Sony PC330? Gates vs Light & Motion?

[sirensmyst]

OK...I just found the right area.....
Also looking into a Sony PC330 or TRV....video & housing.
Like the idea of stills availability....3.3mp seem ok
Have a C5050 now....5mp....
Heard that the Sony housings are not perfect...then saw one flood last trip....yipes.
Appreciate input....
sirensmyst

 

[mjh]

A thread from the PAST. Don't know how much help I can be ended up going with a Nikon D100 in a Aquatica housing. What switched me was: I like taking the still camera with me on about every dive. Not that I shoot a million pics per dive but it is nice to have in case that perfect subject shows up. With Video I feel obligated to shoot a "movie" while there. With the Sony 330 the tec for stills is just not there yet. There is major shutter lag, it would work for shooting pics of landscapes but forget moving fish. Good camera for video, but maybe a generation away for a true "DUO" camera.

Good Luck...

 

[sirensmyst]

From seeing the video 330 on a recent trip....you can pull out the stills from the video anywhere....for me, that means it isn't necessary to have it in "still" mode, or take a still shot. You make a good point....why pay for the still mode if it isn't useful? My bud takes the C5050 for stills anyway....so that wouldn't be my motivation. Thanks for the insite.

 

[PnL]

I'm using an Ocean Images PC housing for my PC120. I chose this housing for the cost, the electronic controls (lanc) and the fact that you can use the camcorder's LCD screen. Other housings, such as the USVH and others, require an external monitor ($$) and an additional battery to run the monitor. I like to keep things simple and the Ocean Images housing works well. There's only three points of failure - the filter switch and the on/off switch, both of which have double o-rings. The third is, of course, the cover. Its completely neutral at depth and very easy to handle.

 

[sirensmyst]

Do you know if ocean images has a housing for the pc330 /

 

[PnL]

Yes. Their PC Dolphin housings will fit the 330 as well as the TRV series miniDV cams (but the camcorder needs to be sent if for proper setup ... may not be true any longer). Give Mike a call, he's a great guy to deal with and very helpful.

I also forget to mention that all the controls are on the handle so there's no need to move your hands while filming, all the controls are right at your thumbs. Its the only housing I've ever used so I'm obviously biased, but I've had no problems at it does everything I need it to do. If you haven't found their website here it is: Ocean Images

Also, have you checked out DigitalDiver.Net? The Moving Pixels Forum at DD.net is a great place to get info .... and there's a few folks with the PC330! Definitely better stills then my PC120 (1.5MB).

 

[PnL]

My previous post didn't seem clear. The camcorder needs to be sent in for setup for the TRV series on the PC housing .... again, I'm not sure if this is still the case.

 

[PnL]

From seeing the video 330 on a recent trip....you can pull out the stills from the video anywhere....for me, that means it isn't necessary to have it in "still" mode, or take a still shot. You make a good point....why pay for the still mode if it isn't useful? My bud takes the C5050 for stills anyway....so that wouldn't be my motivation. Thanks for the insite.

I wonder if you mean you can record stills to the tape or if the PC330 can take any frame of the video, deinterlace it and export it as a still? The PC120 can record stills to either the tape or memory stick so you don't have to change modes while filming.

Nonetheless, if UW photography is what you want a dedicated camera with housing will give much better results then a miniDV, as you've already noted. The difference in video between the earlier PC series and the newer PC330 should be about the same unless they changed the CCD. I think they all do 525 lines which is more than a SDTV can handle anyway ... but still, the thought of 3.0MP sounds a LOT better than 1.5MP, doesn't it?

 

[sirensmyst]

U bet. Photography is new to me anyway...all this is new....Thank you so much for the info. I have been going back and forth on the 330....I understand that the 330 can take a still from any part of the video...and export it as a still. Gives a great range to work with. Sounds like I am going to get it. But I still have a delimma with the housing. I love the LM....but it is pricy and I am reading that it has its problems. And the lights for it are as much as the housing.....I am looking at about $7,000....my car was less. I am about to look at the USVH....

 

[PnL]

U bet. Photography is new to me anyway...all this is new....Thank you so much for the info. I have been going back and forth on the 330....I understand that the 330 can take a still from any part of the video...and export it as a still. Gives a great range to work with. Sounds like I am going to get it. But I still have a delimma with the housing. I love the LM....but it is pricy and I am reading that it has its problems. And the lights for it are as much as the housing.....I am looking at about $7,000....my car was less. I am about to look at the USVH....

I wonder what resolution it captures at if the PC330 takes a still from the video ...from what I recollect when I was looking at the PC330 I thought the video resolution was around 2mp? If so then the PC330 only takes advantage of its 3.3mp when recording to memory stick. Does that sound right?

As for the USVH housing, I talked with Warren in great depth about housings in general prior to my purchase and he was an incredible source of information. In the end, the need for an external monitor ($600) and a battery ($100) in addition to the camcorder's battery (two batteries to charge and maintain!) made me chose the OI housing. But I promised Warren that if I ever get a TRV series that I would purchase a housing from him. I don't think you can go wrong with either USVH or OI for the price. I just can't justify the cost of having a machined aluminum housing - after all, the function of a housing is to keep the camcorder dry and give you function over the camcorder. But I admit that I was eyeing the Mako unit from L&M ... its sure purdy! But if I had purchased that I would have had a purdy black eye from my wife throwing dishes at me (j/k ... my wife's very supportive)