Would you use a smartphone to take pictures underwater?

[vladimir]

.....

 

[MoceanArmor]

DISCLAIMER - I sell housings for the GoPro and the iPhone 4/4s.
This post is not intended as a product sales pitch as much as sharing the tech info I learned.
I apologize for any bias in my review.

In a nutshell, NO I would not use a smartphone to take pictures underwater since there are no effective optical or flash solutions yet.
Shooting underwater HD video with smartphones however is what piqued my interest.

Here is the synopsis of my one-year of testing numerous smartphone models for underwater video applications.
Always prefer to shoot and see for myself rather than rely on opinion.

Why did I test smartphones underwater?

My "Day Job" is filmmaking and I am always looking for new and cost effective polecam and B cam ideas for my underwater films. Underwater filmmaking is in my DNA and I am a confessed gadget geek (Aren't all divers?).

30 years of film credits and still counting include Wild Antarctica 3D shot on EPIC cameras in Jan and slated for a Christmas release, the pilot for Discovery's Deadliest Catch, SHARK WEEK specials, and my career favorite: Icy Killers- Alasksa's Salmon Sharks.

Testing Method:
Since smartphones are inexpensive on the reconditioned market, I used a large prototype housing with a flat acrylic port to accommodate any smartphone and began shooting real world tests.

Results:
Here are the reasons why the GoPro with a corrected flat port and LCD back continued to win the day over smartphones for my underwater video applications:

1) Anything less than 5 MP was insufficient resolution even for YouTube.
2) Some of the GUI's were not user friendly for housings (Graphical User Interface).
3) "Battle of the codecs" - the multiple corporate codecs (compression formats) wreak havoc in POST, e.g., .mov, .avi, .mv4, etc.
4) Lens was an after thought in most designs
5) Specs require true HD 1080, 30p preferred for television deliverables

Then came the iPhone 4s:
In Nov, 2011 I tested the iPhone 4s while on assignment filming green turtles...game changer.
Here is why I used the iPhone 4s handheld and on a polecam, along with my GoPro hard mounted to the cage, when I got the call to shoot white sharks at Guadalupe for the FORD Facebook campaign seen here:

Shark Dive Adventure in California - Ford Explorer Go Do Webisode - YouTube

​

1) Under the hood of the 4s is SONY's latest generation 8 MP back-illuminated CMOS Digital Imaging Sensor with DVR video capability already built in...c'mon APPLE release the firmware! Meet Sony’s new CMOS image sensor, good candidate for future iPhones — Apple News, Tips and Reviews

2) The release of OS 5 brought the mechanical REC/STOP function to the Volume + button. This means no touch screen controls needed to operate the 4s in camera mode. A simple mechanical button works best.

3) The 4s shoots .mov files that migrate seamlessly from the smartphone through the POST process.

4) The lens on the 4s contains 5 engineered and custom crafted glass elements that APPLE is very proud of: Here's What Makes The iPhone 4S New Camera So Much Better - Tested

5) Records true 1080 30p HD - .mov codec

Summary:
We combined all of this into a bullet proof marine grade billet aluminum uni-body design with one button for REC and made two housings for my professional use.
Pricey, but I'm not going to dive my iPhone in a $3 acrylic case from CHINA either.

Next, incorporated a tool-less vacuum valve. Pull the vacuum and you know you are leak free before dunking your iPhone.
Same thing we do with our 3D IMAX camera.

The final step, we completed the water contact rectilinear fisheye lens for the 4s housing - it's mulit-element design in an aluminum housing is sharp corner to corner.
It also more than doubles the FOV (field of view) underwater compared to the acrylic case solutions.

Will a smartphone ever replace your favorite photo gear for shooting pictures?
Not this year.

Will a smartphone ever replace the way we currently shoot video underwater?
Right tool for the job is always most important.
That said, I did sell my underwater 5D package after the FORD job and started manufacturing, selling and shipping our 4s housing and fisheye lens designs.

 

[LowVizWiz]

I am rather interested in the companies that are promising metal housings with a wrist mount so that a smart phone running an ap could be your SPG (wireless), compass, depth gauge, Decom-puter, still camera and video camera.

