elasticity.

Finally, Outex says the housing covers also have better longevity thanks to a reformulated compound design and better manufacturing process.

As of this writing, Outex is about $ 10,000 of the way to its $ 35K goal with 31 days to go, but if the Kickstarter campaign brings in enough funds to meet certain stretch goals, Outex will also launch covers for mirrorless and compact cameras ($ 75k goal), large-body cameras ($ 150k goal), and even covers that can accommodate pistol grips and tripods ($ 175k goal).

The Kickstarter campaign is offering backers one clear cover for pledges of at least $ 100. Assuming the funding goal is met and everything goes according to plan (NEVER a guarantee), backers will receive their products in January 2018.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Sony a9 underwater review: Shooting great white sharks

22 Aug

Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo is the largest underwater imaging equipment supplier in the world. They love the water, and they personally dive and shoot with the gear they sell. This article originally appeared on their website, and is reproduced here with permission.

With the high speed shooting of the Sony a9 mirrorless camera and just released Nauticam NA-A9 underwater housing, we decided the best underwater photography test was to take it to the island of Guadalupe off the Baja California coast to shoot great white sharks.

The white sharks are a perfect subject to test with this camera due to their speed, relative unpredictability, stealthiness, and camouflage. All of these factors require a camera to have fast and accurate autofocus, fast continuous shooting mode, and a really deep image buffer to capture as many pictures as possible to nail that one special shot.

Sony designed the Sony a9 to do just that and aimed this camera to directly compete with the Nikon D5 and Canon 1DX II, both of which are the top cameras from Nikon and Canon for high-speed shooting.

Sony a9 Camera, Nauticam NA-A9 Housing, Sony 16-35mm Lens. Shot at 1/250 F8 ISO 320

Blazing Fast Autofocus Performance

The Sony a9 has a crazy amount of AF points at 693 when set in wide mode that covers 93% of the frame and updates focus at a stunning rate of 60 times per second. I used the Sony 16-35mm f/4 lens exclusively for this trip and let the camera pick from the 693 autofocus points on its own.

With this camera and lens combination, I did not have any problems with the camera and lens not tracking the subject, even during high speed “attacks” of the sharks going after the bait, when letting the camera choose on its own among the 693 AF points. Only when a shark was at the limit of visibility did the AF system lose the subject and started to track the water surface instead. When a shark came back to be within the limits of visibility, the AF system immediately picked it back up again. That being said, the visibility at Guadalupe Island is about 70 to 100 feet, which is so far beyond what any acceptable composition distance is for underwater photography.

A major advantage of the autofocus system of the Sony a9 is the ability to track focus WHILE rapid fire burst shooting without any screen or viewfinder blackout. This allows continuous shooting, auto focusing, framing, and zooming all to happen at the same time seamlessly. This was a godsend for the rapidly changing distance to subject and framing that happens as these sharks move through the scene.

For shooting technique, I just mashed down and held the AF-ON button on the back of the camera and the shutter release simultaneously, while at the same time moving the zoom knob and panning the camera for framing the shot. The camera continued to shoot and focus track the subject with no issues. This technique might seem rather crude, but worked quite well given the task at hand.

The Sony a9 is the fastest shooting full frame camera on the planet. Combined with super fast autofocus, it has the ability to capture the subtlest movements. This image sequence was shoot at 20 frames per second. 1/400, F11, ISO 1000

Fastest Shooting Speed for a Full Frame Camera Ever

The Sony a9 can shoot up to 20 frames per second in RAW with a 241 shot buffer when using the electronic shutter, and 5 frames per second with the mechanical shutter. The electronic shutter does not sync with strobes (not that a strobe could keep up!) while the mechanical shutter does sync with strobes. The custom function button C3 is setup from the factory to allow the photographer to choose between mechanical or electronic shutter.

There are three continuous shooting modes on the camera–high, medium, and low. I kept it on continuous high the whole time and used the C3 button to choose between mechanical and electronic depending on whether I wanted to use strobes in the shots.

For shots with strobes, I kept my strobes at 1/4 power to ensure a super fast recycle that would keep up with the camera’s 5 frames per second shutter. We hope that in the future Sony will make an electronic shutter that will sync with strobes and get past the mechanical flash sync speed limit of 1/250 second.

Sony a9 Camera, Nauticam NA-A9 Housing, Sony 16-35mm Lens. Shot at 1/250 F9 ISO 400

Exposure Technique for White Sharks—Auto ISO

With distances and the amount of light reaching the subject changing rapidly with shooting great white sharks, it’s hard to shoot fully manual and nail each exposure each time.

We’re up against a few limits that aren’t exactly ideal for going over to program auto exposure, aperture priority, or shutter priority. A fast shutter speed is needed to freeze the motion of the shark. A higher aperture is needed to get the corners sharp with a wide angle zoom lens behind a dome.

Needing to set both of these in the past has meant needing to shoot full manual exposure, but with Sony’s excellent ISO performance and customizable Auto ISO feature, manual exposure mode with Auto ISO is how I shot each one of these shots in this review.

Sony a9 vs. Sony A7R Mark II vs. Nikon D810

Sony’s stills image quality in their flagship cameras have been at the top of the heap of not only the mirrorless camera category, but also beating out top level SLRs as well for the last few years. The color, sharpness, detail, and noise levels are all excellent and find the Sony a9 among the top of the list in each of these categories.

While the higher resolution cameras of the Sony a7R II and Nikon D810 will edge out the Sony a9 in ultimate image quality, neither of those cameras come close to the speed of this camera, and it’s hard to find another camera besides these two that will outperform the Sony a9 in image quality with what we have available to shoot underwater.

