Tuesday Tips & Techniques from Photo Pro Sascha Janson #26

On select Tuesdays, Cameras@Lembeh Resort – the first and only dedicated photo & video center in Lembeh Strait with full time on site photo pro – will feature Tips and Techniques by Photo Pro Sascha Janson. Sascha covers everyday situations he sees or has been asked about when talking with our visiting underwater photographers, so stay tuned, Sascha will offer up a range of information to help you become better prepared for underwater photography abroad and overcome some situations that may happen on dive holidays. You never know what piece of wisdom he will impart. Interested in a photo or video course, maybe you need a flip mount holder made on our 3D printer for your new diopter (maybe you just want to see a 3D printer)? Stop into cameras@Lembeh Resort and Sascha can set up time to assist you in capturing the best images possible.

Sascha says: Mark your batteries!

If your strobe(s) use AA batteries, you should mark them with a permanent marker and keep them in sets. Let’s say your strobe uses four AA batteries, make sets of four.

By doing that your batteries will have a similar amount of discharge and the set will charge more evenly (depending on your charger). It will also be easier to keep track of them when there are other divers in the camera room who have the same kind of batteries.

‘A chain is only as strong as its weakest link’ –  the same goes for batteries. If one battery’s voltage drops below a certain point, there won’t be enough total voltage anymore to power the strobe. The other three batteries might still be in good condition, but one weak cell can be the troublemaker. There are smart chargers that will indicate broken cells and charge all batteries evenly, others just charge until the stronger ones are full and stop then. The weaker battery won’t receive a full charge then.

A good way of checking your batteries is with a battery tester.

This battery tester can test all kinds of batteries, but if you don’t want to travel with a battery tester that size, there are smaller ones available as well which are just a bit larger than a AA battery.

This battery tester is very small – ideal for traveling!

Stay tuned for more Tuesday Tips & Techniques