Camcorders, Housings and Lights.

[zboss]

How many watts of halogen and/or HID are important? I assume there is a sliding scale of some kind... maybe we could use 60' depth and 60 foot vis as a measurement baseline?

For the record I just bought a Sony DCR-PC1000 (yes - I have heard they are poor in low-light) and I'm currently examining my housing/lighting options.

 

[KiiY]

After getting into diving last year, I found a used kit for my Sony TRV-900 which included:

- Gates housing
- Wide angle and normal ports
- old Light & Motion SunRay light

I've used it on 5 dives now and the housing is great. It has manual control levers for all the basic camera functions, even white balance, focus, exposure, and the camera's built-in ND filter.

The light is a 1-piece unit with a 12v NiMH battery right behind the light head. I think it's a bit too much weight for the support arms and means that the light is usually flopping around both above and below water.

The on-off switch is activated by rotating the reflector itself. While it has a double o-ring seal, it has now flooded twice either from being switched on or off, or from being bumped by something as the light flopped around underwater.

If I get another set of lights I'll probably try a separate battery cannister design.

 

[stevensally]

Video equipment help needed!!.
Thinking of getting a video setup. Looking at Sony HC90, Sony PC1000 or Cannon MXV45i in Ikelite housings. Anyone know which might be best. Also do I need a video light or will a UR PRO filter do. Thanks

 

[diversteve]

Video equipment help needed!!.
Thinking of getting a video setup. Looking at Sony HC90, Sony PC1000 or Cannon MXV45i in Ikelite housings. Anyone know which might be best. Also do I need a video light or will a UR PRO filter do. Thanks

Some issues to consider:

Sony decided to hide the battery internally in both camcorders. So you're limited on the size batteries you can use. Might not be a problem until the 2nd or 3rd dive. I think it might be a bigger problem on the PC1000 since it's a thinner battery than the HC90.

The other problem that I see with the HC90, it seems that even manual focus is through the touchscreen. How does Ikelite provide access to all the different functions with their controls? And is there access to manual focus? - it's only controlled via the touchscreen. It's not listed or clear in their housing pictures that they do provide it. Of course this is only a problem if you want manual focus. It's nice to have in cloudy water or in situations where a diver is silhouetted against the surface, or there's a lot of particles in the water, sometimes auto-focus will "hunt" in these situations - it's annoying.

I noticed the Ikelite housing for the PC-1000 does have a manual touchscreen control.

fwiw, Camcorderinfo.com slammed the PC1000 in their review here:
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-DCR-PC1000-Camcorder-Review.htm

They both have LANC ports so you might get more functionality with the comparably priced Top Dawg/Mini housing($899). However Top Dawg does not provide White Balance control. USVH is another option although in the $2000 range with extended controls, monitor back, W/A lens and U/R Pro filter. So it's about the same price as Top Dawg with all that added on - more than the Ikelite.

And with all due respect to Ikelite, they make a quality product, but their stick-on mirror solution for the HC-90 is not the best. And I think I read somewhere that horizontal pans are backwards in the mirror.

I don't own lights, not to say that they're not on the list, but I get acceptable results with a red filter at depths of up to 70' in bright Caribbean water. If you manual white balancing, consider the Ikelite PC-1000 housing. Or USVH with extended controls.

my .02.

disclosure: I do and probably always will use an electronic housing. And I'm biased...Can't help with the Canon as I'm also a Sony fan.

 

[onliKarli]

I need a housing that fits either all of following or just the 108. They are so expensive and Id like to buy one used!


SONY
TRV-107, TRV-108, TRV-140
TRV-308, TRV-408, TRV-608
Video Camera Housing


HOUSING FEATURES
Power on/off
Recording start/stop
Zoom
Auto Focus Lock
Glass lens port
Viewfinder magnification
Color monitor can be viewed through the housing side
Removable external UR/Pro Filter included

 

[jellitot]

I've been using a pair of Sony SC100s for around 9 years. These are in a Sea&Sea housing. Got a Motormarine wide angle converter on it with a UR-pro orange filter. Sunray lights - not HID. Love the camera and housing - a real fish chaser. These will be up for sale soon.

Bought an FX1 about a year ago. Put it in an Equinox housing - could hardly bloody lift it. Took it to Maldives and paid over £500 excess baggage going out and $500+ coming back - left the 20lb ballast there! Sold the housing when I got back.

Footage was excellent - go here for the kit http://www.jellitot.com/TalkTechie.htm and here for the HD video http://www.jellitot.com/Maldives2005Videos.htm. Also here for the old DV video http://www.jellitot.com/Videos.htm.

Thought about the new Amphibico Phenom but it's still a lot heavier than I want to take. Currently looking seriously at Sony HC1 HDV camcorder so FX1 will also soon be up for sale. Housing to get is between Bluefin and Amphibico. I've seen both and the Bluefin looks better spec but the Amphibico is about £1000 cheaper so that may swing it when they put details on their website. Both come in at around 5kg - that's more like it!

Just received (yesterday) a pair of Treble Light HID D1Cs with video reflectors. Cost around £900 for the pair. Only used them to light up the hedgehogs in my garden so far but I'm impressed with the power and the eveness of the light - no hotties. Weigh in at 1.75 kg each.

Edit using Premiere Pro 1.5 on a 3 ghz pentium. Just under 1 terabyte hard drives (4) and twin 19" TFTs. No problem editing HDV on this.

Cheers

John

 

[chinadan]

Looks like I am the only DVX100 owner to take it for diving.

I have been diving with this setup for 2 weeks and am quite happy in general, especially considering the affordable price for the ProPak8 mechnical housing.

With 2 UK LC100 on a Ultralight system, you can replace the Equinox lead ballast and just use a 2lb shot lead for neutral buyoancy.

My biggest gripe was the lighting system but with the appropriate NIMH batteries I get 4 solid hours out of the LC100 (and I have done a lot of experiments with different chargers and batteries, believe me).

As for the housing, it has a lot fo flaws but then it is cheap. I would probably only be happy if I designed it myself anyway.

I placed a 5" LCD in the rear plate which makes for an easy viewfinder under any conditions ($160+$20 assorted parts);

The setup is heavy but then if you want manual focus, progressive scan performance, you have to pay a price. Under water, the setup is surprisingly easy to handle...

 

[jason21]

Hi all. I'm new to this forum and was really impressed with all the info people share here. I've just bought a Sony HC1 and want to get an underwater housing for it. I'm considering the Light and Motion Bluefin or StingrayIII so far. Does anyone have any experience with this camera and Light and Motion or other housings?
Cheers, Jason.

 

[uwvideodude]

Equinox HC1Pro for Sony HC1/A1u
Just got it!!

 

[jason21]

Equinox HC1Pro for Sony HC1/A1u
Just got it!!

re equinox housing - let us know what you think! First impressions out of the box?
J.