Reply With QuoteOh and I should say we're only diving to PADI tables, and this won't be a whole new hobby, so "good enough" will do!
Fellas. Not sure if this is the right place, so please put me right. I'm off with the family diving in the West Indies next summer, and I want to get some reasonable photo gear to capture the moments.
The last time I did any underwater photography was over 25 years ago, and a quick google left me pretty impressed with how things have moved on. Seeing the photos some of you have taken of your DNVs there are some pretty experienced folk on here.
So what would you recommend as a reasonable set up?
Thanks in advance.
Oh and I should say we're only diving to PADI tables, and this won't be a whole new hobby, so "good enough" will do!
Ralphy is our resident subsea snapper, he should be along in a moment.
Check out Backscatter.com, the online resource for underwater photography. They have a great article on this exact topic, and actually recommend a GoPro as a good starter option.
http://www.backscatter.com/learn/art...ID=57#TopPicks
The Olympus TG-3 is also a good, cheap camera that is waterproof to 50 feet. But, for very similar money, I think the GoPro could serve many more uses.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IZDKTIC
I managed some stunning video with a GoPro Hero 3 Black. The screenshots from the video were also of higher quality than my older camera/housing set up. Huge bonus of being small & light for travelling and also syncs with phones/tablets easily.
Here's a video I took diving on a wreck in the Caribbean:
http://youtu.be/SC3QXpVy15s
Incredible quality and so easy to use, in fact it was pretty much my first time out with it!
Last edited by ArcofZen; 18th April 2015 at 16:11. Reason: Added video
Thanks JCM3 - I didn't think of the GoPro, that would be ideal, and such an easy and manageable piece of kit.
My last set up (circa 1990) was about a metre wide with the two slave strobes ...
Wow - fantastic vid. Were you just using spectrum correcting filters, or did you use a light as well?
Originally Posted by ArcofZen
Cheap red filter from Ebay and a telescopic pole which was about £25. I did have a dive light but didn't need it on that dive as we didn't penetrate the wreck. To be fair I had a lot of luck with the great vis.
Still, remarkable footage considering it was taken at ~20m and by an amateur! As you say, the tech has really moved on. Even in the last few years.
Edit to mention that I made the video using free GoPro editing software. Also very intuitive to use albeit relatively basic.
Last edited by ArcofZen; 18th April 2015 at 18:10. Reason: Old age
I used to use a Sea & Sea housing with a slave strobe, which I found to be essential for close up and macro stuff; but a flooded housing will ruin your day and camera! Things have moved on a fair bit since then but the flash does transform close up pics and shows the "true" colours
Yes I had the old Sea and Sea gear with twin remote strobes. Big, heavy, fragile & unreliable is how I remember it. So the thought of flipping a filter and pressing one button sounds great!
I've a gopro 4 silver and straight forward hero (the new one just under £100) tbh I can't spot any difference in video quality, it's just the bells and whistles like wifi and a screen that you get extra. The basic Hero is much less to splash out on, ha ha pun intended.
Last edited by catch21; 18th April 2015 at 19:35.
It's very useful having the rear screen though. Otherwise you have an element of guesswork!
Rather than a GoPro, I got the Muvi K2 which is waterproof to 100m and came with a wrist strap and memory card - all extras with the box standard GoPro.
It also came with a nice hard case, an assortment of mounts and it is Wifi.
No brainer.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
I have the Olympus TG 3.
I bought it as a general camera, and for that it is great. Good fast lens (remember, less light under water).
I have been swimming with it - although in the dark, and with no practice. The results were pants. But as others have said, you have a back screen - so I knew at the time...
More practice is the key.
But it is only about 15m proof so see if it fits your needs.
As a dedicated still photographer it pains me to say this ;-) but I’d recommend a Muvi K2(-NPNG model) for the OP’s application.
I’ve used one and was impressed with the overall quality and ease of operation underwater - just make sure you remember to use the anti-mist tabs in the housing and I’d recommend you set it up inside the housing in your air-con hotel room and not outside in the high humidity.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Thanks Ralphy
Looks neat and affordable. How's the colour at depth? I was amazed at what the GoPro filters achieved - presumably the same things work with this unit?
