HD Camera

[rrweather]

My fiance and I are getting married in July. Our plan is to purchase a HD video camera for our guests to pass around during the reception.

Since we're buying a camera anyway, my thought is to purchase one that works well underwater. I haven't really begun to research cameras yet. I also don't know a whole lot about video cameras. Since we don't have a camera picked out yet and since we have no reason to pick one over another, I figure underwater performance is as good a reason to purchase one over the other. Obviously the housing will be required.

Is there anything I should look for specifically for underwater performance? Any that stand out in a good or bad way. Our research literally consists of strolling through the video camera section at Costco. I have purchased items from B&H before and gotten good service. Any other stores I should seek or avoid?

I am not looking to go crazy with the camera and housing. My attitude for my dives is I want to have video showing what I see on my dives without making the dive all about the camera. So, I am not worried about getting the biggest, baddest underwater setup.

The other issue is I already own a Canon SX1, which takes HD video. I also have the housing for it. My thoughts are...would it be better for me to just take the money I would spend on a housing for the new video camera and instead buy a light or two for the SX1? My primary interest in underwater stuff is video. I like the fact that I can take video throughout my dive without having to devote my whole dive to trying to get good pictures. We have to buy a camera for the wedding regardless of what I do with the underwater aspect. Would I be better off just buying more gear for the camera I have or getting a housing for the camera we have yet to buy?

I appreciate any information you could pass on. Thanks.

 

[phillybob]

I'd get a cheap HD camera for the wedding (Kodak Zi8 is supposed to be the best out of the cheap camera pack but no one makes a housing for it) and use the SX1 underwater, putting some cash towards a nice video light. If you're going to have your guests pass the camera around at the reception, I wouldn't want to sink a whole lot of money into the camera. Poop happens. The Zi8 is only about $179. Congrats !!

 

[rrweather]

Thanks Phillybob. That was the direction I was heading. We don't have any kids yet so we don't need a ton of video capability.

On the topic of lights, what constitutes a good video light? The only brand I am familiar with is ikelite since that is who makes my enclosure. I don't even know what to look for. The brief browsing I did I saw the ikelite video light. Is there anything I should or shouldn't look for. I appreciate the help. Thanks.

P.S. phillybob, can you send me a hoagie? I'm originally from South Jersey and would kill for a good hoagie!

 

[H2O Photo Pros]

Id like to get a little more info from you before making a recommendation.

1. Do you want a nice quality wedding video?

2. Will you use the camera often above water?

3. How often do you dive?

4. What is your budget?

5. Have you ever shot underwater video before?

I have a couple of cameras in mind that would work well for you and this info will better help me guide you.

 

[rrweather]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply.

1. Our idea for the wedding video is we want it to be candid. We're not hiring a pro to make the "typical" wedding video. We want our guests to pass it around so we see the party in their eyes. For the ceremony itself, we're just going to throw it on a tripod and let it record. If it turns out good, then great. If not, we're not too worried. We are mainly interested in getting the reception on video via our guests.

2. Right now, we don't have kids. I travel frequently but wouldn't bring the video camera with me without the enclosure. So the short answer is, no, we wouldn't use the camera very often above water. When I bought the SX1, my thought was that it took good video for when we wanted it. So far, we haven't wanted it much. I've used the camera underwater taking video more than we have used it above water. We're not having kids for at least 3 more years so I don't have to worry about this camera being around for that. In 3 years, the technology will definitely have changed.

3. I don't dive often enough! I'm sure that is the most common reply. Last year I wasn't home much. This year I am going to be making an effort to dive more. I finally have the fiance convinced that trips to Monterey are in our future. Last year I made about 20 dives. Hoping to do twice that this year as a minimum.

4. My budget is kinda up in the air. I honestly don't know what a decent camera goes for. I'm not dead set on getting the housing for our new camera. Much of it will depend on the cost of the camera. Since the wedding is in 7 months, getting the camera is going to be the first priority. Once I figure out how much the camera is, I can then consider adding accessories.

