Using the Nikon CoolPix 5000 underwater

Last updated 20 Nov 2003

This guide has been developed to assist first time users of the CoolPix 5000 with their underwater images. It's handy to know some of the settings before you go for your dive! Obviously, other users have their own CP5000 preferences; what I have detailed below is what I've tested and am now happy with.

The housing I use with my Coolpix 5000 is a Ikelite housing with a Ikelite Ds125 strobe for lighting. For wide angle photography I use dual DS125 strobes. For information on the housing and strobe read this review I have put together.

Camera setup

The first thing you need to do is practise using this camera on land in manual mode. Manual mode allows you to select your shutter speed, aperture, film speed etc and these are essential to master before using the CP5000 underwater. You will find that you won't have much success with your photo's if you try to use the CP5000 in automatic mode underwater. Automatic will probably work okay in the shallows and for click and pointing but if you want to achieve good quality images you are going to have master using the manual functions.

I shoot using the highest jpeg format which produces images at a resolution of 2560 x 1920; this resolution size is suitable for printing images up to A3 size. However, on some occasions I will shoot in RAW mode that allows me to fiddle with the white balance and exposure settings on the computer using programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Nikon View 5 (see below).

White Balance
I generally always have the white balance set to auto. However, I have also set up the camera so that thefunction button will scroll through the white balance settings. I will often take a shot with white balance on auto and then I'll scan through the white balance settings to see what colouration looks best. I have found that the 'cloudy' setting works well in poor visibility. If you shoot in RAW mode (.nef) then you do not need to worry about your white balance setting as this can be altered using Nikon View 5 (supplied with CP5000) and Adobe Photshop (with the RAW plugin installed).

RAW mode
There are two problems I have found with shooting in RAW mode underwater. The first is that raw files take up a lot more of space on your memory card than jpegs. For example, a 256mb card can hold approximately 108 high resolution jpegs compared to only 33 RAW images. The 2nd problem is that when you shoot in RAW mode it takes at least 10-12 seconds (also depends on the compact flash write speed) to save the image. This is no good if your taking a shot of a fish and it swims away. A jpeg image is saved in about 2 seconds. If you want to shoot in RAW mode I would recommend purchasing a 1 Gig IBM Microdriv which has a fast write speed and store over 100 RAW files. Note: The microdrive will drain the CP5000 battery quicker than the normal compact flash card.

I use RAW mode every now and then, especially if I have found a subject that is worthwhile (such as a anglerfish or seahorse). I'll shoot a couple of images using high res jpegs and then maybe one shot in RAW mode. By using RAW mode I can play with the white balance settings and exposure back on the computer using the Nikon View program or the Raw plugin that is now available for Adobe Photoshop 7.

Macro photography

One of the simplest methods to get used to this camera underwater and get good early results is to practise macro photography. This is where you take photos of the small critters such as the nudibranchs, seahorses, seastars etc… The macro functionality of the Coolpix 5000 is superb as you can produce 2:1 macro (meaning the subject is enlarged twice its size) and even larger if you combine the optical zoom with the digital zoom. Note, I never use the digital zoom on the CP5000 underwater as image quality is lost. I have found that the 3x optical zoom is more than sufficient.

It is easy to get good results with macro photography, as you generally have all your camera and strobe settings preset and the strobe is positioned for macro. Now here is an important tip: make sure you have selected the camera macro function (a little flower appears on the CP5000 screen). Without the macro function selected, you will find that your images will be out of focus and blurry. I ruined one of the best night dives I've ever had recently in PNG where I forgot to press the stupid macro button and all my shots were out of focus. I didn't really want a good photo of the rare leafy harlequin ghost pipefish species we found!. You live and learn…

The initial camera settings to try for macro photography with the CP5000 are:

• Select a film speed of 100 (ISO 100)
• Select an aperture of F8
• Select shutter speed from 1/250 to 1/1000. I generally start on 1/500 and then see what the results are like, then I'll increase or decrease shutter speed. It will depend on the brightness/reflectivity of your subject.
• Select spot metering or centre weighted as this allows you to get good focus at the area of the subject you want. For example, when shooting a nudibranch it's nice to get a good head on shot with the rhinopores (their horns) perfectly focused.
• Dial the speedlight output to -2 in the camera settings *
• Set the strobe to TTL.
• Position the strobe above the camera and at least 1 foot away from the subject. If it is overexposed move the strobe further back or decrease strobe output manually.
• Once you have got used to using TTL, it is time to practise using the strobe output manually. I find it easier to obtain correct exposure using manual mode over TTL. I will set my DS125 strobe output power to 1/8, if it is to dark then I'll change it to 1/4 or decrease my shutter speed to allow more light to be captured.

* An explanation for why you have to dial the flash output to -2 is to compensate for the fact that the Nikon CP5000 TTL sensor is not actually inside the camera lens, it is located beside it. When the camera is preparing to shoot, not as much light hits the TTL sensor as it should, therefore the camera doesn't think the flash output is going to be powerful enough - hence it increases it's output. It means that many of your images will be blown away and over exposed. The negative flash compensation in the CP5000 menu system fixes this problem. A big thanks to James on Wetpixel who provided this explanation!

(f8, 1/500 sec, FL 21.4mm, Strobe 1/8 power)

(f8, 1/500 sec, FL 13.6mm, Strobe 1/1000 power)

(f7, 1/250 sec, FL 17.4mm, Strobe 1/8 power)

(f8, 1/500 sec, FL 21.4mm, Strobe 1/8 power)

(f8, 1/2000 sec, FL 13.6 mm, Strobe 1/8 power)

Wide angle photography

I'm still practising with the settings for wide angle photography with the CP 5000. I managed to get some nice shots in PNG, this was greatly assisted by the 30 + metre visibility. When I am shooting wide angle I always use the 19mm Nikon wide angle lens in the Ikelite optional dome port. I have found that the 19mm lens is an excellent edition to this setup as you get good wide coverage of 19mm whilst you can still zoom in on small subjects and produce 1:1 macro. This is a very versatile lens and is my choice if I'm hoping in at site where I know there is good wide angle photography with some macro subjects.

Here are some of the settings that I have been using for wide angle:

• Select shutter speed from 1/60 to 1/125. Shoot an image and determine if you have over or underexposed and then change increase/decrease your shutter speed to compensate.
• Select an aperture of about f3 to f6.
• Select a film speed of 100 (ISO 100)
• Position your strobe(s) as far away from the camera as possible, this will help eliminate backscatter.
• Set your strobe to half power to start off with, if the image is to dark then try increasing the strobe output to full power.
• The use of two strobes will produce better results with wide angle photography as wide angle shots generally require more light to cover a larger area. I use two Ikelite DS125's, one is linked to the camera via a sync cord whilst the other is triggered by the Ikelite Slave sensor.
• Try to bracket your shot, this is where you take extra's photo's but change your strobe power or shutter speed to add/subtract light to the image.

Using the red filter

The Ikelite CP5000 comes with a red filter than can be placed across the front of housing. It pushes into place and can be removed very easily and will hang from the housing handle with the lanyard that is attached. I found that the red filter worked very well in PNG on the reef tops (about 5 metres) where there was good sunlight and clean water.

By following some of the tips provided in this guide you might end up with some nice images like this:

If your interested in achieving a black background in your shots have a look at the following article I have produced:

Turning your water black - a guide to shooting a black background

That's it for now, I will add some more CP5000 tips when I can come up with some. If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me.

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