9. Which is better film or digital (July 7, 2004)
8. Questions to ask when buying a digital (see photo tips.)
7. What questions should I ask before choosing a digital for U/W? Part I
6. Should I shoot digital underwater?
5. Which films do you use underwater?
4. When will Cathy be in Cayman?
3. Which camera (or strobe) should I buy?
2. Do you sell equipment?
1. How do I get started in U/W photography? How do I become a professional?

9. Which is better, film or digital? The answer is becoming much more favorable for the digital systems, but the choice is still yours. In addition to the question of keeping computer files, vs slide boxes and negative envelopes, there are differences in the cameras.

To compare prints from film and digital: I set up a target consisting of a colored cloth hat with fine thread details, a lines per millimeter lens test chart, white and black objects, colored sequins, gray card and, for soft continuous tones, some fake flowers. I set up a tripod and made both the cameras and the lens target level in two directions. I used a Nikon D100 with a 28 - 70 mm lens and established the picture area with markers, shooting in the highest quality JPEG (which most people use) and on TIFF. I took bracketed photos in bright sun based on the sunny sixteen rule and on the built-in meter reading off the gray card. I used the same lens with a Nikon F100 so that I could zoom to match the same picture area as the D100. (This change in focal length does introduce a minor variable that cannot be avoided.) I then had prints made full frame to 8 x 10", and then cropped to 8 x 10" as though they were being enlarged to 11 x 14", 16 x 20" and 20 x 24".

The results:I have to describe the comparison, as scanning the film photos and optimizing them for web use won't tell you anything. The film was clearly better on all counts when comparing the fine details and the lens chart. However, when glancing at the over-all effect of the photo, even on the 20 x 24, subjects, like the fake flowers, looked fine. The colors were comparable to the real images in both systems but the film had more crisp detailing. The difference between the TIFF and the JPEG was much less than the difference between the digital and the film.

Conclusion: For enlargements, if the details are important to you, keep using film. If the ability to see your photos right away and to be able to take lots of photos, (and other aspects indicated in the chart above), or if you are shooting for magazine editorial, then do not pass up using digital. I love it for many other things around my home, family and office. For my gallery enlargements, I personally still prefer film. When you just shoot one thing without a comparison, you will never notice the difference.

8. Questions to ask when buying a digital Go to photo tips for more information on selecting a digital camera. If you have not done so already, Sign up for the email bulletin, as I send out tips as I get them written.

6. Should I shoot digital or film underwater? You should shoot digital if you want to see your photos right away. Photojournalists can preview the photos underwater and can e-mail them to an editor immediately. Friends can view the photos on the boat in playback mode and beginning photographers can study their techniques right away underwater as they shoot. You can photograph many views and simply delete the ones that don't turn out. However, digital cameras have some drawbacks. Many have a slight delay between the time when you press the shutter button and when it takes the photo; however, the better digital cameras, such as the SLR digitals, have virtually no delay. Most digitals have contrast and ISO limitations, although this limitation is also becoming less of an issue with the development of multiple sensor arrays such as that in the FujiS700.

Digital images do not make as fine an image as film but they are getting pretty close. They do not have as great a selection of lenses, as compared to film cameras. Even though the digital SLRs take all of the regular lenses, with some cameras the lenses are not effectively as wide an angle as they would be with a film camera. These problems are being addressed daily. For example, the 10mm and digital zoom Nikon lenses for the Nikon D200 and D70 now allow full angle coverage to be registered on the sensor. In many ways, digital point and shoot cameras are much better than film point and shoot because they are virtually all auto-focus and have a zoom lens. Auxiliary lenses can be added to most housings to allow wide angle photography. The greatest shortfall for me is that there is not yet an equivalent of the 60mm macro lens for the Nikon SLRs.

With point and shoot digitals, the f-stop range is often limited to wide apertures like a range of from f2.8 to 4.9. If the strobe synch speed is also limited, you may not be able to use your strobe in shallow water or with upward bright scenes. Many do not have manual controls to allow full strobe and dark backgrounds. While these cameras may allow up to a two-stop exposure compensation, it is still not as versatile as a camera with full controls.

Don't choose digital just because you want to manipulate the image. You can scan a fine-grained slide and manipulate it just as well. And when they design even better scanners tomorrow, you can re-scan the slide and manipulate it again on the newer equipment. If manipulation is your only goal, shoot film!

