Snowflakes in my video?

[Averill]

Hey guys,

I do the majority of my diving in the Great Lakes, where there is (unfortunately) a good amount of sediment / floating particles in the water. (Even more so in the inland lakes.) When I'm playing my video back later, just about everyone comments that it looks like it's snowing. Is there any way to get around this? I'll try and get some frames uploaded here later to illustrate what I mean.

Sorry if this has been discussed before, I did do a few searches and didn't come up with anything. This is driving me nuts!

(Camera is a Sony Z1U, housing is from equinox, I have yet to get lights~ which may be my problem?)

Thanks!

 

[paulpost]

It looks that your focus is hunting, what I meant is because of the particles in the water your focus get confused . If your housing has a focus lock use it, or before to put the camcorder in the housing set the focus on manual and select infinity mode settings.
Good luck
Paul

 

[Averill]

Sweet! I'll give that a shot. Thank you!

 

[Okidiver]

It looks that your focus is hunting, what I meant is because of the particles in the water your focus get confused . If your housing has a focus lock use it, or before to put the camcorder in the housing set the focus on manual and select infinite mode settings.
Good luck
Paul

I'm still a videonewbee so forgive the dolt question:

if I set the focus to infinity, it will maintain focus to how close? Say, if in infinity and I move in on an arrow crab, how close (1/2/3 feet?) can I get before the infinity focus allows the crab to fuzz out?

Once again, apologies for the dummy question--know what happens up top, but wondering if it's different underwater...? Oh, and hope I'm not hijacking the thread..

Rick

 

[paulpost]

I'm still a videonewbee so forgive the dolt question:

if I set the focus to infinity, it will maintain focus to how close? Say, if in infinity and I move in on an arrow crab, how close (1/2/3 feet?) can I get before the infinity focus allows the crab to fuzz out?

Once again, apologies for the dummy question--know what happens up top, but wondering if it's different underwater...? Oh, and hope I'm not hijacking the thread..

Rick

That depends on your W/A lens you use, if you use one.
The best way is to experiment, but you can get really close 1 to 2 feet.
Hope will help
I want to add to the above, my rig is a Sony MPK housing with electronic controls 45 watts halogen lights and a Sony HC7 camcorder and a raynox W/A lens, form my tests setting the focus to infinity I can get close to 2 to 3 inches to the subject without loosing focus the downside is that I cannot zoom with this settings, I loose focus what is not a big deal but this may be specific to my set up.
I hope this will help
Paul

 

[muddiver]

You might also want to move you lighting out to the side of the camera to make it as indirect possible. Floaties in frame are a constant nusence even in the ocean because of all the little critters swimming around in it.

 

[MSilvia]

Do a search for "backscatter", which is what that "snow" is called. You should find plenty of hints on reducing it.

 

[Okidiver]

That depends on your W/A lens you use, if you use one.
The best way is to experiment, but you can get really close 1 to 2 feet.
Hope will help
I want to add to the above, my rig is a Sony MPK housing with electronic controls 45 watts halogen lights and a Sony HC7 camcorder and a raynox W/A lens, form my tests setting the focus to infinity I can get close to 2 to 3 inches to the subject without loosing focus the downside is that I cannot zoom with this settings, I loose focus what is not a big deal but this may be specific to my set up.
I hope this will help
Paul

Excellent--the "next" experiment starts next Monday--in Okinawa!:14:
Rick