Subject:	My first impressions from digital pool test (no images)
Author:	whaletale
Date:	3/31/2002 3:54:03 AM
Message:

I spent an hour in the pool checking out the Aquatica housing and Nikon Coolpix 995 before heading to Coz next week.

I don't get all the excitement over these cameras. It's a bigger pain in the ass than a housed 35mm SLR. A much bigger pain in the ass. I've got to believe that none of these digital lovers have ever shot a housed 35mm SLR.

1) Slow auto focus. I don't see how anybody gets a moving subject, it takes so damn long to get a focus lock.

2) My finger hurts from pressing the shutter button so hard. This was because I thought maybe it wasn't working right it took so long to fire. Shutter lag and slow AF.

3) An SS-200 just has too much power, or rather too much power between power settings. Using aperture priority and 1/8 power, anything real close simulating macro, say within 2 feet was blown out. I closed it down all the way and still too much power. I switched to full manual 1/250 and f/10 to get it right.

4) Trying to follow movement on an LCD screen feels pretty wierd. Movement on the screen is choppy, like those video feeds on a computer.

5) Pushing a dozen buttons and dials hundreds of times is not my idea of a ease of use. I turn a knob to change AF mode on my SLR. On the digital I have all these buttons and menus.

On the plus side, it's small. And digital downloads are fast. And you can see the results instantly, but there is a downside to this. I wonder how much time will be spent staring and evaluating the image during the dive. Sure, you can keep shooting until you get it right, but the review and delete task is agonizingly slow and wastes dive time.

Since it's for my wife, I'll keep telling her how great it is knowing she won't read this.

I think what she really wants is a housed SLR the size of a Nik V with two 200 watt strobes the size of an Ike 50. You know, something that will fit in her purse.

From further out with a "blue" water background was even trickier. Trying to get the strobe power matched to foreground with a properly exposed background is going to take some work.

4)
From 5 ft. out required 1/2 power.

Subject

Author

Date

My first impressions from digital pool test (no images) (3)

whaletale

3/31/2002 3:54:03 AM

Very interesting (+) (1)

drdread

3/31/2002 8:55:01 AM

Need thoughts, opinions, ideas... (0)

whaletale

3/31/2002 10:18:18 AM

As much as I'm impressed with my setup, I have some common complaints and some comments + (0)

NLAVD

3/31/2002 10:29:39 PM

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