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Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 18:27:38 -0400, "Ed Street"
<blacknet@ph*.ne*> wrote:

> Well for nature photography it's cheaper, simpler and safer to put a
> diffuser on the exhaust of an OC unit ;)

Although you are right in saying that a diffuser is an option, there
are not many photog out there who use one, probably considerably less
than 1%. This is because they are (a) difficult to make (it helps if
you're using a reg like the Oceanic Omega II) and (b) they severely
distort (detrimentally) the breathing effort of the diver.

> Besides your not fooling no one,
> aquatic animals have eyes and can plainly see you.

How very profound.

> With the diffuser your exhaust is re-directed
> behind your head out of your field of vision, the
> bubbles/noise is seriously reduced.

Its not because of the sight factor of bubbles that photogs would like
a "bubbleless" system. The bubbles, of themselves, are not a
particularly significant factor (some may beg to differ). As you say,
the animal is likely to have seen/sensed you long before you see it.

It is rather because of the NOISE (just like your noise) that bubbles
make. Water is a much more efficient conductor of noise than air and
the mere fact that these bubbles may now be a few inches behind your
head rather than coming from your mouth has an insignificant effect on
the noise created.

Oh, and Ed, water and photography don't mix. Therefore 99% of u/w
photographs are taken not more than 3 ft away from the subject and
most are taken a great deal closer. Its why u/w lenses mostly range
from 20mm right down to 13mm (extreme wide angle) and 50mm to 105mm
(extreme close up). Telephoto is *not* an option underwater. It also
means that those bubbles, never mind *where* they exhaust, are usually
pretty damned close to the animal whose pic you're trying to take.

A top photographer whose name escapes me for the moment has a saying:
"if your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough."

Christian
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