Reader's Comments - Index of - Free

Underwater Photography Primer
reflection of light off tiny particles suspended in the water. This problem is at its worst if the axis of the
strobe is close to the lens, just like redeye above water. The solution is to move the strobe at least two
feet from the axis of the lens and at a fairly sharp angle, e.g. aiming down and from the side at the
subject. This is why advanced u/w photographers are seen with rigs that look like a spider crab. Some
photographers don't even bother attaching the strobe to the camera (except for the synch cable). They
just handhold the strobe on a long arm.
This is getting long, I think I will cover a couple of other issues in another post.
-- Bob Benzinger, May 25, 2001
A few points on the Nikonos:
You don't need a housing to get professional results. Lots of pros use the Nikonos for most of their
underwater shooting. The 20mm lens will get you lots of good wideangle shots. The 15 is better, but if
you can't afford it, don't sweat it. The 28 is useful for longer shots of medium-sized fish. Forget the
35mm lens except with the closeup kit or macro tubes. It is, however, handy for rafting, kayaking,
skiing, etc. There is also an above-water-only 28mm that is no longer made. The Nikonos shines for
macro and closeup work where you can set up a fixed focus, aperture, and strobe power.
Models of the Nikonos:
Nikonos V: This is the current model. Having been around since the 1980's, it is the only Nikonos many
newer divers and photographers have ever seen. It is not, however, the only option.
Advantages: Auto exposure. TTL flash. Bigger viewfinder than older models. Better sealing than the
Nikonos IV (but not as good as the Nikonos III). Slightly faster flash synch speed than Nikonos III.
Conventional loading and handling, i.e. you don't have to take it apart to load it.
Disadvantages: If it leaks, you have a very expensive paperweight - and every underwater photographer
floods a camera sooner or later. Most flooded Nikonos V's blow out the electronics beyond repair. I got
a couple of milliliters of water in one once and it was gone. Nikonos guru Bob Warkentin makes desk
pen sets out of flooded Nikonos V's - and he makes a lot of them. Another minor disadvantage is that
you can't mount the old version of the 15mm on a Nikonos V - the rear element interferes with the TTL
exposure sensor. This really isn't much of an issue anymore - if you're enough of a dinosaur to use an
old-style 15, you've probably got several Nikonos III bodies to put it on!
Nikonos IV: A transitional model, with flip-open back, autoexposure, no manual shutter speeds, and no
TTL flash. I cannot imagine why anyone would use this POS except for snorkeling. The sealing is
terrible - in an effort to make it easier to load than the early versions, Nikon used a gasket on the back
rather than a true compression-type O-ring seal. It is flood-prone, and of course a flood will fry the
electronics just like a V. The SB-101 autoflash, an underpowered unit with an external sensor, is if
http://www.photo.net/underwater/primer (18 of 23)7/3/2005 2:18:13 AM