U/W video: help

[rifmaniac]

I'm seriously thinking of getting a decent video camera.
I've no idea what to get. All I know is that I'd like to make films such as Dapiran's: great video scenes (much better than many spearfishing films I've seen), and good audio, without that continuous rumbling or hissing we sometimes get with some cameras.

 

[fuzz]

The most important factor - price. What's your range?

 

[Memo]

Well, the latest camera that dapiran uses apperantly a semi-pro one. The one that he used in aguatto profondo was sony trv900. You have to be really carefull and picky in the white balance and low light quality in the camera that you are getting.

Low light is essential for early morning and deep sessions but also white balance has to be really good to have a nice footage without a foggy view from the suspended particles. Also when you shoot a fish white balance again is the thing that kills the reflections.

all-in all budget is the bottleneck in here.

 

[rifmaniac]

The most important factor - price. What's your range?

in fact, I have 2 other friends who are interested (one of them is a cinema student, the other a spearfisher like me); so there'll be that much money(how much exactly I still don't know, but if needed we'd wait long enough to have enough money to buy get a good camera)

 

[rifmaniac]

Well, the latest camera that dapiran uses apperantly a semi-pro one. The one that he used in aguatto profondo was sony trv900.

thanks a lot. "Aguatto profondo" is the film I was making reference to.
During the film, a sort of filter(brown?) was sometimes put during descent. Does any one know what that is?

 

[shaneshac]

Aguatto profondo 1 was not using the sony trv900 but an even more professional model. The footage was filmed by Sheilo Piscottu from Imagovideosub.

The camera is too large to spear and film with so a constant cameraman is required.

The red lens corrects the lack of red light at depth and gives the images a more colourful look than the typical blue/grey monotone at depth.

If you can get Sogni Blu from Imagovideosub its AMAZING!!! The guy films in apnea in nature reserves (no gun obviously) and you can see spectacular images of huge groupers, massive schools of dentex and many other mediterranean fish in the same image quality as Aguatto Profondo 1

 

[Memo]

yup just realized that i forgot to write aguatto profondo 2 for trv900 As Shane said, the better quality you want the machine gets a bit bigger aswell (so as the price tag).

 

[rifmaniac]

as you do seem rather well informed, does any of you guys know what was used in Alberto March's "al limite"; its second best after aguato profondo 1

 

[shaneshac]

Not sure what camera was used there sorry.

Did you really rate that movie? What did you like about it?

 

[Monkey Matt]

As mentioned previously the size of the camera is a real consideration when breath hold diving. But don't forget that the underwater housing and lens make a huge difference as well. Ideally you want a 3 chip camera but more importantly you need to be able to adjust the white balance while it is in the housing. Many of the consumer type models have touch screen white balance control which cannot be adjusted in the housing. That said I do a lot of stuff with a single chip camera in a Light and Motion housing and in shallower, clearer water it's fine. Check out Carlos Coste's dive at http://www.underwaterpics.co.uk/2005gallery/videos
The stuff at the begining and end of the dive is shot with a Sony PC330 single chip camera with automatic white balance. The deeper shots at 50metres are shot on a 3 chip camera with the white balance nicely sorted. The 80m plus stuff is filmed on an ROV with a very basic annalogue camera.
Red filter is essential deeper than 10m to put the colour back in but you need to take it off nearer the surface as you get too much red. If you are looking for near broadcast quality you need to look at the latest 3 chip cameras with HD and true widescreen.
One last point, having the best kit does not guarantee the best footage. There is a lot of skill involved too. I always say if you give an average joe a canvas and some oils you don't get the Mona Lisa!

 

[rifmaniac]

Not sure what camera was used there sorry.

Did you really rate that movie? What did you like about it?

the quality of the pictures.
and the intro with that old man jumping in the water (I had a great laugh there)
but I didn't learn much about spearfishing (not like the Dapirans)

 

[rifmaniac]

thanks for the info Monkey Matt

 

[vivien]

having the best kit does not guarantee the best footage. There is a lot of skill involved too. I always say if you give an average joe a canvas and some oils you don't get the Mona Lisa!

Wise words!