In the Field: Sony FX3 for Underwater Wildlife

Underwater wildlife filmmaker and photographer Elise Gibbins recently spent time in Raja Ampat—or the Four Kings—an archipelago near the Bird's Head Peninsula, Indonesia, to capture imagery of one of the world’s most biodiverse fish and coral ecosystems.

Elise Gibbins' Underwater Photography Equipment

Elise used the Sony FX3 paired with the Sony FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and the Atomos Ninja V 4K HDMI recording monitor, protected by Nauticam housing with a 230mm wide-angle dome port. 

So, how is the Sony FX3 suitable for underwater wildlife filmmaking? Released in 2021 and based on the Sony A7S III, the Sony FX3 is one of the most affordable Sony pro cine cameras. With its 12.1-megapixel back-illuminated full-frame sensor, the FX3 can shoot 120 frames per second in 4K and 240fps in 1080p (full HD). The camera offers 15 stops of dynamic range, five-axis in-body image stabilisation and the ability to output a 16-bit RAW signal via HDMI. 

Read on to find out Elise Gibbins’ verdict on the Sony FX3 for underwater wildlife filmmaking and check out Elise’s breathtaking underwater imagery.

The Sony FX3 In Action 

After days of travelling, I finally reached the remote islands of Raja Ampat. Located in the middle of the Coral Triangle, just off West Papua, it’s famous for being one of the last untouched places. 

Raja Ampat is home to abundant marine life and is a top diving destination. I couldn’t spend all of my time in the ocean! Naturally, my camera came with me. 

To take full advantage of my Sony FX3 underwater, I have the Nauticam housing with a 230mm wide-angle dome port. I adapted this port with extensions to accommodate my Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 lens. The large diameter dome helps me to get sharper images and less optical aberration.

I also use the Nauticam housing for my Atomos Ninja V monitor, which gives me the advantage of a bigger screen with more flexibility for shooting. This monitor helps with access and visibility when I am shooting underwater as I like to get below or in line with my subject to get a great composition.

For this trip, I focused on utilising the natural light—as a lot of the sites with coral restoration and schooling fish were shallow—so I mainly shot above a 10-metre depth. As I was using the sun as my key light, I kept my back to it and used the dancing rays to highlight the subjects in front of me. 

For photography, the light rippled over a couple of fish at a time, illuminating them as the key subjects. However, when filming, the water and fish movements created a disco-like effect over the shoal. This effect was accentuated as I filmed in slow motion at 100 frames per second. 

Another approach I took was to use the sun to backlight the school of fish and use their silhouettes to create an interesting layered composition like in the image above. Due to the current, this massive shoal of fusiliers kept tightly together close to the reef, which gave me lots of time to play with lighting and composition.

Shooting Underwater: Tips From a Pro

In the past, I have enjoyed experimenting with the Sony FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* underwater. But, currently, the 16-35mm f/2.8 is my favourite go-to lens as it’s extremely versatile and can capture wide and close-up shots. Using the 16mm wide-angle lens helps to create scale in a seascape shot, where you can capture the layers of coral and the sheer number of fish.

Underwater subjects appear bigger because the light is bent inwards, so a wide-angle lens increases the field of view. When I shoot underwater, I try to reduce the amount of water between my camera and my subject—without disturbing them—as there are lots of particles in the water and this will decrease the sharpness of my image.

Even though this lens is not specifically a macro lens, its 28cm focus distance allows it to capture beautiful close-ups. As I am using my Nauticam housing, I have a zoom and focus ring for my lens. Being able to switch between these different focal lengths allows me to play with different angles and compositions relatively quickly.

I wanted to capture the different marine ecosystems around the island and I had access to coral reefs, seagrass meadows and mangrove nurseries just off the shore. I went diving at different times of day to experiment with the varying natural light to reach my desired vision. 

The Sony FX3 is awesome at low light, so it was an incredible experience to shoot this seagrass meadow at sunset. For this shot, I really wanted to use the sun to capture the oxygen bubbles coming off the blades. So I used a shallow depth of field to really highlight the foreground and create layers in my image. For the image below, I used a wide depth of field to capture the coral reef and its abundant ecosystem. 

This was captured in the harsh midday sun, which shows a great comparison as to how light affects the tone of the image. Underwater, the sun’s light helps to increase visibility and improve the reef’s colours.

Looking for more wildlife content?

This article is part of the MPB Guide to Wildlife Photography & Videography, our comprehensive look at how to create wildlife imagery, with camera recommendations, advice and interviews with experts.