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Post by kgehring on Oct 16, 2007 16:01:13 GMT -8
Try Dan Blodget at Subaquatic Camera. He might be able to help.
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 16, 2007 18:04:04 GMT -8
Captain,
I'm not sure what the issues are for the lens concerning the focus. You have an extremely wide-angle lens (18mm), and it has a tremendous depth-of-field. I have been looking at my old booklets, and here are a few nuggets for you:
Your lens is 18mm, and so is slightly better than this one above for depth-of-field.
In the above discussion, Jim and Kathy Church are discussing the more-normal lenses (35mm and 28mm) for the Nikonos. What I would recommend is that you get in the water with the lens and a roll of film, perhaps in a pool, and try it out. Take a slate down, and write down your settings so you can compare them with the finished product. Use slide film if you really want to see your work (print film is "interpreted" by the developer and computer, and you cannot as easily see that your exposures are correct). Also, if you do not have an optical viewfinder for the Nikonos, I would pick one up for the 18mm lens if at all possible. It will show you what you are shooting much better than any other viewfinder.
John
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Post by Captain on Oct 16, 2007 18:28:57 GMT -8
Thanks Searat and Carl. I emailed Subaquatic today so I'm waiting for a reply. I know the lens has a large depth of field and I could figure it out after a few tries, I just like to have the information from the manufactuer.
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Post by SeaRat on Oct 16, 2007 18:42:40 GMT -8
I've had a lot of fun over the years with my Nikonos in a pool. My sons were both on the swim team, and there were times when I took the camera into the pool with snorkeling gear to photograph them. Captain, you may wish to do the same. Here are some results. These were all taken with a Nikonos II, 28mm lens, Ikelite MS strobe, f-5.6 or 8, I believe (it was in the 1980s, so my memory of settings is not that good): My son, Nathan, doing a streamlined turn underwater. Nathan with a pull buoy, waving to me. My son was pretty relaxed in the water after having swum years and miles on the team. Enjoy, John PS--These photos are Copyright 2007, John C. Ratliff
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flafrog
Regular Diver
1962 Honor Graduate
Posts: 15
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Post by flafrog on Oct 17, 2007 1:44:16 GMT -8
USA Maintenance and Service Centers for Sea and Sea Products are: (West)Subaquatics,22740 Portola Drive,Salinas,Ca 93908(831)484-6233 service@subaquaticcamera.com (East) Underwater photo-Tech,16 Manning st. Derry,NH 03038 (603)432-1997 service@uwphoto.com In an effort to not hijack the original Nikonos thread any further, I have been contacting all of the Nikonos maintance and repair shops I have used in the past, a few have not responded to email yet. nice to see some quality underwater images posted. another sites some of you may like to check out is www.wetpixel.com and www.nikoncafe.comFlaFrog
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2008 9:19:47 GMT -8
Gents, I am heading to South America for some diving next month......I have this new (to me) Nikonos III with 15 mm lens and a helix aquaflash strobe I am taking.....it has a slave built-in
My Nikonos II with III flash modification is staying home this trip.
I have never used a strobe and while understanding the relation between distance and f stops, what shutter speed is best for strobes?..........using the light meter and adjust to that reading.....or is there a pre-fixed setting that is common?
Depending on water conditions, I plan on presetting to 3 feet and f8..........but at what shutter speed?......film is 400
I am just wanting back lighting for color at depth......no fancy up close stuff.......not yet..........
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JohnA
Pro Diver
Posts: 134
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Post by JohnA on Jan 24, 2008 11:03:16 GMT -8
Gents, ...what shutter speed is best for strobes.......... 1/60 for strobe John
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2008 12:14:36 GMT -8
JohnA..... thanks for the info.....does that include shots that are to infinity but include upclose subjects also?
reason I ask, according to what I have read, a 15mm, set at 3 feet and f8 has a depth of field of 1.5 feet to infinity......
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Post by swimjim on Jan 24, 2008 13:50:29 GMT -8
The Nikonos will only sync at speeds of 1/60 or less. I haven't had the old Nik II out in over a year, but I believe the shutter speed choices were 1/30 and 1/60. In Lake Michigan it's pretty dark and I used to use a subatec 17mm with an Oceanic 2000 for the main and a housed vivitar 200 set up as a slave. ASA 800 at about F4, 1/30 used to be okay out to about 8 to 10 feet with that rig. Digital spoils you really fast. That being said I'd like to shoot a few rolls with the Nikkor 15mm just to see what it would do.
Jim
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 24, 2008 18:17:33 GMT -8
Thanks again John and to you Jim for the additional info......
Yes my nikonos has 1/30 and 1/60..........
