Are you a certified photographer?

[turbanator]

Originally Posted by Finless

Perhaps one day soon a camera supplier will put a sensor on the camera that reads your cylinder pressure and flashes the info up on the camera display!!!

Mine has that type of indication.
I get a flashing battery symbol

[Finless]

Originally Posted by turbanator

Mine has that type of indication.
I get a flashing battery symbol

SWMBO wanted a flashing battery symbol on her vibrator but I told her she can tell how strong the batteries are by how much it rattles her teeth.

[StuartC]

Originally Posted by jimbob

Agree with everything said about task loading and the dangers of getting fixated on the camera, but on the plus side getting a camera really helped me with my buoyancy, I spent a lot of time with it in a marina and realised that what I'd thought was hovering was more like slow motion crashing. I'd watch in despair as sea squirts twisted, drifted and sank out of the viewfinder while I waited for the shutter lag.
I found being forced to stay still for a couple of seconds very different to accepting "that's close enough to neutral"
Also having a camera forces your attention onto all sorts of things you'd normally miss, Cowries under Brighton pier for example, didn't notice them until I tried to take a picture of something else nearby.

good point.
It's only when you've got one in your hand that you (should) realise your limitations and REALLY focus upon the bouyancy control

I'm by no means perfect, but using the camera does several things to me.

1) it gives a purpose to a pleasure dive, rather than simply "swim around looking at stuff and follow the guide"

2) in order to take shots your bouyancy needs to be under control, which means you need to be in a relaxed state, which should contribute towards better gas consumption.
It also forces you to adopt different positions in the water than you'd take if you were simply wanting to stop and watch something. Adopting and holding awkward positions presents more of a challenge and I believe this leads me to have more confidence and control within the water than if I'd never tried taking pictures with my back to a current, or holding an inverted position and shooting upside down to get the camera in for a macro picture without touching anything around the subject.

3) you need to be patient enough to watch the marine life and wait to get the better shot, this leads to a greater appreciation of your environment and more specific things to remember the dive for, rather than "that was a nice reef we just swam past"

4) provides a familiar routine for task behaviour. I dive routinely with my camera and have my own behaviour loops that I go through to ensure it's secure, etc. Whilst these are additional tasks and it's increased task-loading, it's also the familiarity of tasks and kit configuration that leads to greater relaxation and comfort in water.
When I don't take my camera, it feels different and the dive is different. (I'm sure my buddy would probably comment that it means I take more notice of my surroundings and am less likely to get lost if they weren't looking out for me, but that's why they're my buddy!)

Back to John's original post, I have some sympathy, especially after seeing pairs of newly qualified AOW divers jump in with cameras together and then ignore each other for the rest of the dive and yo-yo up and down the reef chasing fish or cycling like mad to try and hold position.

They should at least have paid to do their digital photography cert and given the poor guide some commission for the extra work involved of shepherding them along the reef!

[Mick F]

Originally Posted by Finless

SWMBO wanted a flashing battery symbol on her vibrator but I told her she can tell how strong the batteries are by how much it rattles her teeth.

You should tell her she ain't meant to put it in her mouth.....

Is she blonde?

Coat on. Running for the door

[turbanator]

Originally Posted by Finless

SWMBO wanted a flashing battery symbol on her vibrator but I told her she can tell how strong the batteries are by how much it rattles her teeth.

Yours doesn't have a compressor?

[pieater]

Originally Posted by Finless

SWMBO wanted a flashing battery symbol on her vibrator but I told her she can tell how strong the batteries are by how much it rattles her teeth.

Which presumably are in a glass on the bedside cabinet...

[MustangSally]

Originally Posted by turbanator

A quote that I've heard, and I can't remember who by , is that you should not even think about taking a camera underwater unless you could to the dive with both hands tied behind your back.

Is that a quote from a guy who only took up diving because of the rubber suits and tight straps?

Sal

[NeilB]

I blame it all on the digital age. In my day underwater cameras were so big and so expensive you had to be diving for many years before you even thought of getting one.

Now they are small and cheap and fit in your hand.

[Neill]

Nah, live and let live. If you want to take a camera and take pictures for your pleasure and so on, crack on.

Underwater agencies should appraise the consumer of the risk and then it's up to them. I try and keep the shoulds and musts to a minimum.

have fun snap nsap.

Neilllllllllll

[Tim Ingmire]

Originally Posted by GLOC

That's a very good premise and it also shouldn't include kneeling on the bottom either to take the pictures

Why not kneel on the bottom? If it is sandy and means you don't have to lean on coral etc then it is the right thing to do. Especially if you want a nice sharp shot with a longer macro lens.