camera and housing question

[paintsnow]

id like to purchase a camera to house and i am looking for something that is acceptable to what would be used in actual movies that are to be displayed on the big screen. i dont need super high extra mega definition just somthing that is the current standard on tv and something that will stay current for a few years( i need the super high mega definition dont I? ) and also i would like the camera to be easily housed, when i say easy i mean a premade housing that allows access to most of the buttons. and i dont really care what media state it uses im fine with mini dv, solid state(preferable) or just about anything else i wont need specified equipment to copy over to my computer

thanks in advanced

-Paintsnow

Ps i dont care how big it is even with lights i already have plans for that...

 

[NauiIT]

There is a whole list of options for you. One of the best places to look ishttp://www.wetpixel.com There are a lot of people on the forums with a lot of underwater video experience.
Ask the same question there and you will probably get all the help you can stand.

 

[HiDefPics]

What are your goals with what you're going to shoot? If you just want stuff that's going to look great on a 50" plasma tv at home that's one thing. If you want to produce content for TV & motion picture industry ... that's something else enitrely.

 

[diversteve]

A few comments:

As HDP mentioned we could probably help more if you provide some details around budget, expected usage, expected locations, preferences etc.

id like to purchase a camera to house and i am looking for something that is acceptable to what would be used in actual movies that are to be displayed on the big screen.

big screen? As in HDTV in your living room? Or something else? Shooting for HDTV, you'll probably not be happy unless you go with an HDV rig or the more expensive 3chip MiniDV models. Personally I feel that HDV is the only way to go now for consumer usage.

i dont need super high extra mega definition just somthing that is the current standard on tv and something that will stay current for a few years( i need the super high mega definition dont I? )

I think you should consider HDV, like the Sony HDR-HC3 for starters. Or one of the Canon's.

and also i would like the camera to be easily housed, when i say easy i mean a premade housing that allows access to most of the buttons.

Most housings above about $500 have access to at least all the commonly used features you'll need u/w. The biggest choice to make is probably mechanical vs. electronic controls and lens options. A complete housing list is found at the top of this forum.

My personal recommendations would be Ikelite, Equinox and Gates(in price-ascending order)for mechanical and Top Dawg, Ocean Images, USVH, Amphibico and Light & Motion for electronics. Lenses - with some interchangeability - are pretty much housing specific.

and i dont really care what media state it uses im fine with mini dv, solid state(preferable) or just about anything else i wont need specified equipment to copy over to my computer

Currently MiniDV and HDV both store to MiniDV tape - better grades are available for HDV if desired. Transfer is generally done via Firewire(preferred) or USB2.0. The current "solid state" cameras are either limited by storage size(time) - if using flash memory - or by incompatible standards with the more popular editing packages if an HDD recorder - since they use AVHCD compresssion to squeeze more onto the disk - at a lower resolution.

Look into the hardware requirements for capture/editing/rendering HDV footage for any software package you're considering, they currently require fast drives, high-end CPU's and lots of memory to speed rendering time. MiniDV otoh will work with any current typical PC/Mac that has the proper input.

Ps i dont care how big it is even with lights i already have plans for that...

With most of the housings for the more compact cameras, lights will be the bigger part of the system.

In addition to the uw video forum on Wetpixel, there's a uw video forum on Digital Diver. For camcorder reviews look at www.camcorderinfo.com

 

[ronrosa]

... Personally I feel that HDV is the only way to go now for consumer usage.

When I decided to upgrade my 3 chip TRV900 to HD, the pro's over on Wetpixel told me I would be disappointed with the 1 chip HD cams underwater compared to my 900 and should wait/save for a 3 chip HD cam. They explained that HD is all about resolution and a 1 chip HD cam would be an upgrade in resolution, but a down grade in color and low light. Poor low light HD looks a lot like mini-dv.

I tend to agree that HD is the way to go, but for 1st timers or beginners, the used mini-dv market should not be ignored.

1st timers that want to "try out" uw video can find used 1 chip mini-dv setups very cheap.

For those a little more serious, many used 3 chip mini-dv setups will give them manual white balance, wide angle lenses, and macro lenses.

I just sold my whole setup for the same price as entry level HD systems with no MWB and no additional lenses. So for roughly the same price, the guy who bought my system is getting better color and more lens versatility at the cost of lower resolution in well lit situations.

Decisions, decisions...