Some of my first photos with A6300

Hi Hector,

nice shots, especially for a beginner. I have few tips for you.

1: In most shots you used f18-22. You get lots of difraction and the shots look soft. When you crop radically on top of that, the problem really kicks in. Use f11 or less and you will see a clear difference. The sweet spot of your lens is normally around f5,6.

2: It looks to me you have used just one strobe in most of these shots. The strobes are not cheap but two of them will make a huge difference compared to just one. It gives you way more flexibility and ability to really have an impact in the lighting. Anyways you need to train lighting on dry land a lot to make it good underwater. And I can guarantee  training will pay back all the time and trouble.

3: If you have time take as many shots per subject as possible. Try chancing strobe's position and power. Try different angles and framing.

4: Last but not least take a very, very good look at the subject and what's around it. Take the first shots. Then think. Consentrate and think again. Remember underwater you are way, way more stupid than on dry land. Diving itself takes a big bunch of your brain capacity and that diminishes your creativity. And that's why training really pays off.

Craig,

I did some test topside with and without the diopter. 3 shots of a ruler each at f16, f18 and f20. Distance in each case the MFD of the diopter and the MFD of the lens.

Without diopter it produced an image 42mm wide (0.56x magnification) and without, 93mm (0.25x).

Without the diopter I can notice some softness in extremes. That' s due to lens. With the diopter this same softness seems more pronounced but in can be both the magnification (less area in central focused) or and addition of the diopter itself.

When the image without the diopter is cropped to match the 42 mm wide (about 2700 px wide instead of original 6000)  the softness in extremes disappear, of course.

Theres is some noticeable loss of light with diopter but I can not take that as a fact because I think the main reason was the flash ("tied" to the focus lamp on top of camera) being obstructed by the short port. Diopter are said no to cause important light loss.

And maybe this less light with diopter could cause the shot to be softer.

What do you think?

Regards

That' s exactly how you say.

My Close-up filter is Inon UCL-165M67. +6 diopter and 165 mm maximum focusing distance (from filter) So I have to put the lens as close or closer to be able to focus.

In your case with the dome 20mm does not seem to much of a difference but maybe you were in the critical point /line and camera was unable to focus. e.g. if your lens has a MFD of 35 cm, distance from sensor to dome is 24 cm (extension 70mm included), and virtual image is formed 10 cm in front of dome, total distance from sensor to v. image is 34 cm so lens can not focus. But, with the 90 mm, total distance would be 36 cm, so focus is possible. With the diopter the solution was by reducing the MFD

Here, there is a dome virtual image calculator that could be useful to understand how it works and see if certain lens is compatible with certain dome.

https://oceanity.com.au/tools/virtual-image-calculator/

Regards

Master of the Universe wrote:

Hi Hector,

nice shots, especially for a beginner. I have few tips for you.

Thanks. I said I am relatively new to UW photography but I have already shot a few dozens times, although it is true most times are not dedicated dives and I do it with buddies not really interested in photography and, more or less i have to be at the rhythm of the group.

1: In most shots you used f18-22. You get lots of difraction and the shots look soft. When you crop radically on top of that, the problem really kicks in. Use f11 or less and you will see a clear difference. The sweet spot of your lens is normally around f5,6.

Most of the shots uploaded are close-up. It is true what you say about difraction. Maybe I will have to find a compromise. in close-up/macros I tend to use high F numbers due to DoF and most times i am using a +6 diopter which makes DoF even narrower. Besides, I like dark backgrounds and the A6300 max Sync speed is 1/160, so again a compromise: dark backgrounds or less soft shots.

At f5.6 I will have to pull power down in strobes. In macro I used them very close to port pointing practically against the other.

2: It looks to me you have used just one strobe in most of these shots. The strobes are not cheap but two of them will make a huge difference compared to just one. It gives you way more flexibility and ability to really have an impact in the lighting. Anyways you need to train lighting on dry land a lot to make it good underwater. And I can guarantee training will pay back all the time and trouble.

The shots uploaded were taken in the 6 or 7 first dives with the A6300. The tray I had used with my late G7X was not wide enough to accommodate comfortably the Seafrogs Salted Line, so in the very first dives I took one arm out and dived with only one Strobe until I got a new tray. I am using one YS-01 and one old and solid Nikonos 105. Another Ys-01 is to be ordered soon to have a real matched pair)

3: If you have time take as many shots per subject as possible. Try chancing strobe's position and power. Try different angles and framing.

Good suggestions. I normally try to do it. And maybe I change strobes positions too much, just trying out but honestly I think that I do this because I do not really know in advance which position (and power) are better for a particular situation.  With Macros, as I said the most common position is face to face but some times I try some "Innovative" positions but most of the times are useless or ineffective

4: Last but not least take a very, very good look at the subject and what's around it. Take the first shots. Then think. Concentrate and think again. Remember underwater you are way, way more stupid than on dry land. Diving itself takes a big bunch of your brain capacity and that diminishes your creativity. And that's why training really pays off.

