Snorkel course

my Photo Equipment

Pilots sayings

Panasonic DMC-GH1 Micro FourThirds system digital camera (2009 - today)

My next camera is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 . Since the GH1 gets by without any mechanical mirror, is not only the 3 inch live view monitor faster, than at all other digital mirror-reflex cameras, but she is actually none at all a mirror-reflex, although she looks so and offers the same advantages. By the new Micro Four Third objective standard of Panasonic, Leica and Olympus is not only the camera considerably more compactly and more easily but these are also the change-objectives more smaller and more easily (but unfortunately exactly so expensively). It gives the GH1 in deep-red and black and since this camera in addition to the functions of the predecessor model G1 (Kit objective 15-45 mm) not only photos but also videos in the formats 4:3, 3:2 and 16:90 make until full high-density resolution, I must instead of 3 only more 2 cameras and 2 battery charger take along to the Maldives (because the UW-camera because the UW camera I must also take along!

After initial delivery problems I ordered the GH1 with the newly developed standard-zoom lens 14-140 mm (analog camera 28-280 mm) and the also completely new wide-angle zoom lens 7-14 mm (14-28 mm) by the Red Zac electronic dealer Lefkowits in 1030 Vienna and Mr Lefkowits made for me a better price, as which from Panasonic calculated ... and thanks the great camera-technology, the top-lenses and the HD video-reception-possibility I didn't regret this purchase until today.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 digital camera (2006 - 2009)

I have replaced my old Olympus digital camera by a new Panasonic Lumix DMC LX2 in December 2006 and since May 2007 I take all panorama photos with this camera. Although the Panasonic does not have any panorama mode, but the Leica wide-angle objective with only 6.3 mm focal distance and 16:9 format is ideally suitably for panorama photos. Except for it has the Lumix, apart from the usual programme automatic also a time- and automatic diaphragm control!

At the most interesting is not the particularly big brightly high-resolution monitor, but the high light sensitiveness to ISO 3200 and the very good picture stabilization. After I have already tested the camera in detail at the Advent time, I hope for particularly idyllic twilight and Night photos in the next Maldives holiday. 10 megapixel are for 99% of all photos unnecessary and therefore I have immediately throttled the resolution to 5.5 megapixel at 10x20 photos and are throttled to 4 MB at 10x15 photos! Unfortunately, there is no own programme for divers, but for blue water photos without lightning you can adjust the white comparison manually.

Take always photos only with a full accumulator because the Lumix DMC-LX2 does not distribute any warning at low voltage and does not switch off, but the camera reduces without early warning simply the resolution!

Canon A1 - 35mm mirror reflex camera (1978 - 2009)

Since Machchafushi I also drag my old mirror reflex camera, a Canon A-1, on the Maldives. I use a 28-85 mm zoom lens objective as standard objective. For special photos I also take a 15 mm Fish-eye (180° in the picture diagonal). I still had in addition a 500 mm tele-lens on Villivaru, a twofold converter and a tripod. The planned star observations were dropped however in favor the evening Cocktails and after these the stablest tripod didn't use against blurred photos any more, too ;-)))

My objectives: 500 mm mirror tele 1:8 (with telescope ocular), Tele objectiv 200 mm 1:4, Zoom-Objectiv 28-85 1:4, 50 mm Macro Objectiv 1:3,5, 17 mm Wide angel aspheric 1:4 and a 15 mm Fish Eye 1:2,8.

The eyesight comes before the photography: Take a photo of what like and with what. Easy far or nearsightedness to about +1 diopter only some disturb there but at stronger nearsightedness, special one sees under water, by the other refraction than in the air only more causes everything blurredly. Remedy makes diver-glasses corrected visually here. Modern brands diver-glasses already offer suitable correction lenses graded into 0.5 diopter. At stronger defective vision or at astigmatism one can have correction lenses manufactured exactly with specialized opticians however stuck for himself into the diver-glasses. The eyes always will however identical as, have to measure wrongly before!

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 Digital camera + MCT3E UW-case (2011 - today)

Stimulated through my positive experiences with the Panasonic cameras Lumix LX2 and GH1 I looked for a matching Panasonic model and I think, I have found it in the Lumix DMC-FT3. This small outdoors-camera is not only push-protected but also waterproof until 12 meters and with the underwater-casing DMW-MCT3E useful even until 40 meters diving.

Since the FT3 decrees over a few nice (but not absolutely necessary) playings as well, like heights- and depth-measuring instruments, compass, barometers and GPS, I have it ordered today with Singer PC.

However, the single melancholy-drop was the delivery period of 4 weeks, but I already had to get used to this with my Panasonic cameras. The first test-photos looks however very promising and the FT3 should be her money worth.

Now I have tested the FT3 on the island and in the lagoon of Asdu Sun Island and I must say, the Panasonic Lumix FT3 is an ''ah-killing wool-milk-sow''!

Casio EX-S10 Digital camera + EWC-120 diving case (2009 - 2010)

The good experiences with the prior Casio EX-S10 were crucial for the election of this camera, the possibility, to store own photos as new programs and the relatively favorable price.

Unfortunately, the sharp-position is not so fast and exact, as with my prior Casio EX-Z40. Unfortunately, my expectations didn't come true, because the autofocus of the Casio EX-S10 in the Casio EWC-120 underwater-casing responded so inaccurately that many photos became blurred despite several times attempts.

After I was not very content with the Casio Exilim S10, I sold them cheaply again in 2010, however the next camera is guaranteed no more a Casio.