5. I have not used an underwater video camera before. The thing I like about my SX1 is hitting record and doing my dive. I like the fact that I can simply hold the camera in front of me and it sees what I see. I don't dive enough to devote large portions of my dives trying to get the perfect shot. I want to enjoy the dive and let the camera record it for me without taking away from what I see on the dive. If something catches my eye, I can spend a little more time on it, otherwise I just do my dive and let the camera capture it.

My concern is I live in NorCal, where the visibility isn't always great. Without having used my SX1 here, I know additional light would help greatly. So my thought is would a light or two mounted to the SX1 be more beneficial to me than a new enclosure for the video camera? If so, what light(s) would be recommended. With the additional expenses of a wedding, I really doubt my budget would be enough for a video camera, an enclosure, and a light or two.

I guess having a camera recommendation or two would be the place to start. I haven't set an absolute budget yet since I don't know how much to even expect to pay. I've been on B&H's site and without doing more research, it seems like HD cameras go anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand. If I have to buy a camera that is in the $1000 range, I can't justify an enclosure and some lights for it, at least not 6 months before the wedding. On the other hand, if I spend $5,000 on a camera, I probably won't have to worry about the wedding expenses because my fiance will kill me anyway!

The last consideration is about twice a year, I travel through the Pacific (in the Air Force) and when I do, I bring my dive gear. Also, at least once a year, I go on a dive trip. So, whatever I buy, whether lights for the SX1 or a new setup, I'd like to be able to travel with it without additional luggage. I am going to Belize in April and with the baggage charges these days, adding another bag isn't possible. As it is, we are flying on a puddle-jumper so I have to limit my baggage anyway. The enclosure for the SX1 is not exactly "streamlined" by any means so packing it in a carry-on is always fun.

I hope this info help. I am open to just about any suggestion, from lights for the SX1 to a video camera, to an enclosure. Thank you for the help.

Randy

 

[rrweather]

Did a little more research today, still have a lot to do. I am leaning towards picking up a fairly inexpensive video camera for the wedding and sticking with the SX1 for diving. My ikelite housing has dual handles. My thought is to get a strobe for one side and a video light for the other side. This would give me the best of both worlds. The price of the two lights would probably be about the same as buying a new housing for a video camera. I am happy with the video quality of the SX1 and it would only get better with a light. I'm sure there is better quality video out there to be had but probably not at the price point I am at. Plus, I already have $1400 or so tied up in the SX1 so spending that much or more on another camera and housing is hard to justify.

I would still like some input on video lights. For strobes, I am think of the DS-51. My LDS has one of ikelite's Pro Video Lite 3s in the shop. It belongs to one of the owners. It seems nice enough. I don't know how it compares to other lights. Obviously the ikelight Pro V-8 is significantly cheaper. I am not sure of any other brands or lights that would be recommended for my application.

Thanks for the help and please feel free to recommend any lights to me.

 

[rrweather]

Just saw the DS-161 on ikelite's site. That looks promising for my application. Anyone have any experience with it?

 

[rrweather]

Mike,

I just came across the FIX LED 1000 on your site. That looks like a nice light. Of course, 1000 Lumen is brighter than my dive light. How well does this light work? This light would be significantly brighter than the video portion of the DS-161. I would have to add a strobe if I wanted to take stills with the SX1. Thanks.

Randy

 

[ronscuba]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the reply.

1. Our idea for the wedding video is we want it to be candid. We're not hiring a pro to make the "typical" wedding video. We want our guests to pass it around so we see the party in their eyes. For the ceremony itself, we're just going to throw it on a tripod and let it record. If it turns out good, then great. If not, we're not too worried. We are mainly interested in getting the reception on video via our guests.

Nice idea. Might also want to put a camera on each table for the guests to use. Incorporate stills with the video can make a very nice "candid" wedding video.

My friend did this with cheap disposable flash cameras. Surprisingly, the pics were decent and you got a very nice feel for the atmosphere of the wedding.

 

[rrweather]

Nice idea. Might also want to put a camera on each table for the guests to use. Incorporate stills with the video can make a very nice "candid" wedding video.

My friend did this with cheap disposable flash cameras. Surprisingly, the pics were decent and you got a very nice feel for the atmosphere of the wedding.

Thanks for the tip. We are considering this as well. By the way, your videos are awesome. Makes me even more eager to get to Belize in a few months!