Taking Pictures; Underwater; Focusing; Tips For Taking Pictures Underwater - Minolta Weathermatic-A Owner's Manual

batteries are no exception.
If an old battery is used at temperatures below 0°C (32°F), the flash may not work and
the warning light may not come on. Thus it is recommended that the battery be fresh if
the camera is to be used in cold weather. (For taking pictures without a battery, see the
note on p. 48).
Though the mechanical operation should be satisfactory down to considerably lower
temperatures, it is best to keep the camera in a warm inside pocket when not taking
pictures and try to minimize the amount of time it is subject to cold temperatures. This
also applies to carrying extra cartridges of film.
When entering a warm building from the cold, allow your Weathermatic-A to warm up
to room temperature and wipe it completely dry before opening the back cover to
change the film or battery.
Also, be sure the camera is wiped completely dry before going into cold outdoors as
water droplets could freeze under camera controls and possibly damage the camera.
TAKING PICTURES UNDERWATER
THE WEATHERMATIC-A'S WATERTIGHT SEAL IS DESIGNED TO BE USED AT
DEPTHS NO GREATER THAN 5M (15 FT.).

Focusing

The refractive index of water is greater than that of air. Thus, underwater subjects will
appear to be closer and larger than they actually are. This also has the effect of
increasing the focal length of the lens in your Weathermatic-A and narrowing its field
of view. For all practical purposes, however, as the camera's lens and your eyes are
affected equally by refraction, they will "see" alike and underwater focusing is the same
as on land. If it is easier to preset the lens focus out of the water, set the focus knob to a
point that represents a distance which is approximately 25% closer than the focus-
symbol setting for "on-land" shooting. For example, for underwater photography set
focus at the " 0 " symbol (0.9m or 3 ft.) instead of the mid-chest figure for an onland
distance of 1.2m (4 ft.)
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Tips for taking pictures underwater

•
Do not jump or dive into the water or swim while holding the camera or throw the
camera into the water as impact with the water could damage the camera or break its
water-tight seal and cause leakage.
• As visibility in water is limited by the amount of light penetrating its surface, the
clarity of the water and the camerato-subject distance, it is best to take underwater
pictures as close to the surface and your subject as possible. This also improves the
color and contrast of your subjects.
• For more life-like underwater pictures, set focus to " 0" symbol 0.9m (3 ft.) and use
the flash. ASA 100 film is recommended for all underwater photography. The
maximum effective flash
range for underwater subjects is 2m (7 ft.).
•
Avoid taking flash pictures in cloudy waters as large particles suspended in the
water will be photographed as bright spots, so-called "backscatter" and fine silt will
reduce contrast.