I want/need your opinions! Help me out!

[BDSC]

OK, here is my situation.

Last year I bought my first used video setup. It's a Top Dawg II and it has served me well a couple of times. But as expected, I now want to upgrade. I am thinking about a L&M Stingray. It looks like a pretty versatile housing. It will accept quite a few HD camcorders so you'd probably be able to always find a camera for it. It also has the flip cc filter which I currently do not have and want. But the one thing it lacks is the ability to do MWB.

Now let me say that pretty much all my diving is the warm, clear, caribbean type waters like Roatan, The Caymans, Cozumel, Bonaire, etc. Probably always will be. It's just what I like. Also, I do video just for fun and for me and my friends to enjoy. It won't ever be anything more than that.

So want I want you guys/gals to chime in on is just how important is the MWB? Do you think the trade-off for giving up that option to get the versatility of many different cameras would be worth it? I don't have that option now and what videos I have done I thought came out pretty well. Of course maybe it would have been even better if I could have done a WB.

One final thought. I want to show people what I actually see when I dive. If you do a MWB when you do video, does the final product result in colors that may be more vivid but not realistic to what the diver sees during a dive?

Thanks for any thoughts/advice/ideas you folks may have!

BDSC

 

[marshallkarp]

I have been doing dive videos for five years now. I have never had the ability to do MWB at depth. Probably good if you can, but I clean the video footage up with the editing software.

 

[bfisher]

First let me say that I am dumb when it comes to computer stuff. I mean, dumber than a bucket of bolts---but learning. However, I accidentally stumbled upon a partial solution to the MWB problem.

I don't know if all editing programs have the option, but I have been using Corel Ulead 11 Plus and found AWB in the color correction section. I had been spending tons of time trying to color correct my clips. Once I found the AWB option I clicked on it and was amazed at the difference. Talk about a time saver.

Now, talking about the vividness of color? I found the easy was to make things look more natural is to just cut back on the Saturation till I like it. Like you, I am not a great fan of so much color that it looks like pictures in magazines. That is not what I see underwater. To that end I have gotten fairly good results in those warm waters you describe by just using a red filter and natural light down to depths of 100', although there is better color from 80' and up. It just depends on how bright the sun is and the clarity of the water.

As I did say, I like more natural color, but I do see so many films that are just green/blue and if that were what I all I could expect I would not waste my time doing video at all. There is color underwater in more ways than one.

 

[BDSC]

One thing I have not done that you guys have mentioned is doing some color correction in the editing. I have Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8 and probably need to spend more time with it and learn all of it's tricks.

By the way, I spoke with the lady today I bought my set-up from. She upgraded last year to a L&M Bluefin, LED lights, and HC7 camera. Now she is actually thinking about getting out of video. She said she would give me a great deal on what she has. So we'll see about all of that. I think she is getting burned out on it.

Still want more opinions on MWB though.

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

[diversteve]

If you get the Bluefin, it does do MWB. Through a little control on the side that touches the LCD on the camera. Watch the video on the L&M site to see it work. Of course it's not as big an issue if you buy her lights also.

I have an EVO (Amphibico) so no MWB. I did try once to set WB by shooting through an Expodisc while powering on the camera. If anything, the colors were flatter when compared later on a color-corrected monito vs. the exact same scene shot 30 secs. later.

Frankly, I like to see some blue, it's what you see when you look off in the distance while u/w.
I don't do much macro so true colors aren't as important to me. I only shoot for personal use.

You can do a lot of correcting in VSMP also. Just shoot something white u/w as a reference.

 

[ronscuba]

Interesting thoughts on coloring.

Natural, artificial, vivid, unrealistic etc.. Manual white balance improves the color. I'm not sure I consider it unatural or unrealistic. The color is there. It's just not always easy to see it because of the depth, blue water filtration and lack of natural sunlight.

Here's an interesting question. Does the argument also hold true for using filters ? What about lights ? How about photography and the use of strobes ? Are we articificially enhancing the shots to make them more pleasing to our eyes ?

I know in commercial film and print, enhancement is a controversial topic. My own opinion is; media for sales or entertainment is different than for documentary. That being said, there is a fine line between an enhanced look and an artificial look.

 

[BDSC]

One thing that amazed me was all the color I saw when I did a wreck dive with my video with the lights on. I've done wreck dives before with a regular dive light but not with the power of video lights. The colors really pop out when you see things with the video lights. So you're right......the color is there but we can't really see it in all it's glory until you "light it up".

So when someone will ask me is that how it really looks I'll say well.....yes and no.

I'm going to Bonaire next month and plan of doing more macro shooting with the lights on. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

 

[ronscuba]

Macro video with good lights can look fantastic with or without MWB. My biggest problem with macro video is staying still. What kind of lights do you have ?

 

[BDSC]

Macro video with good lights can look fantastic with or without MWB. My biggest problem with macro video is staying still. What kind of lights do you have ?

The lights I have are the L&M SunRay-S Mini Video Lights (HID I think)that came with the set-up. Not the most powerful out there but should be just fine for macro work I would think.