The Problem with the view finder

One of the first problems of underwater photography that the novice may discover is that standard view-finders are of little use under water. Specially made underwater cameras are invariably equipped with a frame or gunsight-type view-finder. With a camera encased in its underwater housing, it is almost impossible for a photographer to get his eye close enough to the conventional finder to fix the image he wants to capture. Since he will usually be wearing a mask or goggles, his eye will be removed another inch to three inches from the finder.

Reflex-type view-finders might seem to offer a solution, but they create additional complications. An additional pressure-protected opening in a metal housing would be required to observe the focusing screen or ground glass, and there is the possibility of some distortion through the sides of a water-surrounded plexiglass housing. In addition, there is the problem of clouding up through condensation. The old reliable spit, or soap, can be rubbed on the windows to cut down this clouding. There are also some chemical compounds on the market which may be put into the housing to absorb the moisture, but some of them may dry up the film and make it brittle if it is left in the loaded camera too long.

Generally, the most effective view-finders for underwater

use are the frame-finders similar to those used on press or “sports” cameras, and the smaller gunsight-finders. The frame-finder on the underwater housing must necessarily be of strong construction for underwater usage. With the use of a wide-angle lens, it will often be found that the scope of the lens is somewhat wider than the field of the finder. In using the underwater frame or gunsight viewfinder, the sight nearest the eye is centered on the frame through visual alignment. Since the time for setting a camera underwater is limited, many underwater photographers preset their cameras for two fixed ranges-3 feet or so for close-ups, and about 10 feet for longer shooting.

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