Canon PowerShot A520 for snorkeling?

[DANofNORTH]

After looking at digital cameras & cases (housing) for a while I have come across not a bad deal on a Canon 'PowerShot A520'. I plan to use it for snorkelling on our Tahiti cruise in November 06. (Already booked!)

 

Does anyone else have this camera & uw case and how is it working?

 

Any helpful hints? :D

 

The 4mp & 4x optical zoom should be ok for the depth that I'm at.

[bruce-r]

I don't have that specific camera, but I did start out with a Canon A20 and underwater housing. It worked very well underwater.

 

Hints:

Use the controls to force the flash to fire every time underwater.

 

Get a big memory card, 1 gig isn't too big. In fact, that would be the smallest I'd buy. I have 2 for my Olympus.

 

Shoot all the photos at the highest resolution your camera is capable of, and use RAW if your camera can use that file format.

 

Start each day with freshly recharged batteries. This battery charger and battery set is the best you can buy.

 

Turn OFF the digital zoom function of and digital camera you buy, it is worthless.

 

Have a great time and take LOTS of photos. You can delete the bad ones later back on the ship.

[DANofNORTH]

Thanks for the hints 'bruce-r' I will try that out.

 

I also have ordered the book 'Master Guide for Underwater Digital Photography' as recommender by 'scubaran' on another thread where I was asking about orange filters. Looks like I don't need to worry about this with the Canon A520 as it has an underwater setting.

 

If anyone else has this specifice cammera & underwater case I'm interested in how it has worked for snorkelling. Pictures good? Easy to use?

 

I have the camera & uw case coming in soon to at least look at. I will likely purchase but remain interested in comments from people who already own it.

 

9 months to Tahiti cruise & counting!

 

Thanks!! :D

[DANofNORTH]

Well I went out and bought the Canon 'PowerShot A520' and the underwater casae. Looks great and should be easy to use.

 

The book with the underwater case doesn't get into the best way to take pictures, but I'll figure it out myself. A friend of mine has the previous model & loves it for Scuba. This one is much the same with a couple of upgrades. :D :D

 

I look forward to being able to get rid of the bad shots (no developing) and instantly being able to review the pictures. @ 4MP I will blow up a few and put them on the wall!

 

I'll let you know how it works after our November cruise on the TP.

[scubaran]

Well I went out and bought the Canon 'PowerShot A520' and the underwater casae. Looks great and should be easy to use.

 

The book with the underwater case doesn't get into the best way to take pictures, but I'll figure it out myself. A friend of mine has the previous model & loves it for Scuba. This one is much the same with a couple of upgrades. :D :D

 

I look forward to being able to get rid of the bad shots (no developing) and instantly being able to review the pictures. @ 4MP I will blow up a few and put them on the wall!

 

I'll let you know how it works after our November cruise on the TP.

]

 

Hi Dan,

 

I have the Canon A80 and the Canon underwater enclosure, dinosaurs to what you just bought. But my underwater pictures come out great. A few secrets, use the manual setting for pictures, not the underwater one. The base setting I use is F5.0 and 1/100 sec. From there I either bump up the F-stop or the shutter depending on the "blooming effect" you get from the camera (the book you ordered will go into this in great detail). Also I use a desiccant (silica salt) pack in my underwater case to eliminate fog problems. I recommend using a new one each time you get in the water (they're cheap). Also don't skip on checking out and lubricating the "O" ring EVERY time you get in the water. Nothing drops the value of your camera more than 6" of salt water in your enclosure. Also prepare your camera in your room in the AC before taking it out. Hot, humid air in your enclosure isn't good for its operation underwater. Also, if you're just snorkeling, think about not turning on the flash. You should have enough light at "snorkeling" depth and it will reduce backscatter (not to mention some cameras automatically actually slow the shutter speed when the flash is on). If the pictures are coming out dark you can do two things: turn the exposure to "cloudy" which increases the level of light or move your exposure stops to +1 or +2. Practice exposures at home in gloomy conditions at different lengths. I lower the shades in my house and shoot at 1ft., 5ft., 10ft. and 15ft. to see how my f-stops and exposures react (great thing about digital, doesn't use up film). Make sure this is in the enclosure so you get used to handling the adjustments with the big knobs and control buttons. Get a good quality lens cloth from a camera store to clean lint and dust off of the in side of your enclosure where the lens is. Nothing worst than having a bunch of pictures with a big white circle in them from a speck inside the enclosure reflecting off sunlight underwater. I also build a underwater camera kit including:

 

Lens cloth

Extra "O"-ring grease

Extra "O"-ring - you can order these through canon parts at the address that should be in your camera book

Q-tips for cleaning the "O"-ring track in the enclosure

Plastic fork for lifting the "O"-ring out of the track (or any piece of stub ended plastic)

Desiccant packs

 

I keep all these in one of those airline pouches you get for flying business class but any small makeup pouch or bag will work.

 

Anyway, good hunting and look forward to seeing your pictures.

