dome ports....really neccessary

[np251]

Hi everyone

For wide-angle shots, either video of still, is a dome port absolutely necessary. I know of own housing manufacturer (USVH) who doesn’t use dome ports at all. Obviously cuts down on complexity for housing design, but is a flat port good enough for recreational/ home-movie quality shots.

Weighing up all the options pro/cons of diy housings.

Cheers

Neil

 

[MarkH]

Hi everyone

For wide-angle shots, either video of still, is a dome port absolutely necessary. I know of own housing manufacturer (USVH) who doesn’t use dome ports at all. Obviously cuts down on complexity for housing design, but is a flat port good enough for recreational/ home-movie quality shots.

Weighing up all the options pro/cons of diy housings.

Cheers

Neil

As far as I know, a flat port should be fine for most "off the shelf" video cameras, even at the widest setting. The "wide" setting on most video cameras actually isn't that wide. On my new little Canon mini-DV video camera, the angle of view on it's widest setting is about the equivalent of a 60mm lens on a 35mm film still camera, which is actually slightly telephoto. If you want to add an accessory wide-angle lens though, all the smart people say you need a dome port, so I'll believe them. I've never used a fish-eye converter behind a flat port, but the accepted wisdom is that the video would look stupid. For still cameras, they say that you should use a dome port for all lenses 28mm and shorter (some people say 35mm and shorter, but I think that's a bit crazy). These focal lengths are for 35mm film cameras. Digital would be a bit different (I think a 28mm "film" lens is around the equivalent of a 21-24mm digital lens, but I'm too primitive to know for sure). I have a dome port on my home-made video housing made from an acrylic marine compass dome, but you can order various domes on-line in various sizes. -Usually the wider the diameter of the dome (less curvature), the better, although I don't fully understand the theory (numbers scare me) and if I did, it would take too long to explain anyway.

 

[Curt Bowen]

A flat port will work with most, but the dome port is the prefered lense for proper correction of the wide angle lense. Less distortion with a dome port

 

[chuck e]

Hi everyone

For wide-angle shots, either video of still, is a dome port absolutely necessary. I know of own housing manufacturer (USVH) who doesn’t use dome ports at all. Obviously cuts down on complexity for housing design, but is a flat port good enough for recreational/ home-movie quality shots.

Weighing up all the options pro/cons of diy housings.

Cheers

Neil

Been using a USVH housing with flat port and WAL for 3 years. The video quality is excellent and I can zoom to the limits of the viz or do macro shooting right up against the port.