Focusing problems with waterproof point and shoot cameras.

[Getwet]

Has anyone else had focusing problems with waterproof/shockproof point and shoot cameras?

I have had a Pentax and Olympus Stylus in the past which were OK. Last year I bought an Olympus MJu tough which  seemed to have focusing problems underground, about 50% of shots not sharp, even though I was giving it time to settle, button half pressed etc. I swapped this for another one, which was the same. I then got my money back of Tesco direct, ( no quible from them) and have bought a Fuji FilmXP. It seems to have the same issues, although not so badly out of focus.

I am using it mainly with a Firefly and the camera flash covered with the exposed film strip, but it seems little better if I just use the camera flash, so I dont think its an issue with covering the camera flash with the film strip.

I have not extensively tested the theory, but it only seems to do this underground, not in the dark generally.

Any one have similar issues? got any ideas, Also what are people using that is performing well?

Cheers

 

[Glenn]

I have an Olympus Mju 850 which I use for on the fly snapping. I have been very surprised with the results. Like you, I use exposed film to cover the camera's flash and a hand held flash gun. But I use the power of my Scurion to get the camera to focus on the subject, then move my head away so that it's just the flash that illuminates. You have to take a couple of exposures, moving the flash around to get a good exposure, but generally, it works really well. This is an example:

 

[carabeener]

I have used point and shoot cameras and DSLR's.  In order to focus most cameras need som contrast in the bit they are trying to focus on.  Sometimes this can be achieved with lots of light, hense some of the cameras having focus assist lights on them.  It can help pointing it at something with definate contrast in it, like the edge of a suit or something. 

Also people having lights on can confuse the camera.  By the sounds of it, it isn't an error with the cameras, but problems getting focus lock on the right bit.

 

[Amy]

I only know of one person who likes their Olympus Stylus Tough and have heard probably a good 20+ complaints against it from cavers and others who use it in low light situations. Sure you can't destroy it easily but it doesn't take the greatest photos.

One thing I've learned to that it doesn't matter the specs on the cameras if it seems like it would be a good p&s for caving that doesn't mean that it is. It seems that the older generations of p&s actually work better underground, in general. Who knows why?

I have a Nikon Coolpixs570 and it does a good job both with lightpainting and flash work. Not the best, and it doesn't always give me the right settings when I set up a shot (I can't manual it worth anything which annoys me now that I've gotten really used to my dSLR - but I'm not taking that underground!) I have found for a lot of shots though setting it to the "night landscape" scene makes it generally pick more proper settings for hte photos when I don't want flash, and "night portrait" seems to give a better flash. I think it has something to do with how it fires like 3 times the flash, and when it opens the shutter,  or something, that it gives less chance of getting halos and sparklies in the flash shots.

To get it to focus correctly, I press the shutter halfway and hold to set that while I shine my light on what I want focused, and then turn off my light or look away or whatever, when I fully depress the shutter.

 

[mikem]

I often get focussing problems when there is not enough light for the camera to find a focal point, but it only takes out of focus pictures when bright lights are shining towards the camera.

Mike

 

[ogofmole]

I must be the one who likes my Olympus Stylus Tough mju720, it has produced some great winning entrys at Hidden Earth in the past and still works well. But getting back to the original question, I tend to get something or someone in the shot to lock the focus (green light) then still holding the shutter button half depressed I then re compose the shot, and like you I use a remote firefly and flashgun.

 

[MarkS]

I'd have to agree with Glenn and ogofmole. I have an Olympus ? 1030 SW and have managed to get some reasonable results. I go for the same method as they seem to: headlight on full power, focus by half pressing, look away, then take the picture letting the slaves do the work.

All these were taken on my Olympus http://www.yucpc.org.uk/gallery/view.php?id=238&key=12

One thing I found was that I sometimes got some spray/mist from the camera flash (despite using exposed film) so I just added an extra layer which seemed to fix the problem.

 

[Amy]

okay stupid question - what do you mean by using exposed film? You still use film cameras and you expose the film first or something (which, how on earth does that do anything other than ruin the film? lol). Are you putting exposed film over the flash of the camera? I mean that might be a better idea than my KimWipes because those shred when I get them wet, lol.

 

[Glenn]

okay stupid question - what do you mean by using exposed film? You still use film cameras and you expose the film first or something (which, how on earth does that do anything other than ruin the film? lol). Are you putting exposed film over the flash of the camera? I mean that might be a better idea than my KimWipes because those shred when I get them wet, lol.

Hi Amy. Covering the camera's flash with a piece of processed 35mm film (the black bit with no images on at the end of the film) stops any visable light output from the camera's flash, but it allows infra red to trigger the Firefly 3 slave, which in turns triggers the outboard flash gun. This way, you don't get any (flat) light from the camera, just the light from the outboard flash. Hope this makes sense.

And I don't want to know what KimWipes are for....

 

[Les W]

And I don't want to know what KimWipes are for....

They're not for anything nasty Glenn
They are wipes manufactured by Kimberly Clarke which are made of chemical free paper for use in laboratories 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KimWipes#KimWipes

 

[Getwet]

Thanks for the comments etc on focusing using your caving light, I took efforts to try all this at the weekend, not much improvement.

What is bugging me is that I never had this issue with the Olympus stylus 790sw or the older Pentax Optio, both of which bit the dust and had to be replaced, I never gave focusing a second thought with these cameras.

The FujiFilm XP is going back tomorrow and I will try another make. Any one know of a genuine point and shoot model like I had in the good old days!?

 

[carabeener]

Try a box brownie in a plastic bag. :-\

 

[Getwet]

[quote The FujiFilm XP is going back tomorrow
[/quote]
Well I tried anyway!!! I took it back to Jessops and they refused to refund because the camera was scratched, Ive only used it on 4x cave trips. Yes it is scratched but then its marketed as a rugged/tough etc etc camera. I'm now doing Battle with Jessops.

Ive tried a few of my friends compact cameras in the pitch black since and they all seem to focus OK. I dug out my old Olympus Stylus 790sw water proof /shockproof etc, it also focuses fine( though lots of the functions don't work after 3 years of caving/ abuse the controlls are knackered)

 

[graham]

Try a box brownie in a plastic bag. :-\

Can you still get roll film in 120 or 127 sizes?  :doubt:

 

[Robert Scott]

http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=777_1&products_id=5764

 

[Robert Scott]

 

[Getwet]

[quote ] I'm now doing Battle with Jessops.[/quote]

Beware if anyone buys from Jessops and has problems with it, there customer care policy is S**t

 

[dunc]

Beware if anyone buys from Jessops and has problems with it, there customer care policy is S**t

Common policy for most companies in this country isn't it??

 

[Amy]

Might it be easier to just get an Otterbox or such for a non-crushproofwaterproof camera?

Anyway, I hope to be caving next weekend, and should have my nikon p60, when I'm done I'll post a review of it if ya like. It fits into one of the otterboxes nicely, and I appreciate that it runs on AA's. I just probably won't have my lightpainting flashlight by then since Im ordering a nice 800 lumen neutral white one from DealExtreme.

 

[Getwet]

Might it be easier to just get an Otterbox or such for a non-crushproofwaterproof camera?

Yes I had considered that. For most of my caving I just take snap shots with a slave, almost on the move, at pitch heads etc, I dont like to slow the group down by faffing! I limit proper photography solo trips with a tripod and a couple of flashes, but I do miss the total lack of control over the camera with the waterproof cameras.