Wife Wants A Video Camera?
- Thread starter mako1
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Probably both...
Marinevisions
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Do you think we helped him or made him more confused ?
I'm not sure. haha
two new questions
1st
do i need lights? and if so how many? and what would be my best bet?
2nd
looking at the housings, the Ikelight with the mirror view finder looks like is would be a nightmare for us. is the AMPHIBICO EVO HD ELITE a good housing?, it has a nice big screen. just this housing and the sony hc7 would be my max to start with, but if i need lights to start with i woulg have to go another direction.
mike
Hello Joe Holley. Nice to see you here. Hopefully you will find time to contribute and possibly answer questions people might have.
FYI, Joe is a dealer for Gates, Amphibico, Ikelite and Light & Motion. I have personally bought Gates products from him and he has always been helpful and prompt.
IMHO, in clear tropical waters, you can shoot very good video without lights. I use lights for night dives, macro shots and late afternoon dives. If you don't plan on filming these types of dives, I would hold off on lights. You can always add them later.
Which lights are best is a whole different discussion. I suggest doing a little research on the topic. You will hear a lot of different opinions, including mine, which is I am very happy with my $600 halogen lights.
Selecting your 1st system can be very confusing. There is no 1 perfect system for everyone. Some points of view you might want to consider when comparing systems are:
- will the feature help me make a better video ?
- do you consider the feature a convenience or a necessity ?
- will I benefit from the feature now, later, never ?
- what is more important to me, convenience or the end result ?
- will I be shooting wide angle, macro or just stick to standard angles ?
- do I like nightdives ? you will obviously need lights and have to factor in the costs.
FYI, Joe is a dealer for Gates, Amphibico, Ikelite and Light & Motion. I have personally bought Gates products from him and he has always been helpful and prompt.
IMHO, in clear tropical waters, you can shoot very good video without lights. I use lights for night dives, macro shots and late afternoon dives. If you don't plan on filming these types of dives, I would hold off on lights. You can always add them later.
Which lights are best is a whole different discussion. I suggest doing a little research on the topic. You will hear a lot of different opinions, including mine, which is I am very happy with my $600 halogen lights.
Selecting your 1st system can be very confusing. There is no 1 perfect system for everyone. Some points of view you might want to consider when comparing systems are:
- will the feature help me make a better video ?
- do you consider the feature a convenience or a necessity ?
- will I benefit from the feature now, later, never ?
- what is more important to me, convenience or the end result ?
- will I be shooting wide angle, macro or just stick to standard angles ?
- do I like nightdives ? you will obviously need lights and have to factor in the costs.
Marinevisions
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Thanks for the welcome ronscuba.
I would have to agree with ronscuba on several points.
There are plenty of situations that you can get good video without the use of lights. Of course, this is dependent on having clear water and a sunny day.
Night dives, cloudy days and anytime you might be shooting into shaded areas are definites for lights.
mako1...you asked about the number of lights also. It is always recommended to use two lights. This will enable you to evenly light your subject and will help prevent shadowing.
I would have to agree with ronscuba on several points.
There are plenty of situations that you can get good video without the use of lights. Of course, this is dependent on having clear water and a sunny day.
Night dives, cloudy days and anytime you might be shooting into shaded areas are definites for lights.
mako1...you asked about the number of lights also. It is always recommended to use two lights. This will enable you to evenly light your subject and will help prevent shadowing.
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Thanks, I knew that so I don't know why I posted differently previously...
jfproul
Contributor
On your Hi def video , do you have an external light or natural
light do the job ?
thanks
light do the job ?
thanks
Papa_Bear
Contributor
One chip cameras need external light like the HC5, HC7, and I think there is a new HC9 this year! Three chip cameras are bigger more expensive and the housings as well! But they do much better with natural light. All lights are only good for the first 4ft max! The one chip cameras just don't do well with low light!
If you are talking about me, the Roatan videos are all without external lights.
The Belize videos were a mixture. Some shots with halogen lights, some without.
My camcorder is a 3 chip FX7. Like Papa says, it does pretty well with natural light. Even if the scene is a little dark, the colors still come through.
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