I guess I'll find out how these photos will look in a month.....
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 24, 2008 23:21:25 GMT -8
Mossback, Do you have a light meter? If you don't, it may be difficult to get a good balance between ambient light and the strobe light. It sounds like you have a light meter, so use a shutter speed of either 1/30th or 1/60 second, depending upon the light conditions. You will want to expose for ambient light if possible, and use the strobe to fill and provide color to the photo. I would recommend one of the following books too: Underwater Photography Simplified, by Jerry Greenberg www.amazon.com/UNDERWATER-PHOTOGRAPHY-SIMPLIFIED-Jerry-Greenberg/dp/B000MEREEO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201244748&sr=1-1Beginning Underwater Photography by Jim and Cathy Church www.amazon.com/Beginning-underwater-photography-Church-Cathry/dp/B000O2LYRC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201244937&sr=1-1Nikonos Photopraphy--The Camera and System, by Fred M. Roberts. www.amazon.com/Nikonos-photography-camera-photographic-technology/dp/0912746009/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201245053&sr=1-1I would also take some ISO 100 film, and perhaps even some faster film too. You will find the strobe may not cover 15mm lens' area completely, which is why it is good to have ambient light balanced with the strobe. The strobe should have recommended exposures per distance on it for the various settings. The 15mm lens will allow you to get very close to your subject and still have a full view of the person, and is ideal for places with limited visibility. Concerning the shutter speeds, the 1/30 and 1/60th speeds are necessary because those are the only speeds that synchronize with the strobe. If you use a higher speed, part of the frame will be without a strobe exposure, while the rest will have it. But the shutter speed is not dependent on the exposure when using strobe, only for natural light. The strobe burst is so quick that it is the strobe's exposure that makes the exposure, if it is not balanced with natural light. So if your light meter says that f-8 at 1/60th works, then use it, and use a flash fill which exposes about 1/2 stop less to fill in the color and the shadows. In the photos of my son above, I was using both ambient light and strobe to expose the slides (ISO 100 I think), and that was indoors. I believe I was using 1/60 second for the turn, as it is not blurred. I used 1/30th second, I think (again, it was many years ago) with the shot where Nathan is waving, as he was not moving quickly. These were with the 28mm lens too. Good luck, and post some images for us when you get back. John
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jan 25, 2008 13:07:58 GMT -8
John (searat) Thanks for the info......
I have a helix aquaflash 22 or 28....no markings to tell me which... I am taking some 200 asa and 400 asa....do not know the water conditions at present.......but most dives will be drift dives I am told.......
The helix (now called Morris) has a external sensor that has flash settings but there are none on the flash housing itself.
Not planning night dives or extreme deep dives so was more concerned with just adding color at anything below 30 feet.....
I guess setting at 3 feet and any f stop from 8 to 22 will give me the depth of field I need...1/60 shutter and 1/4 flash for fill in? If dark water I'll use full flash.
I will be using a light meter also, and if there is enough ambient lighting in the shallows I can turn the strobe off.........
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flafrog
Regular Diver
1962 Honor Graduate
Posts: 15
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Post by flafrog on Jan 25, 2008 17:25:32 GMT -8
Mossback, For more information on the Helix/Morris Strobes.,check out www.helixcamera.com and look up their U/W Forum for info on their products or ask a question about it)faster would be to call Helix at 1-800-33-HELIX X 41,ask for Dennis Sapper,he is the manager of Helix's U/W Photo Department. Flafrog
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 25, 2008 17:29:27 GMT -8
Mossback,
Take your camera and strobe into a pool before you go, and get used to it. Shoot ISO 100, and use the various strobe settings. Record them so you'll know the performance of the strobe/camera combination. You probably won't be able to use f-8 and above, as the water is probably going to filter a lot of the light out. Some say to shoot color slide film, as you can easily see the results, and a printer won't change them. But if you cannot got a good turn-around on slide film (one day), then shoot print film, and look at the negatives for the exposure (you can get these developed at any one-hour photo development shop). Once you know the settings you want to use, take a tape printer and print out the settings, then stick them to the strobe. Jim and Cathy Church, in their book "Choosing and Using Underwater Strobes," state:
One other thought is that you may wish to invest a tiny amount in a diffuser for your strobe, since you are using such a wide-angle lens. If you do, do this test both with and without the diffuser.
Good luck,
John
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Post by scubadiverbob on Jan 29, 2008 9:54:43 GMT -8
Mossback,
How 'bout posting some of your pictures from So. America? Did you go to Panama? Great pictures can be taken there. Just curious ... (if anyone ever goes to Panama ... PM me and I'll fill you in on a few great dive locations).
Robert
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