Panasonic GS250 and Ocean Images housing

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Shasta_man

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Looking at using a Panasonic PV-GS250 with an Ocean Images housing.

My requirements for a camera are: 3 CCD, able to adjust white balance in the housing, with reasonable zoom, good low light performance, for sub $1000 price range. The 250 fits this, except low light performance is relatively poor with slow shutter speed. This seems a problem for many 3CCD cameras because of the size of the CCDs.

Does anyone know whether the 400 model improves low light performance over the 250 significantly (As in $700 housing/camera more)?

Requirements for housing are: would prefer push button over mechanical control that you need to move your hands around. Access to WB, Monitor for access, for as low a price as possible. The Ocean Images housing appears to give this, using the camera monitor rather than a $500 addon monitor, with mechanical access to WB.

Anyone used this combination? How easy to see the monitor as it is recessed? Watertight safety? Overall thoughts?

Thanks
 
I actually aquired a gs400 and the OI housing a couple weeks ago, though just haven't had a chance to dive with it yet....I'll be officially trying it on the 24/25 and can't wait!

The monitor is deep in the housing, so I'm curious as to how it will be when I'm actually diving, but the housing is also very flat, so I don't see it being an issue. The housing itself feels sturdy and seals very well. It uses a different style oring from what I've used...like a dual sealing ring...which I"m fine with. I've already put the housing in my soak tank to test it and everything went okay(as it should!) If you get the housing, I'd really say go with addition of the manual controls, cause it's the whole point of getting the camera combo imo(w/b & extra controls). The one thing that you will really want to get used to is the controls with gloves on. For the wb/focus nob, it didn't take much to switch between modes when I wasn't trying to. I figure that I'll have the camera set up to how I'm going to use it and only adjust the wb.

Anyway, good luck!!!
Also check this site out for some footage with the above rig setup that another person on this board has. It's what helped me decide on getting the setup to begin with.

http://www.socaldivevideos.com/

Ciao,
Mark
 
Thanks for your info.

Yes, I was concerned about visibility to the monitor, but hoped that you would just hold it in front of you and it would be easily visible. Very attractive versus the additional $500 monitor cost of other housings on top of their already higher cost. A large screen is a must.

I was also wondering about the bouyancy of the housing as well, as I don't intend to use lights. The extra volume to have the screen open must add some.

I tried the control knob on the GS250 for setting WB and found it sensitive but a welcome ability. I'll use it mostly for warm water trips but also here in Monterey, so gloves will only be a problem here and there.

I considered the 400 but I couldn't see the additional cost being worth it unless the low light performance was considerably better. Is the shutter speed slow in low light? Sony has always had the best low light except that everything is then green. How useful is that? Somewhat. However, I don't see that they included Nightshot on their new PC1000. So performance is likely poor as well.

Very interested in hearing your thoughts after diving it. Let us know. Thanks again for your comments.



shadowr69:
I actually aquired a gs400 and the OI housing a couple weeks ago, though just haven't had a chance to dive with it yet....I'll be officially trying it on the 24/25 and can't wait!

The monitor is deep in the housing, so I'm curious as to how it will be when I'm actually diving, but the housing is also very flat, so I don't see it being an issue. The housing itself feels sturdy and seals very well. It uses a different style oring from what I've used...like a dual sealing ring...which I"m fine with. I've already put the housing in my soak tank to test it and everything went okay(as it should!) If you get the housing, I'd really say go with addition of the manual controls, cause it's the whole point of getting the camera combo imo(w/b & extra controls). The one thing that you will really want to get used to is the controls with gloves on. For the wb/focus nob, it didn't take much to switch between modes when I wasn't trying to. I figure that I'll have the camera set up to how I'm going to use it and only adjust the wb.

Anyway, good luck!!!
Also check this site out for some footage with the above rig setup that another person on this board has. It's what helped me decide on getting the setup to begin with.

http://www.socaldivevideos.com/

Ciao,
Mark
Click to expand...
 
Also give Keith a holler at OI, he is very quick at replying. You might have troubles doing WB with electronic controls, not sure with this model.
 
yeah, keith is great. He'll answer all questions very quickly. They will listen to any suggestions that you have and if it's something they can do, it'll be done....I like that.

just as an fyi, the knob for the wb, also conrtols the manual zoom/focus and the iris.
it's a notch that goes to three postions(has to be pulled out to do this). Like i had mentioned though, I plan on letting the auto iris do it's work initially to see how well it works underwater. The focus is gonna be locked in manual, and the zoom, well, thats electronicly controled so that won't be an issue.

in regards to bouyancy, I've heard that it's on the slight positive side, but thats how my old one is so I don't think I'll mind.

also, check this site out for a pretty in-depth review.
Ibelieve they compare the 200 to it and mention it's low light improvements.
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Panasonic-PV-GS400-Camcorder-Review.htm

Ciao,
Mark
 
While I realize this is more something that is proven over time...

I was looking at bringing in a GS250 for rental, but have chosen to stay away from it because it felt cheaply built. Sony's HC1000 and HC1 are just more solid camcorders.

Has anyone here had any issues w/ the cam?
 
I'm not sure how the gs250 feels, but I do like the feel of the 400. I imagine they closely resemble each other..but not sure. The main issue I have about it is the size, it's a nice palm corder, if you have small hands....otherwise, it feels cramped. But it's going to be in a housing so that really isn't going to be an issue. :)

Not sure on the sonys though....

Ciao,
Mark
 
I just confirmed with Keith that the Ocean Images housing does NOT give access to manual white balance control for the GS 250. The joystick to control that on the 250 is too difficult to use with a mechanical control.

Which really breaks open all whole new can of worms, since I was considering that housing mostly for the access to manual white balance and three CCD camera.

So it's either go with the higher end GS 400 for another 600 or $700 total, or consider the Sony PC 1000, where the camera is $200 more than the 250, but the housing is about $200 less than the 250.

Now the question as, how important is manual white balance?

Is it better than postprocessing white balance? How viable is it to try to set the white balance while filming, and is the effect better then postprocessing?


shadowr69:
I'm not sure how the gs250 feels, but I do like the feel of the 400. I imagine they closely resemble each other..but not sure. The main issue I have about it is the size, it's a nice palm corder, if you have small hands....otherwise, it feels cramped. But it's going to be in a housing so that really isn't going to be an issue. :)

Not sure on the sonys though....

Ciao,
Mark
Click to expand...
 
I have heard of guys turning off their camera and turning it back on once at depth to adjust the WB, don't know if that works or not. IMHO, white balance is a good thing to have access to.

Unless you are in a major hurry to buy why don't you wait. The way Keith talked OI was pretty hopeful of getting access to WB via LANC.
 
crpntr133:
I have heard of guys turning off their camera and turning it back on once at depth to adjust the WB, don't know if that works or not. IMHO, white balance is a good thing to have access to.

Unless you are in a major hurry to buy why don't you wait. The way Keith talked OI was pretty hopeful of getting access to WB via LANC.
Click to expand...


I've never tried that, but wonder if thats a video thing only. I've done the same thing with my digital still, and it never corrects it. It however does have wb control and I've been amazed with the images thus far with using W/B.

If you want to see some differences with nofilter/filter/wb, check about 3/4s down this page.....this guy has an awesome example.

http://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/underwater_douglas.html

also attached an image that I used wb. it was a bit dark so the camera used a slow shutter speed, but you can see how it looks. This is with a canon s500 wb corrected on a white board I brought down with me.

-Mark
 
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