The Scuba Bible

Landscape /underwater photography?

What’s the dealio with cameras.
When i look for one for either Landscape photography or underwater photography what should i be looking for?
If bigger MegaPixels= higher resolution does that equal more definition in the image?
Can anyone recommend cameras for under 400$ or specific lenses or filters? Would a polarised filter be useful for landscape? are they costly ?
Are these too many questions ?
ill be literally underwater
Ah thanks for the recommendation.
I’ve done manual photography and worked with film for two years but i cant afford the constant film, i don’t have a darkroom and it’s too expensive for me to get my photos developed at a lab. So i thought i would invest in a good digital SLR.
Problem is …..i don’t know what to look for ….

You are looking at two very different kinds of photography. However, with the right equipment one camera can be used for both.

Your idea of investing in a DSLR is correct. It merely becomes a question of which DSLR. Since you’ve used a film camera the transition will be much easier for you. If you have several lenses for your film camera then you’d be smart to stay with that same brand of DSLR – unless your film camera is a Canon F series which used the FD lens mount or an Olympus OM series or a Minolta SRT or X series. Unfortunately lenses for those cameras are not compatible with their current DSLR counterparts.

When Canon introduced the auto focus Rebel 35mm film cameras they abandoned the FD lens mount for the EF mount.

When Minolta introduced the world’s first full-featured auto focus 35mm SLR (the Minolta Maxxum 7000, 1985) they abandoned the SR lens mount for the A-mount. The current Sony DSLR cameras use the A-mount.

When Olympus adopted the 4/3 format for their DSLR cameras they abandoned the OM mount.

Nikon has lens compatibility dating back almost 50 years. Almost every Nikkor lens ever made can be used with the current Nikon DSLR cameras.

Pentax is still using the K-mount first introduced in 1975 so any K-mount lens ever made can be used on their current DSLR cameras.

One bonus offered by Sony and Pentax is they have their respective versions of Image Stabilization (IS) in the camera body. That means that a 20 + yr. old Minolta maxxum AF lens on a Sony A300 will become an IS lens, just a a 30 + yr. old Pentax lens will on a Pentax K200D. Nikon and Canon can’t make that claim since they have their respective versions of IS only in certain lenses.

Now back to landscapes and underwater photography.

For landscapes a tripod is one of the best accessories you can have. A good wide-angle is also needed. You also need to know how to maximize your Depth of Field (DOF) with your camera and lens. One of the best places to learn this is at: http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html Here you can calculate DOF for any lens. f-stop, focal length and subject distance.
If you’re unsure as to what DOF actually is go to: http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/key=depth+of+field This is a good, eay to understand explanation.

I know from yrs. of experience that if I focus my 21mm lens at 6 feet and use f16 my DOF will be from 2′-2″ to infinity. I shoot in Aperture Priority and use a cable release to trip the shutter. The shutter speed is whatever the camera sets and since I use a trpod its not important. Obviously you’ll want to be in manual focus since you probably won’t have a subject 6 feet away in your landscape.

(NOTE: Shutter speed would, of course, be important if its a windy day. Then I might use a higher ISO since I refuse to give up f16).

So for the best results in landscape photography:
1) Use a tripod
2) Shoot at your camera’s highest resolution
3) Use a low ISO
4) Use Aperture Priority
5) Use manual focus
6) Use a cable release or the camera’s self-timer to release the shutter

For underwater photography you’ll need an underwater housing for your camera. These are very pricey. You can check here:

http://www.scuba.com

http://www.marinevisions.com

http://www.housingcamera.com

http://www.squidoo.com/underwatercamerahousings

http://www.ikelite.com

http://www.ewamarine.com

If you plan to go deeper than a meter or so you’ll probably need a waterproof flash or other light source.

In my opinion, unless you plan on doing a whole lot of underwater photography, one of the Olympus Stylus SW series of water proof and shock proof cameras might be a really cheap alternative.

****** EDIT ******

I forgot to mention that every lens you own should have its own UV/Haze filter to protect the front element. You’ll also want a circular polarizer to darken a blue sky and remove glare/reflections from glass, water, snow, sand and painted metal – but not from polished metal. I suggest buying your filters in a “thin” or “slim” mount for use with wide-angle lenses. Don’t waste money and risk image quality with cheap filters. Buy Hoya, B+W, Heliopan or Tiffen brands. Add a lens cloth and you’re good to go.

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