3 Gear Upgrades That Remodeled My Underwater Photography

Article By Douglas Klug

Cover Image © Art Levit

When it involves underwater images, who doesn’t like upgrades? As an underwater photographer, modifications in gear problem but in addition open up new prospects in imaging.

I’m nonetheless capturing a Canon R7 in a DLM Underwater Housing with twin strobes, however I’ve just lately made some modifications to my well-loved underwater system. On a current journey to Southern California’s Catalina Island, I put all of them into play.

Here’s what I modified on my private system, why I made the modifications, and the outcomes.

Fiber Optic TTL

WHAT CHANGED: For years, I shot with Ikelite’s TTL sync twine system believing that was one of the simplest ways to make sure the strobes and digital camera had been speaking. Though fiber optic has been round for fairly some time, the circuitry driving it continues to evolve. With Ikelite’s launch of the TTL fiber optic connection, I re-evaluated these concepts and made the change. 

WHY: Ikelite’s TTL fiber optic, paired with the RC232 fiber optic strobes, fires the strobes even sooner than the older TTL sync twine. The TTL fiber optic connection retains up with the R7’s excessive pace steady “burst” capturing, in order that so long as the digital camera doesn’t want ALL the facility the strobes can ship, there’s a fast flicker from my strobes with every burst. 

LEARN MORE: BURST capturing // Changing Drive Mode to your benefit underwater [VIDEO]

Burst capturing provides you loads of frames to select from, and Ikelite’s fiber optic TTL on the RC232 Strobes nails the publicity each time. © Douglas Klug

I’ve had buddies ask me if my strobes are “pre-flashing” to inform the digital camera what the lighting will appear to be. The fact is that every flash is a separate body, simply quick. In the fixed movement world of underwater images, this will create fairly a shocking collection of photographs that nearly resemble “stop motion” images. In at present’s social media world, efficiently capturing sequences of photographs match properly into the ever standard “reels,” as a substitute of single show photographs. 

THE RESULTS: A basic Southern California Reef gives the right instance of how the mix of high-speed steady capturing and the TTL fiber optic controller sync up, capturing effectively lit photographs in a sequence over simply a few seconds.

Strobes

WHAT CHANGED: Most underwater photographer agree that twin strobes present a extra balanced lighting than a single strobe, particularly when capturing wider angle photographs. I used a dependable pair of Ikelite DS161 strobes for years. When the RC232 was launched, I realized about its twin capacitors and the way they let the RC232 retailer extra energy for extra flashes earlier than the strobe wanted to recharge itself from the battery. I used to be bought on it straight away. 

WHY: I’m speaking in regards to the “reserve” energy that you simply hear the strobe construct up whenever you energy it on. Those capacitors can both dump all their energy with one drop of the shutter if capturing at full energy, or normally, only a fraction of it. TTL helps with this for the reason that digital camera tells the strobe how a lot energy to dump into the strobe to realize the specified lighting. It’s uncommon that the TTL setting requires all the facility saved in these capacitors.  Since I primarily shoot with the digital camera in high-speed steady (aka “burst” mode), the additional energy ensures even lighting via the period of the burst.

Learn extra about tips on how to {photograph} Garibaldi: Growing Up Garibaldi: How to Shoot Every Life Cycle of this Iconic Fish. © Douglas Klug

THE RESULTS: With neon blue spots over its sensible orange, the juvenile Garibaldi is a superb photographic topic. Their behavior for hiding in darkish rock crevices, nevertheless, signifies that twin strobes are useful in casting even lighting with out harsh shadows. 

Lenses

WHAT CHANGED: For my whole profession as an underwater photographer, lens and port choices had been made lengthy earlier than the dive and zoom choices had been restricted. A real zoom lens at all times gives a clearer picture than a digital zoom, which merely makes an digital cropping of what the digital camera sees. With Canon’s 2022 launch of RF-S 18-150mm, and Ikelite’s capability to suit that lens into port and extension mixture, these guidelines have been re-written. 

WHY: The capability to shoot each huge and macro on a single dive is nice, however the zoom profit is simply as necessary. Now, small and shy topics will be introduced in to fill the body from a distance that doesn’t spook them! 

LEARN MORE: One Dive, One Lens // Canon RF-S 18-150mm Lens Review for Underwater [VIDEO]

The Canon RF-S 18-150mm lens at 47mm gives the broader image.  © Douglas Klug

At 70mm the RF-S 18-150mm zooms in on the finer particulars. © Douglas Klug

THE RESULTS: The iconic Catalina goby, aka the blue-banded goby, is a tiny fish that’s notoriously onerous to strategy. The RF 18-150mm let me seize each the small clusters of fish hiding beneath the spines of an urchin, then zoom in and get a pointy picture of a person fish. 

Upgrade Your Gear

As you’re getting your system prepared for diving, check out what upgrades is perhaps out there in your personal gear that can assist you step up your underwater pictures much more. Reach out to the Ikelite group in case you want serving to choosing the proper lens, lighting, and equipment in your digital camera system.

Equipment Used

Additional Viewing

More Power, Smaller Package: Moving to Mirrorless with the Canon R7

Faster, Brighter, Fiber Optic // Introducing RC232 Strobe + Video Light Hybrid [VIDEO]

From Sunbursts to Sea Slugs: The Versatility of Canon RF 18-150mm Underwater

Is It Time to Dump Your DSLR? Going Mirrorless with the Canon R10

TTL Underwater Strobes for Canon R10 (and R7) // Setting It Up [VIDEO]

Douglas Klug has been diving California’s Channel Islands for over 30 years as a SCUBA diving teacher and underwater photographer in Santa Barbara, CA. Doug makes a speciality of underwater images throughout the kelp forest surroundings. His photo-essays have been revealed in print world-wide, together with articles in California Diving News, DAN Alert Diver, and Dive Training. Doug’s photographs have been used in lots of publications and by the US National Park Service, US National Marine Sanctuary, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Google, and Microsoft. Doug even does stay talks on underwater images for dive golf equipment and museums in Southern California. See more…