Originally Published in "The" Dive Shop Newsletter Jul/Aug 1993, © John Wall & "The" Dive Shop, all rights reserved

  Sometimes it strikes me that there must be a law that says we are not allowed to read the instructions. Perhaps it is part of humankind’s collective subconscious that stops us. Nevertheless, there is certainly a lot of interesting stuff you can learn by reading the directions -  especially in these days of electronic cameras.

  Sure, there was an era, when all cameras operated manually, when a person could get away without reading the instruction booklet. This was also the era when underwater photographers made each decision just before taking the shot.

  Let’s examine this for a minute. It’s a major part of the mystique of underwater photography. During this time, you had to really understand photography to make the decisions that helped to create photographic images under water. It was (and still is) a “photo macho” thing (or perhaps a macha thing in the case of women photographers), that was a source of considerable pride. If you did not make these decisions, you were simply pointing and shooting – just like those people who used automatic cameras on land. (Sneer).

  However, as the man said in the song, “The times, they are a’changin’.”

  Lots of people take pictures underwater with manual cameras; however, lots of other folks are taking pictures underwater with autofocus/autoexposure cameras as well. Several manufacturers produce housings to protect a variety of autofocus/autoexposure (TTL) cameras. The technology in these camera systems is so advanced and so sophisticated that they really work, even underwater. This is where reading the instruction booklet comes in.

  Most autofocus/TTL cameras offer a variety of built-in programs that enable the camera to make the best possible decision for a wide range of varying conditions. It is important for you to read the instruction manual at least far enough to be able to turn on and use the most basic of these programs. This will enable anyone to use the camera in a “point and shoot” fashion.

  As we’ve discussed in previous columns, there are certain variables that come into play whenever we take photos – whether on the surface or under water. These variables are: film speed; shutter speed; aperture (f-stop); and focal distance. Underwater, we also consider strobe-to-subject distance – which is frequently the same as camera to subject distance.

  If you set an autofocus/TTL camera to its basic program, it will magically assist you (frequent readers of this column will recall that we define magic as unexplained technology) by using these variables to create the best possible photos – given the common conditions. Now here is the real beauty of the instruction booklet: We said before that most autofocus/TTL cameras offer a variety of different programs. By choosing a particular program, you can increase the depth of field – important for macro photography. By choosing another program, you can select a faster shutter speed to better stop the action when shooting fast moving fish. Some programs will even delay the shutter release until the fish swims into focus! It’s all there in the instruction booklet.

  A friend recently told me that he can now concentrate on photo composition because he made all of his exposure decisions before entering the water by selecting the right program. Of course, he had to read the instruction booklet to learn how to make that decision.

  Who knows? Perhaps one day it will be macho to talk about your camera manual rather than your manual camera.