 |
Compared to my previous camera the first thing I noticed was the robust and compact nature of the housing and strobe. During one dive I met the editor of Diver magazine who showed great interest in the unit. The extending sea arm worked really well making it easy to place the strobe exactly where I needed it. When not in use I was able to fold it right over the housing creating a compact unit that attached to my BCD in a manner that was no more intrusive than a camera with out a strobe. |
|
|
|
This was a great plus for me as I was concerned about having to be holding onto the unit at all times. As it was, I was able to release it when not in used and found the addition of the strobe created a unit that was virtually neutrally buoyant. The unit was easy to handle, all camera functions were readily accessible underwater and the large viewing screen aided composition considerably.
|
|
 |
The first two days of diving involved some trial and error as my previous and experience of underwater photography had merely involved ‘point and shoot’ with limited success. I would confirm the advice to get as close to the subject as possible and found that the wide angle attachment helped with this considerably. I used the strobe with and without the diffuser but was unable to see any discernable difference in my results. |
|
|
Initially I was concerned that the strobe would be too powerful but after nearly 300 photographs, none of my results were over exposed. This may have had something to do with the recommendations from Heather’s set up guide. None of my shots were too dark and I found that the improvement in detail and colour vibrancy considerable. When following the set up guides instruction.
|
|
 |
I encountered a problem with the camera, which proved to be significant. Emerging from my second dive, I noticed as I climbed up the ladder on the boat that my wide-angle attachment was no longer there. Presumably, it had become detached during my swim back to the boat and despite a spirited ‘search and recovery’ exercise from the guides and myself it was not found. I had previously been concerned about the ‘click’ nature of the attachment as I found that, once attached, there was still some play in the connection. |
|
|
|
On reflection, I should have attached the lens to my camera via a cable clip and lanyard as protection to unexpected detachment. I would strongly recommend that anyone purchasing this unit consider this form of attachment and benefit from my experience! This will not, however, prevent me from purchasing a replacement as I consider it an essential part of the unit.
|
|
 |
There is always payback to most things in life and I found that while having the camera set to a low ISO resulted in greater colour saturation there were times when some of my shots were blurred. I felt that this was possibly due to the camera selecting a relatively slow shutter speed to compensate for the above setting. Having said that the second thing I learned about underwater photography was to KEEP BREATHING. It took me some time to realize that, unlike on land, holding my breath does not creating a firmer platform but a slowly rising photographer and I think that, as many of my shots were taken while hovering (to protect the corals) this resulted in shots being taken while I was moving. |
|
|
|
The response time of the camera from pressing the button to taking the picture also added to this. I am well aware that this is an established problem with compact digital cameras and the response time of the 750G is considerably less than my previous big name camera. However, there are times when this is just enough for and un co-operative fish to turn away so my advice would be to take plenty of pictures. I was using a 1 Gb card that, in the 7m resolution, fine quality held in excess of 500 shots.
|
|
 |
As the week progressed, I became more and more enamored with my camera. It was possible to attach it to a D ring on my chest and it was always readily available for action. I found it easy to use and not intrusive to general diving. I shall continue to explore its possibilities and look forward to experimenting in UK waters. Many of the attached shots have not needed to be enhanced while the high pixel count has made it possible to crop shots without losing definition. |
|
|
|
During après dive sessions, I found the 750G to be in great demand by other divers not only because of its compact and robust construction but also because the qualities of my pictures were far superior to other peoples. The only shots that were comparable were from an experienced diver and photographer using a Fuji Finepix and attached strobe. I now have a list of people who have requested copies of my pictures to enhance their own.
|
|
|
My last two dives were at Dhama Bay which is one of the most photogenic areas I visited. Unfortunately, I developed a hole in my BCD inflator hose and had to borrow one without chest harness D rings. As a compromise, I took just the camera without the strobe, as I was not comfortable with the means of attachment. On reviewing the shots, I felt reasonably happy with the results but when I viewed them at home on my computer, it was clear that they lacked both the definition, clarity and colour saturation that I achieved with the use of the strobe. I now consider the use of an external strobe to be essential to achieve quality underwater photographs.
|
|
|
|
Overview
In conclusion, I have been delighted with the ease of use and performance of the 750G. For the price, it is difficult to see how it can be matched with anything available on the market at present. The most useful accessory is in my opinion undoubtedly the YS15 Strobe which I consider to be an essential part of the unit. The wide-angle lens also compliments the outfit but for those on a limited budget I would recommend the strobe first. The setup instruction provided by Heather Hammond at Alan James Photography was used throughout the holiday. I found both the written instructions and freely offered telephone instructions to be first class and helped considerably during what, for me, was a steep learning curve. This was most appreciated, especially due to the limited information contained in the manual. |
|
