Newbe UW Video Recommendations

[diversteve]

also looking to take the plunge for an underwasser video camera/housing however my needs are recreational only. seek something reasonably priced, small, light and hopefully good to 40m or so for travel. advice appreciated, thanks.

You might consider the Fisheye/Seatool models. They're about the smallest/lightest I've seen. Not sure about the reasonably priced part, here they sell for in excess of $2500 US. Fisheye

Another new option is the Patima Smart 2. At $1300 it may be one of the better deals lately. It's a brand new housing so not proven yet. http://www.patimahousing.com/ It's heavy though. New review here:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/un...ma-smart-2-uw-housing-review.html#post4594248 Note that it's camera specific. Although either of the new Sony XR series cameras seems like a really good choice - I may be upgrading to an XR500 soon myself.

One more new option is the Aquatica HD Wave. It's about 8lbs. No idea about price - it's not even on their website yet.

Other similar options would be the poly housings from Ikelite, Ocean Images or Equinox. But they're bulkier and heavier. Since Ikelite and Equinox use mechanical controls, they're model specific also. One more option to consider is the Light & Motion Stingray HD. It houses a variety of Sony cameras - and the new Canon HFS10.

You also want to ensure that any camera you buy can be housed. Typically that would mean almost any of the newer Sony line, most of the Canon line or a couple of specific JVC or Panasonic models.

 

[UnderwaterAsia]

Izu,

For recreational only, I would recommend Canon over Sony, from my experience they produce better colours. Small, mid-range camcorders are really good now and produce really high quality footage, but the key is how the camera works inside the housing.

I use Ikelite housings as they are affordable and solid, but how well they work depends on the camera. One of the downsides with Ikelite and Canon for example is that some models don't allow you to view the screen (expect in reverse, which is useless!). Other makes you can try are:

Gates, Light & Motion, 10 Bar, Sea Tool

Hope that helps and good luck!

One other tip, as you get more familiar using a camera underwater, you'll realise that manual white balance is essential, so I would pick a set-up that allows you to do this.