Randall

http://www.randallgamby.com (My underwater picture site)

[LMPego]

THat's a great idea about the silica packs. Where do you buy them? Also, do you need a weight in the housing if you're just doing snorkeling dive-downs?

[scubaran]

THat's a great idea about the silica packs. Where do you buy them? Also, do you need a weight in the housing if you're just doing snorkeling dive-downs?

 

Hi,

 

I order my silca packs through B&H photo out of New York but a lot of scuba sites sell them as well. Also the weight depends on your housing. Mine is negatively bouyant so it sinks anyway, but some newer housings require add on weight to the bottom of them, I know some Canon enclosures now require a weight add-on (you can search for underwater enclosures at the Canon website search). So it depends on your camera.

 

r

[DANofNORTH]

Thanks 'scubaran' a lot of good ideas.

 

My friend had suggested the silica pack but didn't tell me why!

 

I was just going to set the camera on UNDERWATER and assumed that this setting would automatically make all of the right adjustments for me. Looks like that was wrong! A question however, for snorkelling the automatic setting isn't ok? I'm only down (on average) 10' - 15' tops!

 

According to the literature with the case it does require 1 weight. However they want about $50 bucks for it! I think that I'll manage without. When you spent the $$ buying the uw housing, the bloody weight should just be with it!!! This, in my opinion, is a rip off!

 

Other than this minor issue, the camera & case look great & I can't wait to start taking pictures.

 

By the way, I ordered the book that you recommended, it is due today or tomorrow.

[scubaran]

Thanks 'scubaran' a lot of good ideas.

 

My friend had suggested the silica pack but didn't tell me why!

 

I was just going to set the camera on UNDERWATER and assumed that this setting would automatically make all of the right adjustments for me. Looks like that was wrong! A question however, for snorkelling the automatic setting isn't ok? I'm only down (on average) 10' - 15' tops!

 

According to the literature with the case it does require 1 weight. However they want about $50 bucks for it! I think that I'll manage without. When you spent the $$ buying the uw housing, the bloody weight should just be with it!!! This, in my opinion, is a rip off!

 

Other than this minor issue, the camera & case look great & I can't wait to start taking pictures.

 

By the way, I ordered the book that you recommended, it is due today or tomorrow.

 

Hi,

 

Check out the color chart on page 9 (they did a color chart at surface, 1ft., 5ft., 10ft., 15ft., 30ft.) According to the book I suggested:

 

Red is lost first, and disappears in as little as 15ft. It is closely followed by orange, yellow, green and finally blue. This imbalance in the color spectrum causes havoc with images taken underwater using available light.

 

At 5-10 ft, there is a noticable blue color that you can see, especially if it isn't a totally sunny day (ever looked in the deep end of a swimming pool? It's blue at only about 8ft.). At 10ft. red is mauve, pink is purple, yellow is green.

 

As far as the weight goes, since you aren't going to be hooking up stobes or a strobe tray, how about a small piece of steel with a screw into the bottom of the case? As my wife calls it, a "farm fix". You might have some scrap steel or aluminium bar and screws in your garage (remember we aren't talking rebar here, usually less that 1/4 lb.). :)

 

r

[LMPego]

Randy,

I was on your web site and your pictures are gorgeous!

[scubaran]

Randy,

I was on your web site and your pictures are gorgeous!

 

Hi,

 

Thanks, just a hobby. :)

 

r

[DANofNORTH]

Scubaran;

 

The weights look pretty small, in the pictures, for all that money. I don't think that I am all that concerned. I'd rather the camers float up than sink if it gets off my wrist anyway.

 

The book is pretty good. I have gotten past the colour chart page and it is very suprising how much colour is lost at a relativelly shallow depth. Even snorkel depth!

 

Loads of good recommendations and information.

 

By the by, I visited your site with the uw pictures. Great job! What depth are most of these pictures at? All deeper than 10'?

[scubaran]

Scubaran;

 

The weights look pretty small, in the pictures, for all that money. I don't think that I am all that concerned. I'd rather the camers float up than sink if it gets off my wrist anyway.

 

The book is pretty good. I have gotten past the colour chart page and it is very suprising how much colour is lost at a relativelly shallow depth. Even snorkel depth!

 

Loads of good recommendations and information.

 

By the by, I visited your site with the uw pictures. Great job! What depth are most of these pictures at? All deeper than 10'?

 

Hi,

 

Glad the book met your expectations. :) As far as positive bouyancy, my camera is negative and I have to say, it's good when I'm in the middle of something not having my camera floating in my face, but positive or negative I'm sure it's just a preference. As far as my pictures, they're at a lot of depths but most are 65ft or deeper and about 1/4 are at night. The exception are the latest pictures from Key West. They were taken in about 25 ft with 20-30 ft vis (I have a strobe and flashlight on my camera mount and I've gotten pretty good at photoshop in eliminating the blue).

 

Thanks and hope you enjoy the book (if you have photoshop, or elements, the next book you need is "Digital Imaging for the Underwater Photographer" by Jack and Sue Drafahl, the companion book the one you just received :D )

 

Randall