With a fi eld of view similar to a 35mm lens on a
Full Frame DSLR, the iPhone becomes a great tool to snap a picture of a Nassau Grouper or a small sponge. For large subjects, a wider add-on lens becomes a must, and Watershot off ers it as part of its PRO Line Kit. The wide-angle brings the fi eld of view to 110 degrees. It also helps reduce the camera-subject distance, which improves contrast and sharpness of images The absence of custom white balance also
limits the iPhone’s performance. Adding a colour- correcting fi lter may alleviate the loss of colour encountered deeper than 10 feet (3m), but the laws of physics are against you. Processing of Chris’ images we used Vivid Pix
Picture Fix It software (
www.vivid-pix.com). It helped, but the reality is that the deeper you go and the farther you are from your subject, the more the colour suff ers.
Is it a keeper? Despite its shortcomings the iPhone may be a reasonable choice. First, most people already travel with their phones.
It is small, handy and causes no carry-on headache. Second, the smartphone manages light rather
effi ciently if you take a few precautions and work within the limits of this image-making machine. Third, sharing images is easy. No need for a
computer. Fourth, basic post processing can be done directly with the smartphone.
Is it a lead balloon? Of course there are limitations to the smartphone option. First, limited optics. Smartphones have fi xed
lenses. Digital zoom is junk. Fortunately add-on wide-angle lenses come to the rescue. Second, in low light smartphones produce noisy
images. Third, no external strobe option. An external LED
lamp would be advisable for close-up images and to restore colours. Fourth, the inevitable fl ood. In the case of a fl ood,
you lose your camera, your wireless phone, your e-mail and Facebook tool, and host of other apps.
Conclusion Smartphones are useful tools but, in our opinion, a dedicated camera is probably a better choice for this application. Even a compact digicam in an Ikelite housing or a
SeaLife camera costs less than an iPhone, and they can be coupled with accessories that make them more effi cient. Flooding a dedicated compact underwater camera
is not such a big deal. You can probably replace it for less than the cost of a smartphone. Very likely you can buy a housing and two cameras, having a spare. In the case of Chris there is no question: he loves
his iPhone and will keep using it. We can’t blame him after seeing his images. Trying to upload a picture from our DSLRs to Facebook means a waiting time calculated in minutes or even hours. The few seconds Chris spends uploading them makes his choice – as they say – priceless! Happy Bubbles
InF cus Photo Gear Snaps hots
Watershot Pro Line Kit, iPhone 6 $189
A range of housings for iPhone and Samsung smartphones, off ering 195- foot (60m) depth ratings, excellent optics for the included fl at and wide angle lenses, a reliable app, and a solid polycarbonate build.
www.watershot.com
Body Glove Optrix From $129.99
A rugged iPhone case, waterproof to 15’ (5m), so perfect for summer snorkellers. A range of 10 interchangeable pro quality lenses make this a versatile tool for stills or video shooters, plus lots of accessories.
www.bodygloveoptrix.com
Ikelite Tray with Dual Release Handles $100
Keep that smart phone stable with a tray and dual handles. With a standard 1/4 inch mount, this Ikelite tray is a great component on which to attach your smartphone housing and addtional lights.
www.ikelite.com
Light & Motion Gobe 700 Wide $200
For best smartphone results a dual light set up is ideal. Two Gobes with a 60° beam each, and 700 lumens of power will help evenly light any close subjects for clearer video and stills.
www.lightandmotion.com
Underwater Kinetics 416 UltraCase $129
Protect your ‘life-depends-on-it’ smartphone in a hardcase large enough for lights, tray, housing and accessories, but small enough to stow in the smallest of places. With foam inserts.
www.uwkinetics.com
www.divermag.com 53
Photo: Chris Richardson
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68