Underwater photography with the Nikon L3/Fantasea FL-3

Although I learned diving at my 21st, I did not really start diving seriously until five year later. From that time on I was hooked and have been working for years in the diving industry, both as guide and instructor. I tried photography in my spare time, the Red Sea literally was my back yard.

I started out with an analogue Nikonos V + S105, a set I used with much pleasure and which regrettably died of wear and tear. After this it took a long time before touching an underwater camera again. But as I recently obtained a Nikon Coolpix L3, I bought an underwater housing for it: the Fantasea FL-3.

Equipment

My underwater set thus consists of the Nikon Coolpix L3, a compact digital camera with 5.1 megapixels and 3x zoom, and the Fantasea FL-3, a compact transparent underwater housing made of polycarbonate which can operate at depths of up to 40 meters.

I do not have any additional accessories, but I use my Green Force dive lamp for lighting subject.

My choice for this set is somewhat an coincidence. I got the camera and wanted to take it under water, so I had the choice between an Ikelite housing and the Fantasea. Because I had no experience with digital photography, I chose the latter for economical reasons.

Experiences under water

I first tested the camera and housing during a trip to Sharm el Sheikh in January 2007. But I was unable to take any pictures the first dive as I then found out there was no On/Off button on the housing. Because the Zodiac took 20 minutes to get to the reef, the camera had switched to stand-by before arriving there. I then did not want to open the underwater housing and risk moisture coming in.

To circumvent this the next time, I set the camera stand-by timer to 30 minutes. By also taking a photo then and again or pressing a button within 30 minutes, the camera will stay on for a longer time. But the fact the camera can not be turned on or off in the housing still remains a serious issue.

The FL-3 housing has a small positive buoyancy, which is excellent when letting it accidentally go under water. It also has a loop for attaching a retractor cord and hook it to your BCD for extra safety.

With strong currents this is a must, I certainly required it at the Philippines!

The camera can be switched between modes easily, but I usually leave in on Macro. This allows me to take all kinds of photos without having to zoom in. What I do miss are symbols on or near the various buttons to clarify the controls.

The FL-3 comes with 2 blue o-rings, which work fine and require little maintenance. You don't need to (or just better not to) grease them before every dive. The housing is somewhat hard to open and close, it requires attention and can be unfriendly to your nails. When I'm diving in warm weather, the housing fogs up frequently, but this will be gone after 5 to 10 minutes diving.

Digital photography is still something I need to get used to, but I did discover two major benefits: using the LCD screen to see what you are photographing and using it for reviewing the results after taking a shot. If not satisfied, some additional photos are taken without bother. On the other hand, it also leads me to delete away many photos that I might have used after more consideration.

Conclusion

For now I will continue to use the set to further refine my skills and handling. I am a "lazy/sloppy" diver, and I want things to work without me having to do too much myself. As underwater photography does require a certain amount of devotion and is only a "side dish" for me during diving, I am going to look for the simplest solution. I have seen the Sealife DC600 and similar cameras, one may say a digital Nikonos, that will save me the hassle of getting a camera in and out. This probably will be better for me.

Major benefits:

• Economical choice
• Compact
• Great O-rings

Improvements:

• No on/off button on the housing
• Ho symbols at the controls

Review by: Nophert Elias

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