Do the video/photo divers use more gas than the other divers in the group?

[Angelo Farina]

My air cosumption is 13 liters/minute.
It grows to 15-17 whene making photos/videos.
Same happens to many others...

 

[Rilelen]

I don't take video....but I find my air consumption drops when taking photos, because I'm usually settled into one spot, being very still, for a rather long time....that said, I dive frequently (1-2x/week), have pretty low air consumption to begin with, and am generally using a small compact camera set-up (that I'm very familiar with).

I imagine you're going to get different results depending on what you're shooting (large pelagics are different from macro coral shots!), your familiarity with your equipment and dive site, and size/drag of your camera rig.

 

[FezUSA]

As mentioned, I think it depends on what type of UW photography you're doing plus how experienced you are. I have a daughter that will often have my camera instead of me, plus times where I'm just going to dive. When I'm without my camera I use almost the same as my petite wife, or within 100-200 PSI of her, and she sips gas and will often finish dives with 1200 when everyone else is at 700. When I have my camera I'm usually 500 or more lower than her, and she knows it!! My photography style is NOT the type where I'm setting up a tripod or floating really still for 5-10 minutes per shoot. I'm not a macro specialist, or really anything special, I just like to document what I see and hope to get lucky with what I find and capture.

 

[billgraham]

You've got one hand at best and maybe half a brain, and you are working twice as hard.

 

[arew+4]

Unless you are camping 5-10 minutes at a time waiting for perfect presentation, composition, in macro or reef scenes, I would say the photo video diver will use more gas than if not shooting. This comes from fighting currents, re-positioning, chasing subjects, catching up to the group, swimming ahead of the group to photograph the group etc.

 

[Landau]

One of my friends, with around 100 dives uses way less air when he has his go pro.

He has a bad habit of sculling with his hands, wiggling and just moving in general when diving, burning through his air.

But when he carries his Go Pro, he concentrates on being smooth for filming, doesn't scull (he can't with his hands on the camera) and in general moves less, his air consumption is much, much better.

 

[covediver]

I have dived with several professional and skilled amateur photographers over the last 35 years. Their air consumption compared to mine is nonexistent. So, when it is my time to leave, I salute and begin my ascent. I don't expect them to surface with me. I have also seen photographers drain a bottle dry waiting for the next shot.

 

[Damselfish]

My husband (30+ years diving and photography) uses less air on the rare occasions he doesn't take his big a** camera rig. As long as he doesn't forget to add a couple pounds to make up for it. I think he spends a fair amount of effort positioning himself, and offsetting water movement to stay there.