I forgot to mention the anti-mist tabs, very important!
I'd say GoPro but if Ralphy recommends the Muvi K2 then I'd go with his advice.
It's also worth spending out on a couple of good memory cards. I use Sandisk extreme 10 32gb cards.
Running out of space on an epic dive is frustrating to say the least!
I know it's old school, but am I the only one to use tampons in the housing?!!!
I'd love to share a dive boat with you! Haha!
Silica gel or tampons? What say you Ralphy?!
A colour correction filter is needed as most mini-cams do not offer manual white balance. I’m not sure if there is a Magic Filter (have a Google for it) with a specific adapter for the Veho but if there is then I’d recommend that - the one I used had an MF but it was attached by a 'temporary arrangement’ i.e. bodged on.
I think the Veho offers good VFM over the GoPro’s, furthermore the GP’s own waterproof housing does cause some focussing issues underwater (their dive-specific housing is better at this though) and there are alternative housings that overcome this (Backscatter make one) but that pushes the price up. I’m speaking from a critical eye POV though, you may find the issues to be acceptable overall: many divers use GoPro’s and are happy wit the results.
No you’re not, but you’d struggle to get one to fit in the Veho/GoPro housings, even a mini-tampon. U by Kotex is my choice but they’ll not cure misting as much as an anti-mist tab, but are better at retaining any water in the event of a slow leak.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
These might do the job for go pro?
https://www.formatt-hitech.com/en/ca...stems~161.html
I'm off to Mexico on Saturday and bought a basic GoPro HERO, a red clip on filter, bobber and memory card. Apparently strips of chamoix leather are good for reducing humidity inside the case.
I've also got Canon S70 with underwater housing (whis has served me well, but I hope the GoPro will be a step up...at least for videos)
I sold all my underwater camera equipment and just use a GoPro now, you just can't beat HD video and it takes stills, and its all so small you can just hang it off you with a lanyard and grab it when you see something interesting.
The trouble is, with a full Sea and Sea rig and strobes and remotes and what have you, you don't half look professional. On elite Gopro isn't quite the same! A lot less grief lugging it all around though has to more than make up for it. This isn't mine, but is reminiscent of what I had ...
if you decide want to splurge a bit more... here is my setup:
Its a Sony RX100mk2 in a nauticam housing, with compatible wet lens, so I can switch from a macro lens to a wide angle fisheye lens while I'm underwater (in case you see a whale shark swim by while you are snapping a shot of a nudi).
That's a beauty! How does your Nauticam housing work out? Any probs with it? Is that an LED strobe or a spotlight?
Blimey, sounds like a Mastermind script!
I use the reflectivity of dome ports to my advantage underwater, but above water that same reflectivity needs to be borne in mind...
;-)
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
She seems, at least, to have her clothes on ...
LOL! Definitely a PG reflection... :-))
The housing is fantastic, they really put a lot of thought into the ergonomics. This is my third rig with a point and shoot camera and I don't think I would upgrade to m43 or dslr anytime soon because of the flexibility for shooting macro/WA and compact size for travel. IQ is pretty great with this camera too.
I can post some pics I've taken with this setup later...
The light right on top of the camera is a focus light for macro, and just a general dive light.
Ah, another hobby which went by the wayside after having kids.. Spent a memorable and very enjoyable week in the southern Red Sea on a live aboard with Martin Edge..
Don't think the go pro will fit in its housing when the rear screen is used. I wonder if there's a 3rd party housing..?
Last edited by gcleminson; 22nd April 2015 at 18:23.
When you buy the rear screen it comes with some 'fatter' housings to accommodate. I was using one in my video.
I'm off to the Philippines next month for some WW2 wreck diving, cannot wait!
Speaking of Martin, I believe his book on u/w photography to be the best I’ve ever read and I recommend it to anyone taking a camera into the water.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Here are some pics I've taken with my setup:
I use a Canon S100, the Canon housing and hire strobes lights
#EDC Every Day Carry, Lembeh
Hermit Crab (Crop)
here is my GoPro footage from last week (the base model and no strobe lights). OK, but I need to invest in some lights ...and Hero 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1v9...ature=youtu.be
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