And leave $10,000 of DSLR, housing, lenses, and strobes on the boat?! Probably not. But the thing I like about my iPhone is that it's usually in my pocket, while my camera is not.

I saw somewhere (here, probably, or in my inbox) a housing for phones that converts them into dive computers. Great idea, availing divers of the economies of scale that smartphone users enjoy—the phone cost $600, my dive computer $1,200. If my dive computer could take pictures too, I'd have to consider it. Of course, it's probably a case of jack of all trades, master of none, but not everybody needs the master. You'd probably miss the strobes, though.

I voted "it depends."

You mean something like this:

SCUBA CAPSULE - The World's First Truly All-In-One Dive Computer!

 

[t4e]

DISCLAIMER - I sell housings for the GoPro and the iPhone 4/4s.
This post is not intended as a product sales pitch as much as sharing the tech info I learned.
I apologize for any bias in my review.

and i am the Queen of England!



btw is the use of such a minuscule font saving the environment or bandwidth?

 

[ScubaSteve]

and i am the Queen of England!

btw is the use of such a minuscule font saving the environment or bandwidth?

Funny, I respect him more for being up front than you for not telling us you were the Queen before now! And perhaps.....just perhaps, as a new member with one post total they do not yet know how to change the font. That is however, just one of many honest and innocent possibilities.

 

[Tanked]

I have an iPhone case that lets you take it 6 feet underwater. It's great in the pool with my kids, but definitely not for diving.

---------- Post added May 7th, 2012 at 07:28 PM ----------

DISCLAIMER - I sell housings for the GoPro and the iPhone 4/4s.
This post is not intended as a product sales pitch as much as sharing the tech info I learned.
I apologize for any bias in my review.

Seems legit...

 

[t4e]

Funny, I respect him more for being up front than you for not telling us you were the Queen before now! And perhaps.....just perhaps, as a new member with one post total they do not yet know how to change the font. That is however, just one of many honest and innocent possibilities.

oooh puhlease...someone that doesn't know how to use a forum doesn't know how to set up all the nifty information under their name...hmmmz...Dives 5,000 - ∞ ...i feel some coronation coming my way lol
so how do you explain the post is in "size2" as opposed to the forum standard size?

you're being nice, me on the other hand not so much, so i will maintain my position that it is a sales pitch, not that is anything wrong with that if the forum leaders are OK with it



.
ooh and i don't like to make a big deal of my blue blood

 

[Tigerman]

How is it a sales pitch when what hes basically saying is dont think the iphone 4 can replace your proper photo gear?
What I take from the post is pretty much that if you just snorkel or dont want to fork out for a new camera system just for some private-use holiday pics, a case for the iphone might be an option.
Its not like hes yelling out how brilliantly good pictures youll get or how much better the iphone is than your camera.

When it comes to LOW END compact cameras (which, if you want it with a case is what youd need to aim for at $350) Ive seen enough crap from them to believe the iphone 4 can perform the same. Theres a SIGNIFICANT difference between lowend and high end compacts, both with regards to picture quality and function.

I do see another use of the case as well and thats just "general outdoor stuff" as it would protect you very nicely from rain and dirt.

I still wouldnt consider housing an iphone 4 instead of a dedicated high-end cased compact camera though.

 

[ScubaSteve]

oooh puhlease...someone that doesn't know how to use a forum doesn't know how to set up all the nifty information under their name...hmmmz...Dives 5,000 - ∞ ...i feel some coronation coming my way lol
so how do you explain the post is in "size2" as opposed to the forum standard size?

you're being nice, me on the other hand not so much, so i will maintain my position that it is a sales pitch, not that is anything wrong with that if the forum leaders are OK with it

Yeah you are right.....I am being nice. Ask anybody....you are witnessing a miracle . But I stand by the fact that there are many innocent reasons that could apply. I for one do not mind the font as posted when viewed on my laptop (my first viewing and replies to you were on my iPhone where it was a bit small but still easily readable. Pitch or not, I appreciated the time it took to post what he did and his honesty about his profession.

ooh and i don't like to make a big deal of my blue blood

I had a discussion with the Pope in another thread the other day....he too was shy about his real identity

 

[dfx]

This poll is missing an option: "not a chance in hell"