SoCal, Too bad your 3000 miles away, I just did a trip these past two days in the florida panhandle, vis was a mediocre 30ft, did two dives and got about 28 minutes worth of tapeing that would be a good selling for the sony 330. Also it's down loadable to the computer if you have a USB or fire wire link. Only bad point about the Sony is price it was $899 here, found it on sale at Sears for less than that.
For all you videographers
- Thread starter socaldiver
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
OP
socaldiver
Contributor
Gail,
Are you inviting me to go diving with you and USE your camera? Such generosity
. Fear not the mere 3000 miles for I am in the process of relocating to your neck of the woods.
Yup, guess what I am doing New Years weekend? I got the word lastnight I have to be on the job in Tampa Jan. 2, so, I will be in transit 12/28.
To think that I will be able to possibly rub elbows with such notables as yourself, Walter, Bob, NetDoc, and do I dare say the Floridian wantabe Warhammer. Very thought provoking indeed.
:boom:
Are you inviting me to go diving with you and USE your camera? Such generosity
. Fear not the mere 3000 miles for I am in the process of relocating to your neck of the woods.Yup, guess what I am doing New Years weekend? I got the word lastnight I have to be on the job in Tampa Jan. 2, so, I will be in transit 12/28.
To think that I will be able to possibly rub elbows with such notables as yourself, Walter, Bob, NetDoc, and do I dare say the Floridian wantabe Warhammer. Very thought provoking indeed.
:boom: 
bdombrowski
Contributor
SocalDiver:
I've been shooting u/w stills for about 10 years and video for over 3 now.
From my experience, it's easier and faster to become skilled at shooting u/w video vs stills. The reason is that you get immediate feedback by being able to review your work right after the dive. You'll definitely get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of it, and in the long run, it's cheaper. Why? Because if you don't like the results, you just rewind and use the DV tape over. When you shoot stills on film, you're out the cost of film and processing.
I've made over 150 dives with my first Sony Hi-8XR u/w video system. My video housing and lights are from Ikelite. SP mode tape length is 2 hours and battery life is 4 hours. This system has served me well and my results are great overall. I've been able to sell content filmed with this setup and it's paid for itself. The Hi-8 content transcodes well to DV using a digital 8 deck and I'm able to edit all my content on the PC using Premiere 6.0.
This year, I started to work for a team producing a television show about Florida diving. The project owns a couple of Sony VX-1000s and Amphibico housings (expensive.) As highly touted as the VX-1000 is, I think it's over rated underwater. The battery life is short and fixed to one size. Also, 3-CCD cameras are not very good with low-light conditions. You need big lights to get good results with this setup. The Amphibico housing is one of the best with the most advanced features. You just need to ask yourself "do I really need everything I'm paying for?"
If I was to buy a new system now, I would go with a Sony TRV-900 (for a 3-CCD) and a PC-110 (for a 1-CCD). Being a single CCD camera, the PC-110 is better for low light but won't have the extreme dynamic range of color of the 3-CCD camera. Both these cameras can support larger batteries giving 4 hours of record time. However, DV tapes limit you to 1 hour.
For housings, I really still believe that Ikelite makes great housings for the money you spend, and their service is top-notch w/ no hassles. Their mechanical controls work well at depths less than 150 ft. Your system should have external color correcting filters that can be removed underwater if the camera and housing don't support white-balance control while underwater. DO NOT get a system where you screw the filter onto the camera and then put it in the housing. The filter needs to be removable and replaceable during the dive for flexibility with lighting conditions.
Whatever you get, use the hell out of it. Items in this technology seem to get obsolete pretty quick.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Good luck,
Brian D.
Sarasota FL
SubsurfaceMedia.com
I've been shooting u/w stills for about 10 years and video for over 3 now.
From my experience, it's easier and faster to become skilled at shooting u/w video vs stills. The reason is that you get immediate feedback by being able to review your work right after the dive. You'll definitely get more enjoyment and satisfaction out of it, and in the long run, it's cheaper. Why? Because if you don't like the results, you just rewind and use the DV tape over. When you shoot stills on film, you're out the cost of film and processing.
I've made over 150 dives with my first Sony Hi-8XR u/w video system. My video housing and lights are from Ikelite. SP mode tape length is 2 hours and battery life is 4 hours. This system has served me well and my results are great overall. I've been able to sell content filmed with this setup and it's paid for itself. The Hi-8 content transcodes well to DV using a digital 8 deck and I'm able to edit all my content on the PC using Premiere 6.0.
This year, I started to work for a team producing a television show about Florida diving. The project owns a couple of Sony VX-1000s and Amphibico housings (expensive.) As highly touted as the VX-1000 is, I think it's over rated underwater. The battery life is short and fixed to one size. Also, 3-CCD cameras are not very good with low-light conditions. You need big lights to get good results with this setup. The Amphibico housing is one of the best with the most advanced features. You just need to ask yourself "do I really need everything I'm paying for?"
If I was to buy a new system now, I would go with a Sony TRV-900 (for a 3-CCD) and a PC-110 (for a 1-CCD). Being a single CCD camera, the PC-110 is better for low light but won't have the extreme dynamic range of color of the 3-CCD camera. Both these cameras can support larger batteries giving 4 hours of record time. However, DV tapes limit you to 1 hour.
