OP
Buying Xmas Present for my Husband and I Have a Few Questions
- Thread starter KathyV
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OP
Jeff from Portland, OR took the Tovatec Mera out for a try in his local waters and sent this report to me. He plans to post his videos soon and I am looking forward to seeing them.
Ocean Paradise Dive and Travel
"Hi Kathy! I did get to try it out last weekend and it performed quite well. I haven’t had a lot of time to get my videos up on here but should have them up soon. The light itself is great, not too heavy and the 1000/500 lumin is great. Lots of run time so no need to worry about battery drainage over a couple dives. There is a little learning curve with the camera as there is not a display to see what you are doing. I played around with all different lighting options but found the 500 lumin flood to work the best. There is no filter so a little video editing is a must in our NW waters. Since there is no display, I learned that where I point the light and where the light beam is, is where it was videoing. Overall, I really like the camera and light and at the price point, you get a camera and a light for a little more money then just a light. Look for my videos in the next day or 2."
Ocean Paradise Dive and Travel
"Hi Kathy! I did get to try it out last weekend and it performed quite well. I haven’t had a lot of time to get my videos up on here but should have them up soon. The light itself is great, not too heavy and the 1000/500 lumin is great. Lots of run time so no need to worry about battery drainage over a couple dives. There is a little learning curve with the camera as there is not a display to see what you are doing. I played around with all different lighting options but found the 500 lumin flood to work the best. There is no filter so a little video editing is a must in our NW waters. Since there is no display, I learned that where I point the light and where the light beam is, is where it was videoing. Overall, I really like the camera and light and at the price point, you get a camera and a light for a little more money then just a light. Look for my videos in the next day or 2."
I have a lifelong habit, started from carrying my first "expensive" camera and lenses when I was in college half a century ago, of having covers for the glass fronts of things like camera lenses. I buy them for my U/W video and tech lights too...the link is the soft/neoprene cover I use for my lights. If the front is 2.5" as shown in the specs, then the "micro" in this link would be the right size. Might be a stocking stuffer.
https://www.amazon.com/OP-TECH-USA-Hood-Hat/dp/B00150YULY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1544915724&sr=8-2&keywords=op/tech+hood+hat&th=1
My tech instructor picked up that same new light/camera at DEMA; this is a shot in shallow water when we were practicing with stage bottles. [photo credit to Tom Johnson, Dayo SCUBA]
https://www.amazon.com/OP-TECH-USA-Hood-Hat/dp/B00150YULY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1544915724&sr=8-2&keywords=op/tech+hood+hat&th=1
My tech instructor picked up that same new light/camera at DEMA; this is a shot in shallow water when we were practicing with stage bottles. [photo credit to Tom Johnson, Dayo SCUBA]
OP
Damselfish
Contributor
So did he like his present? Has he had a chance to try it yet?
OP
I'm finally getting back to tell you all that my husband really liked his Christmas present, the Tovatec Mera Dive Light and Camera; and I wanted to say thanks for all the helpful advice I received from you all - it was very valuable.
We usually only do one big dive trip each year nowadays, so he didn't have a chance to try it out until we went to Cayman during the last 2 weeks.
When I gave him the camera at Christmas he didn't seem too excited about it. He was polite of course and thanked me but he didn't fiddle with it much and then he put it away and forgot about it. I was a little disappointed because it isn't easy to find a good gift for him and I thought that I had a winner - but it seemed more like a dud.
I was glad to see him pack it for Cayman but he didn't use it during our first few dives. Then he took it out and read the directions and played around with it for awhile. It's very easy to use, a simple camera for a recreational diver - but of course it's not for a serious UW photographer.
Once he began using it he soon got comfortable and started taking pictures and videos of everything! When we got back to the hotel that day we viewed the pics on my ipad and he was excited that he actually had created some UW photos!
The focus on the camera is sharp but the color isn't always great. There are 3 light settings and it's hard to tell which is the best because there isn't a view-finder - but he got better as he took more pictures. Some of the pics are rather a dull blue or green, and some are too bright - but some are pretty good IMO, and he really enjoyed using it!
The accessories you advised were perfect! The micro SD card really holds a lot of data, the snappy coil is a convenient way to attach and use the camera, the adapter works great to download images from the card to the ipad or computer, the neoprene cover fits perfectly to protect the lens, and it was handy to have the second battery on-hand so that he always had a charged one available.
Below is one of his best photos IMO. It's a Shy Hamlet and was taken last week at Dot's Hot Spot on Little Cayman.
So he really loves his Christmas gift (finally!) and I very much appreciate all the assistance I received from this group!
But now I have to think of another Christmas gift for him, any ideas?!
Kathy,
If your husband isn't excited about this year's Christmas present you can send it to me and I will be elated. Thank you in advance.
Craig
If your husband isn't excited about this year's Christmas present you can send it to me and I will be elated. Thank you in advance.
Craig
If you’re only doing one big dive trip a year, upgrading his underwater camera gear probably doesn’t make financial sense. You can rent UW cameras from Cathy Church and other shops when you need it. If he does want an upgraded UW camera, the Olympus TG 4/5/6 or Sea Life camera’s are good next steps. No need to get the latest model. Good used older models are regularly listed for sale on SB. Keep the MERA as a dive light. If he is getting into above water photography in general something like the Nikon D3400/3500 or Sony 6000series camera’s with kit lens are great, inexpensive options.
OP
Filters, especially a red one
They didn't have any filters for the Tovatec Mera available when I bought the product last year but I see that they now offer these filters; are these the type of filters that you think will help? Thanks!
https://www.amazon.com/Tovatec-Opti...ds=tovatec+mera+filters&qid=1573232577&sr=8-1
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