May 2010    Download the Entire Issue (PDF)

Vol. 25, No. 5   What's this?

Underwater Photos with Digital Compacts

no strobes or heavy gear needed if you use these cameras right

from the May, 2010 issue of Undercurrent  

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Last month, we ran a story by our gear pro, John Bantin, about why he preferred full-frame to compact digital cameras. Undercurrent subscriber and photographer Michael Zagachin (Peabody, MA) wrote us to disagree. “The article may confuse the average vacation diver into thinking that more expensive equipment will make his pictures better. I use a digital compact, with no flash or strobe, and the critters in the photos on my website (www.redberryphoto.com/underwater) came out pretty good. I’d like to address necessary skills and tips for using simple, inexpensive equipment that can produce good underwater images for the amateur underwater photographer.” Here is his piece.

Many divers these days use compact digital cameras underwater, but their images are often poor, whether they have strobes or not. There can be many reasons for that, but the most probable are lack of basic photographic skills and unfamiliarity with the incredible capabilities of their tiny cameras. There are numerous reviews of underwater photo equipment that not all of us can afford, but articles about underwater photography on a budget are rare. ...