Anybody carry a separate video and still camera?

[DazedAndConfuzed]

Hi,

I have a digital camera system with strobe, even though it is old, it is still 5mpixel. But its video mode is 320x240, which is super low rez. To get higher res video, I will have to get new camera, housing, wet lens attachments, etc. Maybe that's too much just for shooting video, which I mostly just do 30sec to 2 minute clips of, no piecing them together or anything fancy. An alternative is just to get a cheepee video camera and carry it separately.

Does anyone carry both a video and still camera? I don't think anyone will carry 2 full setups, but maybe just a plain videocamera w/o any lighting, maybe like a gopro. I don't even have any lighting when shooting with my camera in video mode, with night illumination done with my wide beam flashlight.

 

[flareside]

Adding a gopro to your tray is very easy. And if you leave it running the whole time, you never even have to mess with it. Clipping out the snippets you like afterward is pretty much a no brainer.

 

[HollywoodiversImaging]

Is your primary focus to shoot photo or video?

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

I primarily shoot photo and do some video clip once in a while of swimthrus, fish with weird swimming technique, big mammal swimming by, large school of fish, etc (maybe that is because with the 320x240 resolution, short clips is all it is good for). I may have 1000 photos and maybe 5-10 video clips, each no more than 1 min.

I was never much into video, let alone video editing (thought the shaky cams of video made everything look too amateurish, worthy only to show to friends as clips), so editing a many hours of dives into a dive video and adding background music would be so far out of the question.

 

[Cudabait]

Lwang....you might check out the new Sealife 1400. Shootrs great 14mp photos and with a push of a button it is shooting HD video. reasonably priced.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

I would prefer a full fledged UW camera if I was to replace my Oly C5050, instead of the easy to use Sealife 1400. Altough I almost never use the Oly for above water shots, instead using DSLR or if deciding not to carry bulky camera, carry my panasonic ZS3, which also does 720p video.

I've seen people with those flip video knockoffs in a UW case. Their video quality must be on par with smartphone cameras in video mode.

 

[EastEndDiver]

I have a DSLR system in an Ike housing with dual strobes and a Gopro with a video light attached .The Gopro is attached to one of the strobe arms using the bicycle mount and the vid light is attached above it using a triple clamp.Works fine for me.

 

[DazedAndConfuzed]

That' like a octopus setup. Does it have its own DPV?

I thought of just strapping the other still camera that has 720p video on my wrist for that occasional amazing school of fish type of video shot. Although even though it is a P&S, it will probably be pretty bulky once in its housing, and having it dangling it on my wrist doing nothing might get cumbersome....maybe clipped to a retractor on my BC.

 

[EastEndDiver]

Actually it is very manageable.I forgot to mention I also have a focus light attached.

The Gopro and the vid light are barely noticeable.

 

[gracet]

We are entering convergance ...

Also most camcorders are dual function.
I am using a cx700v in a housing which have have two pro v8 led and one inon s2000 flash. I either take video using the two v8 led for added light or i switch to camera mode to take still pictures with an external flash. At least am diving and traveling with one box. Taking video does give the option of captureing a HD still frame of a accidently well composed shot.