For housings, I really still believe that Ikelite makes great housings for the money you spend, and their service is top-notch w/ no hassles. Their mechanical controls work well at depths less than 150 ft. Your system should have external color correcting filters that can be removed underwater if the camera and housing don't support white-balance control while underwater. DO NOT get a system where you screw the filter onto the camera and then put it in the housing. The filter needs to be removable and replaceable during the dive for flexibility with lighting conditions.
Whatever you get, use the hell out of it. Items in this technology seem to get obsolete pretty quick.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Good luck,
Brian D.
Sarasota FL
SubsurfaceMedia.com
OP
socaldiver
Contributor
for the input Brian.
Will be relocating to Tampa in a couple of weeks, maybe we can get together and you can show me your setup.
Will be relocating to Tampa in a couple of weeks, maybe we can get together and you can show me your setup.
neilstewart
Contributor
Socald, sounds like me and thee are from the same clan.
I too have a reefmaster RC, but on my recent visit to TCI I saw video used for the first time and was stunned by the results, when I returned home I had 12 rolls of film developed and achieved approx 6 or 7 decent images. Where were the Eagle Rays, the Reef sharks even that Whale shark on Saturday - answer half falling off the edge of my still, or out of focus or many reasons that I am lousy at still photography. My answer plough in some Christmas bonus cash to make sure my next trip comes complete with souvenir stills/video. I have purchased the aforementioned PC110 together with Light & Motions Mako housing with a monitor back. Next trip seems a massive 3 months away, when I'll get my first crack at it, meantime have been in the local pool practising and so far I'm completely chuffed with my progress.
The 110 has a memory stick function that means you can edit stills from tape to memory stick after the dive and also if you go with the 128MB version you would aslo be able to capture or edit to it 20/30 minutes of direct mpeg.
While I was researching my purchase there was one or two things on ebay from retailers at good prices, you might try it if you don't want to do mega money straight off.
You are going on Natasha's Bonaire trip, right? If you don't take the video plunge by September I'd be happy to let you demo my kit then.
Neil
I too have a reefmaster RC, but on my recent visit to TCI I saw video used for the first time and was stunned by the results, when I returned home I had 12 rolls of film developed and achieved approx 6 or 7 decent images. Where were the Eagle Rays, the Reef sharks even that Whale shark on Saturday - answer half falling off the edge of my still, or out of focus or many reasons that I am lousy at still photography. My answer plough in some Christmas bonus cash to make sure my next trip comes complete with souvenir stills/video. I have purchased the aforementioned PC110 together with Light & Motions Mako housing with a monitor back. Next trip seems a massive 3 months away, when I'll get my first crack at it, meantime have been in the local pool practising and so far I'm completely chuffed with my progress.
The 110 has a memory stick function that means you can edit stills from tape to memory stick after the dive and also if you go with the 128MB version you would aslo be able to capture or edit to it 20/30 minutes of direct mpeg.
While I was researching my purchase there was one or two things on ebay from retailers at good prices, you might try it if you don't want to do mega money straight off.
You are going on Natasha's Bonaire trip, right? If you don't take the video plunge by September I'd be happy to let you demo my kit then.
Neil
retnug
Registered
I'm new around here but video is something I have recently gotten into.
I find video more rewarding than still because of the instant feedback. I also am not as patient doing stills.
I find a tape length of 60-90 minutes more than enough considering the average dive length. I also don't have the camera recording the whole time. I started that way but found myself spending more time fast fwding and rewinding when I was trying to find the best shots during editing. The software I use for editing also will break the shots down automatically into scenes when down loading. Making editing quicker.
Some of the stuff I have shot is on a friends web page.
http://www.seaotter.com//marine-life.html
Click on the movies at the top left.
These are edited down to allow for quicker downloading.
Let me know what you think.
Also check out the still shots some of those are pretty incredible.
regard.
Gunter
I find video more rewarding than still because of the instant feedback. I also am not as patient doing stills.
I find a tape length of 60-90 minutes more than enough considering the average dive length. I also don't have the camera recording the whole time. I started that way but found myself spending more time fast fwding and rewinding when I was trying to find the best shots during editing. The software I use for editing also will break the shots down automatically into scenes when down loading. Making editing quicker.
Some of the stuff I have shot is on a friends web page.
http://www.seaotter.com//marine-life.html
Click on the movies at the top left.
These are edited down to allow for quicker downloading.
Let me know what you think.
Also check out the still shots some of those are pretty incredible.
regard.
Gunter
OP
socaldiver
Contributor
We obviously experience the same frustrations from time to time .
Yes, I will be going on the trip in September and thank you for the kind offer. Hopefully I will have already splurged and purchased one of those gadgets, time will tell. Not knowing what the final cost of relocating across the country will end up costing me is the X factor.
Have to make sure I save enough for a trip to North Carolina in May and at least once a month trip down to the Keys.
.Yes, I will be going on the trip in September and thank you for the kind offer. Hopefully I will have already splurged and purchased one of those gadgets, time will tell. Not knowing what the final cost of relocating across the country will end up costing me is the X factor.
Have to make sure I save enough for a trip to North Carolina in May and at least once a month trip down to the Keys.
neilstewart
Contributor
Retnug, thanks for the input, I see you are 2 poster, have you introduced yourself on the meets & greets? No matter I'm glad another videographers posting because I sure will be bugging you guys for tips over the next 2 months. Hav'nt checked out the site yet - feedback imminent!
Neil
Neil
Similar threads