Casio EX-Z40 + EWC-40 diving case (2004 - 2008 (flooded))

I bought the Casio EX-Z40 with 4 megapixel as a simple digital camera for my wife. Since this Casio is small and handy and has a relatively short photo deceleration and a 5.5 cm large monitor, I always use this camera once in a while. The lithium accumulator suffices with flashlight for about 120-170 photos and a 1 GB SD memory card saves 645 photos in the format 2304x1536 pixels with a middle compression, or 522 photos with a low compression. Caution: If the photos on the SD Card are copied with a card reader to the PC, it can be that the card reader recognizes only few photos on the card, but if the camera is connected with the USB cable then all photos on the SD card are recognized and being copied to the PC!

It gives the sub-water case EWC-40 to the camera Z30 and Z40 which is thick up to 40 m of depth and (in Austria) costs only 199,- Euros. The smoke test passed my camera and case faultlessly on Reethi Beach at the beginning of May. The optical viewfinder is closed in the UW case, but the monitor is very well suitable. When snorkeling, although an anti-dazzle device is missing against the reflections of the water surface, but at the diving everything works very well and the accumulator charges is enough for every two-tank-dive. The enclosed, on-pluggable straw disk should always be used!

I have tried out different automatic Bestshot programs (BS) but the best results delivered the following settings: ISO and white comparison on "automatic", the photo mode on "Snapshot", switch on the flashlight and put the distance on macro! You can take one of your excellent photos also as your own Bestshot program, through what this photo is taken as a new program symbol. Unfortunately, this camera is "drowned" for me in May 2008, but because of the own motive-programs, the next underwater camera is also a Casio.

Olympus C-900 digital camera + PT-003 diving case (2000 - 2004)

From 2000 to 2004 I made the most photos with the Olympus Camedia C-900 and under water with the up to 30 metres protected polycarbonate cases PT-003. From 2004 to 2006 I took only more the panoramas for the homepage with this camera, that I stitch on the PC with the programme Ulead Cool360.

As in the case of all digital cameras the monitor uses up very much power and therefore I use none alkali manganese batteries (21 to 25 photos), but 4 NiMH accumulators with 2600 mAh and this power suffices per charges for 60-70 photos, therefore sufficiently for one dive excursion. The C-900 has only 1.3 megapixel but this is enough for paper pictures up to 13 x 18 cm. Since the panoramas mustn't be too big for the Internet I have the individual panorama photos always taken only with 640 x 480 pixels.

By the end of 2006 I have all panoramas of this homepage made with the Olympus C-900. Unfortunately, it gives only some digital cameras with this panorama mode, at this the 1st picture fixes the exposure attitude also for the remaining 7-8 pictures. In the panorama mode a blue frame is displayed at the side of the monitor as help for the required picture overlappings.

Sea&Sea - 35mm amphibian camera (1996 - today)

This is the handy little girl picture camera Motomarine MX-10 of Sea&Sea. Despite Fix-focus objective, solid seal time of 1/100 second, without exposure automatic system (only with a control luminary against underexposure in the viewfinder, you can this one see with diving mask under water no more), withstand the weak lightning YS-40, this camera is ideal for snorkel to this. A wide corner firm intention objective and a macro lens with distance staff are the only accessories, one still needs this for this camera. There also is a Close-up lens which however isn't so important and a sow expensive lenses mount. Unfortunately, you get around the price of this cable (€ 219) where different spare more than 3 complete sub-water camerae !!!

The values given on the lightning are partly correct. I usually use the Fuji Sensia II with 200 ASA as Slide-film, to summer 2000 but also the Kodak Elite II with 200 ASA and the camera moves to 100 ASA and blank faceplate 8 - this suffices for most photos. I adjust aperture 22 for macro-photos. Darker or red objects require more light around 1 blank faceplate! Negative films get the most beautiful with digital draft since otherwise the blue cast is almost always filtered out and the sea dirtily then looks olive-green. Unfortunately, all other Slide-films which I have tested showed under water not enough red and this blue the water gets with a green cast.

Apart from the Sea & Sea homepage the other 3 links bring you to online-shops with a great choice of digital cameras, partly with test reports and technical leaflets and a great choice of underwater cameras and underwater cases for digital cameras.

Important !!! Ask just at the purchase of a sub-water case where one gets spare parts for this and who carries out possible repairs to this !

technical data of the MX-10 as German PDF file

Experimental values with my Motomarine MX-10 and the lightning YS-40 + straw slice

Slide-film:

Fuji Sensia II with 200 ASA.

Negative-film:

Fuji, Kodak and similar with 200 ASA and digital draft (Dimax),
not having filtered the blue cast out.

Film coding:

Adjusting the MX 10 despite the 200 ASA films only on 100 ASA

Aperture:

Distance:

Photo errors

Do never completely trust the literature there, too , I photographed a whole aperture with a 100 ASA Slide-film in constant depth. Here, you see the exposures of a complete shield-series.

As is well known, water swallows the colors, one already must therefore look after sufficient brightness as of 2-3 m of depth with flashlight or when filming with headlights. The human eye has a perfect white comparison and still sees colors, where the film already fails for a long time, sub-water photos therefore get colored only with artificial illumination. A broader problem is the right distance to the object, because the other refraction is deceiving just like the human eye under water, the optics is also deceived so and as admission distance only the visual distance is always valid therefore under water measured and this one with the tape measure never!

Photo-Tips
for Underwater photos
from the
profi Photographer
Kurt Amsler