5. Which films do you use underwater?I now use digital, but in the past I used many different types of film depending on the look I wanted to produce. I used Kodak Professional Ektachrome 100S and the 100VS for bright color photos with strobe lighting. The E100S pushes beautifully to 200 and looks nicer than shooting a 200 speed film. The Kodak E200 pushes up to three stops for extreme conditions when you need ISO 400 to 1400. For close-ups, I use Fujichrome Velvia and sometimes VS. For black and white, I often used Kodak T-max 100, T-max 400 and even T-max 1600, but have been shooting more and more with the Ilford Delta 400 as it seems to handle highlight details a little better. I did not get the best results with the T-max films at first until I learned how to process them properly. The advantage of the T-max is that you can manipulate the contrast so much. The disadvantage is that slight changes in processing change the contrast. When you learn a few tricks, it is the best film! Film review, 2003

4. When will Cathy be in Cayman?To find out when Cathy will be in Grand Cayman, check our calendar page. The dates are different than the actual trip dates as we frequently add a few days before and after the trip to visit friends and shop in the US.

3. Which camera (or strobe) should I buy?It is impossible to give you a quick answer on what type of camera or strobe to buy. As with most photo equipment, you often get more when you pay more, so determine your budget and buy within that budget. We carry systems from as low as $500.00 to as much as $18,000.00.

Be careful in choosing a housing--what may seem like a small disadvantage can be a major obstacle to getting the photo underwater. For example, some camera/housing combinations require two controls to change the f-stop, making it impossible to change f-stops while looking through the viewfinder. Others require a long, awkward reach to get to the f-stop.The best way to properly answer your questions would be with your own private instruction with Cathy or her wonderful staff in Grand Cayman. Here you can actually handle the camera system before making a major investment decision. During the course we can discuss the advantages and disadvantages as they relate to your, not MY needs, or the needs of anyone else. YOU have to set the conditions that you need filled and no one can shortcut that answer. Check the next question below to see why you should buy your camera gear from us when you are in Grand Cayman.

2. Do you sell equipment?In our photo centre in Grand Cayman we sell a full line of underwater cameras and accessories including a full digital line from point and shoot to SLR with housings from Subal, Sea and Sea, Light and Motion and a full line of easy-to-use Olympus housings for the latest small digital cameras with Sea and Sea strobes and Ultralight strobe arms. We carry a wide line of Nikon SLRs and digitals with a broad range of lenses. Read about getting two nights FREE at Sunset House and check out our newest cameras. Don't be surprised when you find that our prices are competitive, usually even lower than NY prices, and when you pick up your gear here during your Cayman visit, there are no taxes, no duties, no shipping and you do get FREE instruction.

1. How do I get started in U/W photography? How do I become a professional?Start by taking any combination of courses and private lessons that we offer at the photo centre. To become a professional you will need to find a way to be able to take a lot of photos underwater. Several of today's professionals started by working as dive masters, photo pros at diving resorts or as boat captains.Read everything that you can find about underwater photography. Don't believe it all--just read it and compare it to your own style and needs. Much of what is written is actually wrong or misleading, so experiment and find what works best for you.Be ready to work really hard. Read about how Norbert Wu stays under the ice an extra twenty minutes while every one else is freezing so that he can get that terrific photo, or how I hire four staff to work on a complex photo that I can't do alone.

The easy photos have been done and are everywhere. Look for ways that you can do something that no one else is doing. And don't think its all been done! People have thought that since time began but we still keep creating something new.If you can visualize what you want to become, then you can do it. It doesn't matter what you are doing now, or how old you are, if you want to, then do it. Keep in mind that there is relatively little money in underwater photography, so you should have a variety of ways that you can earn an income. Obvious ways are to sell photo equipment, teach photography, run a dive shop and dive tour business, be independently wealthy from selling your computer business or marrying someone with a real job.

Regardless of how much you want to become a pro, you must NEVER give the picture away just for a photo credit. If every beginner gave their photos away, there would not be a decent market for anyone to sell their photos. That is partially why the market is presently so poor for underwater photography. I am constantly asked for FREE photos for advertising brochures for the Cayman Islands. I know that when I turn them down, they will turn elsewhere and get photos for free. If they couldn't get free ones, they would realize that they should budget properly for photography and we (especially beginners) would all benefit.Good luck with your dreams. Remember, that for every subject that you have ever seen, the best photo of it has yet to be taken.

Updated October 30, 2006