Email dialog with Steve Kramer about underwater photography:

Email 1:

> I'm currently using either a Kodak disposable
> camera or a Minolta Extreme.

Problem number one...

> Any hints would be greatly appreciated. I'm also thinking heavily moving up
> to a reefmaster or a Sea & Sea MX-10 what do you think of either of those?

Problem number two...

As the man said, "ya get what ya pay for." When talking about photography, what we are really talking about is 'painting with light.'  And when you start getting below 10 feet of sea water, we start running out of light. If you look at the pros, they have almost as much money tied up in multiple strobes as they do in camera and lenses. And those strobes are FAR AWAY from the camera itself. THAT is the most important hint for getting better photos. The light source needs to be at least 2-3 feet away from the lens of the camera or you will be getting back scatter even in almost perfectly clear water, and we don't often get to dive in perfectly clear seas... The MX-10 is a nice camera, as far as taking a picture, but the flash is attached to the body and really can't be moved far away at all. Same with the ReefMaster. If you are snorkeling, either would work well for you, as the light from the sun would be enough without the flash. But for diving, you MUST have at least one, if not two good strobes mounted on flexible arms 2-3 feet way from the camera's lens. UNLESS you go digital... That seems to work in very low light situations. But a good digital camera and housing will cost as much as.... get ready.... here is what you need... are you sitting down? Ok....

A MotorMarine II-EX and a YS-60 strobe. You can get this in 'kit form" (camera, base plate, strobe, strobe arms, and a WIDE ANGLE LENS (yes, you NEED a wide angle lens!!!) for about the same price as a good digital and housing. This is what I use for all my underwater photos, although recently I added my second YS-60 strobe, and that DID make a difference. I also added length to the strobe arms, so they can get out to 3-4 feet on each side if needed. Or, one high and one low. Or one high and one to the side for some shadow and depth. I also use a macro lens, and with the MotorMarine II-EX, you can change lenses UNDERWATER to suit your needs. With the two extra lenses, you really have FOUR lenses to chose from, as the camera itself has it own built-in close up lens (flip the lever and it's there) that works well for things the size of starfish, etc. The macro handles the nudibranchs, and the wide angle (20mm) I use for everything else. I never shoot with just the plain 35mm regular lens, but it's there if you want it.

All this gives you the 'chance' to get some good photos. At least, when you put them into Photoshop they don't need 'too much' tweaking to get them to look nice. If you could get two strobes to go along with an MX-10 that would save some money, but I don't think that is possible. Also, the MX-10 doesn't provide you with the flexibility of the II-EX in terms of aperture and exposure, which, if you REALLY want nice photos, you will need to make use of. Joe Liburdi's book on underwater photography is a bible, and worth reading even if you don't get the better equipment. Amazon sells that.

Then comes film... and lots of heated debate. All of my photos where taken with Kodak Royal Gold 400 ISO print film. The 'big guys' all use Velvia 50 slide film, and it does make a difference. But you'll also need twin YS-150 strobes instead of YS-60's for that to work. I'm going to experiment with the new Provia 400 slide film on my next dive trip. I like the way if works on land.

So... now all you have to do is sell your first born child and hire your wife out as slave labor to raise the bucks to buy a good underwater system. (Some guy in the UK is offering a II-EX in the rec.scuba equipment group today.) The MotorMarine II-EX is very much cheaper and more versatile than the Nikonos, and takes almost as good photos. The MX-10 will be a waste of money if you want nice scuba photos. It's for snapshots at 20 feet down. So's the Reefmaster, even though they both 'work' at recreational diving depths. It all depends on what you really want. It's Dollars vs Results. And not an easy choice, nor is it easy to justify to spouses why you HAVE to spend a thou on new toys. Buying flowers first doesn't work in that price range. Good luck.

If you have some other specific questions you know how to find me.

Email 2

> Thanks for the quick reply. I wish I could go digital. I don't scuba.

Oops! Sorry about that! I made the scuba assumption by mistake. But you can STILL go digital, or, even use your small point-and-shoot land camera, and CHEAPLY for snorkeling!! Yippee!! Here's how...