Without diminishing value of your first suggestions this is where I really need to work more.  I need to think in advance what I want to shoot, then do it "peacefully" thinking and rethinking every shot.  Employing more time to fine subjects and scenes of interest. I finish a dive and then realize that I have done things in a different way.

And, finally, do more photo-session dedicated dives because most of the time I dive in groups not involved in photography and have to take their path.

Thanks again for your review and suggestions

Hi Hector,

"Besides, I like dark backgrounds and the A6300 max Sync speed is 1/160, so again a compromise: dark backgrounds or less soft shots."

You need snoots! I use a straight black palstic soft tube (pvc I guess) with steel spiral inside. Diameter is the same as strobe's. Attachment with velcro. A snoot narrows the strobe's angle and voila you get a black or very dark background. Snoots are very usefull in macros. Especially mine kind of wide snoots giving 30-50 deg angle. I highly suggest you buy a book from Alex Mustard about lighting underwater.

"At f5.6 I will have to pull power down in strobes. In macro I used them very close to port pointing practically against the other."

With snoots problem solved. With a much narrower angle of light you can use the strobes very close or quite far from your subject. Anyway your way of putting the strobes is quite practical in many cases.

"The shots uploaded were taken in the 6 or 7 first dives with the A6300. The tray I had used with my late G7X was not wide enough to accommodate comfortably the Seafrogs Salted Line, so in the very first dives I took one arm out and dived with only one Strobe until I got a new tray. I am using one YS-01 and one old and solid Nikonos 105. Another Ys-01 is to be ordered soon to have a real matched pair)"

Your setup sounds more than satisfactory for any kind of macro shooting. There is no need for ttl anyway, since everything is made on manual. I would just keep on going with the Nokinos. At least they look impressive and with one you look like a pro.

Cheers, Kari

Master of the Universe wrote:

Hi Hector,

"Besides, I like dark backgrounds and the A6300 max Sync speed is 1/160, so again a compromise: dark backgrounds or less soft shots."

You need snoots! I use a straight black palstic soft tube (pvc I guess) with steel spiral inside. Diameter is the same as strobe's. Attachment with velcro. A snoot narrows the strobe's angle and voila you get a black or very dark background. Snoots are very usefull in macros. Especially mine kind of wide snoots giving 30-50 deg angle. I highly suggest you buy a book from Alex Mustard about lighting underwater.

Snoots are something I've been thinking about since my very beginnings but I have decided  to go step by step and I think I should not introduce new techniques until I feel I manage well what I have.

"At f5.6 I will have to pull power down in strobes. In macro I used them very close to port pointing practically against the other."

With snoots problem solved. With a much narrower angle of light you can use the strobes very close or quite far from your subject. Anyway your way of putting the strobes is quite practical in many cases.

I think f5.6 is too open for macro, DoF would be too narrow. It is already very narrow  at f-numbers higher than f11 when using kit lens at 50mm and the +6 diopter and working distance of a few inches.

"The shots uploaded were taken in the 6 or 7 first dives with the A6300. The tray I had used with my late G7X was not wide enough to accommodate comfortably the Seafrogs Salted Line, so in the very first dives I took one arm out and dived with only one Strobe until I got a new tray. I am using one YS-01 and one old and solid Nikonos 105. Another Ys-01 is to be ordered soon to have a real matched pair)"

Your setup sounds more than satisfactory for any kind of macro shooting. There is no need for ttl anyway, since everything is made on manual. I would just keep on going with the Nokinos. At least they look impressive and with one you look like a pro.

I have never tried TTL and I don't  feel very enthusiastic to use it.  My new YS-01 have been ordered. I expect to have it at the beginning of July.  I want to have a pair of matched strobes.  I had made a test above water of both strobes to compare its histograms and see where the 10 power positions of the YS better matched the 3 positions (full, 1/4, 1/16) of the Nikonos. The results were interesting  but it is hard to have that in mind underwater.

I will not discard the Nikonos. I will eventually use it as a complementary 3rd strobe. I dived Saturday with a friend that besides his two  Z-240  he carried one Nikonos 105.

I would be glad if one day I could consider myself a Pro, not to look like one

Thnks very much Kari for your comments and suggestions.

Cheers, Kari

"Snoots are something I've been thinking about since my very beginnings but I have decided to go step by step and I think I should not introduce new techniques until I feel I manage well what I have."

Those narrow snoots you can buy ready made are a bit difficult to us since they lit just a spot. What I use is a 8 cm diameter and 10 cm long plastic tube which narrows the strobe's angle to maybe 45 deg. They are still very easy to position. Using these kind of snoots is quite easy but anyway you need to practice on dry land not uw.

I think f5.6 is too open for macro, DoF would be too narrow. It is already very narrow at f-numbers higher than f11 when using kit lens at 50mm and the +6 diopter and working distance of a few inches.

I think you misundersottd me. My point was by using snoots you can get the desired dark or black background even if the background is close to your subject.