Sony a9 Camera, Nauticam NA-A9 Housing, Sony 16-35mm Lens. Shot at 1/250 F8 ISO 400

Who Is This Camera For?

The Sony a9 doesn’t come cheap. At $ 4,500, it is the most expensive full frame mirrorless camera on the market today. Then again, it’s designed to run head to head against the Nikon D5 which does 12 frames per second, and the Canon 1DX II, which does 16 frames per second—those cameras are $ 6,500 and $ 6,000, respectively.

Sony definitely shakes up the established competition in this area by besting these cameras in terms of overall speed and image quality. While there may be additional features such as 4K 60p video and the best ambient light white balance out there with the Canon 1DX II, the Sony a9 comes in at a much lower price point, especially for the amount of still image shooting performance you’ll get.

If you are someone who likes to shoot fast moving pelagic sea life such as sharks, dolphins, whales, mantas, sailfish, etc., this is definitely the camera for you. The speed of focus, focus tracking and shooting, and 241 RAW shot image buffer is mind boggling and second to none. You’ll be able to get the shot with focus nailed better than any other camera out there today.

For someone who needs more resolution than 24 megapixels, and must have pro level 4K video with accurate custom white balance at depth, those are the only areas where this camera will fall short.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Nikon 8-15mm F3.5-4.5E ED fisheye lens impresses in underwater review

04 Aug
Photo © Robin Dodd

Our friends at Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo—the world’s leading supplier for underwater imaging equipment, the same folks behind this impressive underwater review of the Canon 1DX Mark II—recently took the new Nikon 8-15mm F3.5-4.5E ED fisheye zoom lens for a spin beneath the waves. As usual, they came back with some stunning photographs, along with a few thoughts about Nikon’s new fisheye zoom lens.

Backscatter CEO Jim Decker and Producer Robin Dodd were able to ‘MacGyver’ a makeshift zoom gear from some stuff they had lying around the shop, slapped the lens onto a Nikon D810, and went diving. Immediately they were impressed.

“The lens is a fisheye zoom lens that is a full frame diagonal fisheye lens at the 15mm side of the zoom, and a circular fisheye at the 8mm side,” explains Decker in their review. “It’s great to have the versatility of being able to shoot a circular fisheye, without having to dedicate your whole dive to it.” The photo up top was shot at 8mm, the one below at 15mm.

Photo © Robin Dodd

But it’s not just the versatility of having both a diagonal fisheye and a circular fisheye in one lens—a first for Nikon—that impressed Backscatter. The photos turned out great, too.

“We were super impressed with the image quality of this lens along with the versatility,” writes Decker, “and will now recommend this lens as the primary lens for wide angle use with full frame Nikon cameras.”

That’s some high praise. To read Backscatter’s full review and see several more underwater sample shots captured with the Nikon 8-15mm F3.5-4.5E ED fisheye, head over to their website by clicking here. And if you want to see some above-ground sample photos, you can see our sample gallery here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Intense underwater 8×10 camera pops up on eBay for $5,800

22 Jul
This custom underwater 8×10 large format film camera was made for underwater fine art photography, and it can be yours for $ 5,800. Photo: eBay Auction

When you think underwater photography, a few cameras probably come to mind. Maybe you think of a simple GoPro action cam, maybe a ‘rugged compact’ like the Olympus TG-5, or maybe you dream of putting your DSLR inside a serious underwater housing. Whatever you think, we can almost guarantee you’ve never seen anything like this underwater camera.

This custom-built large format 8×10 underwater camera was built to capture fine art photography underwater, and it just popped up on eBay for the not-all-that-unreasonable price of $ 5,800.

The camera was posted to eBay by swfloridagirl941 before it was spotted by The Phoblographer. Made from aircraft grade aluminum and featuring 2 strobe connection ports, you need 60lbs of dive weights to even use this thing underwater. The monstrous creation “was built around a Schneider Super-Symmar 150mm f5.6 XL Aspheric MC lens with Copal No. 1 shutter and custom No. 2 close-up lens by Century Optics” and the seller is calling it “the first successful underwater 8×10 ever made.”

Schneider Super-Symmar 150mm F5.6 XL Aspheric MC lens.

This camera is the real deal, but don’t expect “auto” mode performance if you do buy it. You have to surface and change the film between each shot like any other 8×10 field camera, and understanding the optimal focusing distance and optics of this crazy system is crucial if you don’t want to waste some very expensive film.

When it does work, though, swfloridagirl941 promises spectacular results: “I have printed a poster size print of a girl underwater at five feet and with a magnifier one can see individual hair on her arm that are tack sharp.”

Here’s a behind the scenes and sample photo from the eBay auction:

To learn more about this fascinating 8×10 camera, head over to the eBay auction by clicking here. Just be ready to plunk down $ 5,800 plus about $ 300 shipping if you’re genuinely interested.

Photos © swfloridagirl941, courtesy of eBay auction.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Underwater Photography Tips from Aquapac

27 Jun

A wise crustacean once said that it’s better down where it’s wetter.

Singing crabs normally should not be trusted, but when it comes to photography, he does have a point.

So we turned to a more trust-worthy source, our pals at Aquapac – makers of the Underwater DSRL Case – for their top underwater photography tips.

So waterproof up your favorite cam and dive right in to this wonderful splashy world.
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Read the rest of Underwater Photography Tips from Aquapac (449 words)

© laurel for Photojojo, 2017. |
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