There is a company called EWA-MARINE that makes plastic and vinyl bags for cameras that ARE effective as long as you don't go too deep (say... more than about 30-40 feet) as the pressure begins to affect the operation of the camera's controls. The bags are absolutely waterproof, and have been used for years by tide pool photographers as there isn't much need for extra lighting. Go to http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ and type into the search bar EWA hit go, then scroll down looking for housings or bags. You can get a bag for a point and shoot for about $65 US, or ha digital housing for about $200. Either will take better pics than a MX-10 or ReefMaster. By the way, B&H Vidio has some of the best customer service, quickest deilvery, and cheapest prices anywhere. I buy ALL my photography equipment from them, and even with the priority shipping to Japan, they are still cheaper than every place else (except Singapore, which is REALLY cheap if you can bargain well. If you want to go there to buy your equipment, let me know and I'll give you the names of the shops I visit when I'm there.)

> I live a long way from the ocean and
> there is no way I could get my wife to go below 5 feet.

If you are a long way from the ocean, you are probably in upland game hunting country, (rabbits, woodcock, partridge, quail, etc.,) right? Go to your local hunting supply store and you can buy bags of #6 lead shot.  If you tie these around your wife's ankles, she will have NO difficulty getting below 5 feet! See how easily I can solve problems! Aren't you glad you asked me?

> I planned on getting a strobe and I think with the
> MX-10 you can change lenses underwater too.

Yes, you can change lenses on the MX-10, but they attach with rubber bands, rather than screwing in, which means that the optical 'center' of the lens may be ever so slightly off, affecting the entire pic's resolution.

> Wouldn't a higher speed film help also?

Yes, it will, which is why I use 400 ISO film even though most pros use 50-100. If you are going to blow up your pictures to 5x7 or 8x11, 400 is fine. But if you try to make an 11x14, you begin to notice a very pronounced 'grain' in the otherwise smooth areas of the photo. This grain becomes larger and more pronounced as you increase either the speed of the film or the size of the blow-up. Today's films are much less grainy than those of, say, 10-15 years ago, but still noticeable in enlargements. I used to use 400 for all my land photos as well, but have recently switched to 100 using a monopod or tripod for support. Of course, I'm getting old and weak, and need the extra support. But page one of the photography course I took said "Always use a tripod for EVERY picture." Who am I to argue? And you know, the photos have been NOTICEABLE better since I began doing that... I just too 2000 new photos in to have them professionally scanned into Kodak CD's, and when I put them up on my web page, I will have to remove all the others as they will pale in comparison. Of course, tripods do NOT work well under water in most cases...

Another factor to consider with film is color saturation. Stick with "Fuji Superior" or Kodak "Royal Gold" (not Kodak Gold) and you will get some eye popping colors! Of course, you can always scan in your photos (or download digital) into Photoshop, hit 'Image/Adjust/saturation, and using the drop down menu switch from RGB to Red and punch THAT up a bit, then switch to Green, and give THAT a tweak too... Makes everything more vivid, without over doing the blue! Do this using an "adjustment layer" (Layers/Adjustment layer/hue,saturation) and you can toggle it on and off to see if you like the new colors. If this sounds confusing... it is. Actually, it really isn't if you open Photoshop and do it while you read this note.

Email 3:

> > There is a company called EWA-MARINE that makes plastic and vinyl bags
> > for cameras that ARE effective as long as you don't go too deep (say...
> > more than about 30-40 feet) as the pressure begins to affect the
> > operation of the camera's controls. The bags are absolutely waterproof,
> > and have been used for years by tide pool photographers as there isn't
> > much need for extra lighting.

I use one of these bags when I'm in the jungles during the rainy season.  You never know when the sky is going to simply crack and spill all the water in the world down on you with less than 10 seconds notice. The EWA bags saved my cameras many times!

> > Yes, you can change lenses on the MX-10, but they attach with rubber
> > bands, rather than screwing in, which means that the optical 'center' of
> > the lens may be ever so slightly off, affecting the entire pic's
> > resolution.

> I didn't know that. I assumed they screwed on.