# What filter should I use taking pictures from a submarine?



## atspix (May 2, 2017)

I will be taking pictures out a porthole window of a submarine next week. This is a tourist type of sub that is well lit inside the sub and we will be under the water appx 100 feet. The company that runs these excursions has a few pictures on their site and they are of poor quality . They are washed out looking. I will not have a lot of time for experimentation nor will I have room for a lot of equipment. I am taking my Nikon D3400. I have a fast 50mm lens, 1.4. I also want to take my fisheye lens. It is a 4.5  8mm lens. I do not have filters for the fisheye, so that will be a crapshoot. On the 50mm I usually have a UV filter to protect the lens. Am I best off using a polarizing filter or because of the fluorescent lighting in the sub should I use an FLD filter? I also have a series of neutral density filters but even with the 1.4 I am concerned about light and they can stop it down a bit. I have no experience in this arena and I'm hoping someone out there has some that they would be willing to share. I was also wondering if I should forget filters all together and just mess the ISO settings on the camera?
Thank you,
Pat


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## Braineack (May 2, 2017)

my honest suggestion: remove all filters.


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## astroNikon (May 2, 2017)

"forget filters all together" sounds like the best answer.

Though you should learn about glass reflections when taking pictures through windows, etc.
Maybe Practice on fish tanks?

Also keep in mind that you'll be moving.  maybe you'll take pictures of things in the water moving too.  So be aware of Shutter Speeds.

use the appropriate ISO setting to maintain the shutter and aperture that you are using for an appropriate exposure if you can.


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## Designer (May 2, 2017)

atspix said:


> I was also wondering if I should forget filters all together and just mess the ISO settings on the camera?


I don't see why these two things might seem related in some way.  Why do you think you need any filter at all?  So if I had to keep guessing about what you're trying to make photographs of, I'd guess maybe the light levels would be greatly subdued, and even going to very dark.  At 100 feet below the surface, there isn't much light.  I might recommend letting the ISO adjustment go to "auto" and see what happens.


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## jcdeboever (May 2, 2017)

You are more than likely, not going to get good images through that super thick glass. I'd probably shoot at higher ISO to increase shutter speed and use the lens hood as a stabilizer right up on the glass. Good luck. Light is going to be an issue in the water.


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## atspix (May 2, 2017)

Well if I'm lucky we will see something moving. With low light my selection of shutter speeds may be limited. I didn't think of the lens hood tight against the glass. I am definitely going to try that. I am also going to try a higher ISO. We are going down to two ship wrecks and a sunken plane. I really just want to get some detail. This is a once in a lifetime type of experience for me and I am relatively new to digital. I still have my F2 and I will probably shoot some slide film too. Old habits die hard for me. I am enjoying learning digital. I don't waste any film.


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## Derrel (May 2, 2017)

YES, a soft rubber, flexible lens hood (the kind everybody had in the 1980's!!!) is pretty handy for reflection-suppression at aquariums, and probbaly from insie of a lighted submarine....

These types of soft, screw-in rubber lens hoods are around....maybe in JUNK BINS in real camera stores, OR available on-line from eBay or Amazon vendors


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## JPI (May 2, 2017)

There were two filters I used,  in very clear ( blue ) water you use a red and in green water you use a magenta. worked great with film, should be no different with digital


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## petrochemist (May 3, 2017)

As Derrel mentioned a soft rubber hood can be use to prevent reflections. If you dont have that a cloth or even a hat can be used to shade the area of glass you're shooting through.
There should be no need for filters as tourist subs should have plentiful external lights. With out lighting the colour underwater gets increasingly blue with depth.

I don't think you'll have much choice on where to sit, so you'll probably have to take pot luck on the state of the porthole. Bring a microfibre/lens cloth with you to clean the inner face just in case that improves matters.


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## table1349 (May 3, 2017)

The easiest thing would be to just open the window so there is no glass in the way.


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## petrochemist (May 3, 2017)

gryphonslair99 said:


> The easiest thing would be to just open the window so there is no glass in the way.


Thanks for your helpful out of the box thinking!
But on the sub I've been on that would be very difficult, even without the crew lynching you. I think it was over an inch of plexiglass bonded to the hull...


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## table1349 (May 3, 2017)

petrochemist said:


> gryphonslair99 said:
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> 
> > The easiest thing would be to just open the window so there is no glass in the way.
> ...


Mere technicalities.    The only sub I have ever been on didn't have any portholes.  

The one we are going to take in a year or so does.  Big portholes. 
http://www.ohanafun.net/UserFiles/Image/tours/ATLANTIS 2008 MAUI SUB Underwater.jpg
https://www.carnival.com/~/media/Im...008/Pictures/atlantis-submarine-kona-hi-3.jpg


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## atspix (May 4, 2017)

gryphonslair99 said:


> petrochemist said:
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> 
> > gryphonslair99 said:
> ...





gryphonslair99 said:


> petrochemist said:
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> 
> > gryphonslair99 said:
> ...


thats the same sub I will be on tuesday


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## astroNikon (May 5, 2017)

Forgot to mention
Be ready to go to Manual Focus just in case your AF system wants to focus on the glass/plexiglass instead.


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## JPI (May 5, 2017)

That's the vehicle I imagined it would be, large ports and they'll probably have the subject lit up pretty good.

It will be interesting to see what you make of it, at a 100 foot down and some strong lighting you may not get that dreaded excessive blue saturation at all


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