mountainsean
Contributor
Hi folks-
I'm thinking of getting started with UW photo/video but am more than a little overwhelmed with all the choices. I really just want something simple to take some fun shots and a few video clips on dives to post on Facebook to give friends and family a sense of what it was like. I barely know an f-stop from a stop sign, so point-and-shoot is ideal. Simple lighting, simple kit, reliable, good battery life, small/portable, easy maintenance, etc. are priorities. I dive mostly warm water reefs.
The GoPro looked like a decent option until I read all the bad reviews on Amazon of the buggy firmware and terrible battery life. I thought about buying a Nauticam housing for the Sony RX100 we have, but that doesn't leave a lot of room in the budget for lighting and a mount. The Sealife DC1400 Pro Video or Duo looked intriguing and seems fairly well received. Also considering the Adorama deal on an Olympus PEN E-PL1 plus housing for $399 and adding a mount and Sola light. Thoughts on any of the above would be most welcome.
Also - given my desire to keep it simple and versatile, does it make sense to just get a really good continuous light like the Sola (which can also double as a great night diving torch) and not fuss with a strobe? I understand strobes usually get the best results for stills, but again, I'm not try to get my pics published or even hang them on a wall.
Thanks,
Sean
I'm thinking of getting started with UW photo/video but am more than a little overwhelmed with all the choices. I really just want something simple to take some fun shots and a few video clips on dives to post on Facebook to give friends and family a sense of what it was like. I barely know an f-stop from a stop sign, so point-and-shoot is ideal. Simple lighting, simple kit, reliable, good battery life, small/portable, easy maintenance, etc. are priorities. I dive mostly warm water reefs.
The GoPro looked like a decent option until I read all the bad reviews on Amazon of the buggy firmware and terrible battery life. I thought about buying a Nauticam housing for the Sony RX100 we have, but that doesn't leave a lot of room in the budget for lighting and a mount. The Sealife DC1400 Pro Video or Duo looked intriguing and seems fairly well received. Also considering the Adorama deal on an Olympus PEN E-PL1 plus housing for $399 and adding a mount and Sola light. Thoughts on any of the above would be most welcome.
Also - given my desire to keep it simple and versatile, does it make sense to just get a really good continuous light like the Sola (which can also double as a great night diving torch) and not fuss with a strobe? I understand strobes usually get the best results for stills, but again, I'm not try to get my pics published or even hang them on a wall.
Thanks,
Sean