FAQ Underwater photography

What camera should I buy?

This is a moving target as new improved cameras come out on the market all the time, so it is best if you call us and get updated. Step-in cameras are a wider range today including GoPro, phone, compact and mirrorless. The mirrorless camera is the way most enthusiast photographers go. You can change lenses, they are often great for video as well. Call us or mail us for an update on cameras.

What about the underwater housing?

The underwater housing keep your camera dry - so there is a couple do's and don'ts here. We represent brands with a proven track record and serious after sale services. We recommend you to stay away from low-quality housings that may create problems for your camera. The quality of the underwater housings we sell are top-notch.

Which macro lens should I choose?

Macro is a lot of fun and can be shot in any conditions, so it is highly recommended to have a macro set-up you are happy with. For full frame users 50 to 105 mm lenses are commonly used while most Micro 4:3 users end up at 30 to 60 mm. Your choise depends on the size of the subjects you shoot. A 60mm for mirrorless cameras is a macro lens is easy to use and give you broad spectra of subjects but you have to be very close to the smallest subjects.

Today there is a lot of great "wet optics" you can mount in front of your macro port to enhance the magnification making one macro lens in combination with a wet macro lens a diverse tool. Let us recommend what is best for your camera in terms of macro lens, wet lens and lens holders.

How to use external strobe/s with my housing?

The biggest quality step you take as a underwater photographer is when you start using an external strobe. Today it is easy to connect external strobes to any housing. You will need a tray and arms to hold the strobe/s in place. Let us explain about triggers, optical cables and which strobes model that is best for you.

How do I improve my underwater photography?

You can join in on one of our photo trips where photographers learn quickly while shooting in a great location and it is a way to meet others photographers. Many of Magnus workshops are taking place at a world class diving destination.

Where can I look at equipment and get a feel for the products?

Visit our exclusive showroom at Scheelegatan 3 in Malmö, Sweden. We are there and ready to show you all the goodies and guide you on what is compatible with eachother. Give us a call (+46 (0)40 186262) ahead and we reserve I time for you.

I get a lot of backscatter in my images - why?

There is a great chance that you are using the internal strobe of the camera and this is easy to fix by attaching an external strobe to your underwater housing. If you already have an external strobe and still get backscatter (white reflextions from particles in the water) then you need to re-posistion the strobes and work with different power settings.

How often should I clean my o-rings?

We found out that underwater photographers do this differently. Our experience is that the best method is that everytime that you open the housing you should take out the o-ring from the groove with a blunt o-ring remover, clean it and grease it. People who are taking the time for maintenance almost never have any problems with leaking equipment. So we urge you to take care and change all your replaceable o-rings yearly. It is a good investment.

I love macro but I don't succeed with the smallest subjects?

When a camera (compact or mirroless) is in a housing you may add a wet macro lenses (sometimes called diopters) to your port or housings front and enjoy a much higher magnification. The most popular wet lenses are made by Nauticam, Saga and Inon. Tell us which camera and housing you use and we can line up the best options for you.

My housing is heavy. How do I make it more bouyant in the water?

It is easy and quick to add more bouyancy with StiX interchangable floats to your existing arms. You can also buy sturdy bouyant arms. Most arms have a recorded uplift value for your trimming purposes. Recommendation: The complete underwater rig should be a little bit negative underwater. There are many options and we have all the solutions. Contact us.