Video Housings

[Monkey Matt]

Before you spend money on Video Lights to film free divers be aware that most lights have an effective range of 2 feet. So if you thought that a pair of 35w halogens will light up the sea scape like on the Discovery Channel, you will not only be disappointed but very poor.
The lighting that you see on the TV is normally provided by at least 2 surface current supplied 500w HID lights which will cost you price of a small car!
I presume that you already have a red filter if not that's the first piece of kit to buy. If you have seen the Carlos Coste 102m World record video I can tell you that we only used natural light and filters for the whole sequence. The bottom camera did not have a filter as it was on the ROV and not a very good quality camera.
Lights are great for night dives, close ups and adding a little extra to your shot if you are close enough, within 3 feet. They also light up any particles in the water column.
If you want to try there are several lower cost divers torches that have variable beams that you can either adjust of replace to give the "flood" style of light that you need. This will give you a very rough idea of what can be achieved. I have a slightly more expensive option of a Kowalski 1250 50W halogen fitted with a flood beam (around us$700) to go with a pair of L&M 20w fitted to my Mako Housing. In the UK you could also rent video lights from the UK L&M agent. If you decide that you want them they knock the cost of hire off the purchase price.

 

[Jon]

I've gotta agree with Moneky Matt. Lights are great if your scuba diving, but inever use them, or strobes, for freediving since they are too much to try and swim throguh the water. My father-in-law uses twin 50watt HID lights from HAlcyon for his video camera, but then he has the whole thing mounted on the front of his Gavin Scooter to be able to move it aorund a wreck!

I've also tred friends housed cameras with dual strobes and wasn't sure if I was going to make it up from depth trying to drag all of that extra crap with me- butit was TOO expensive to just drop. :duh

With the low lux ratings on the newer cameras they really seem like overkill, unless your going at night without the moon to guide you. I usually just try and set the white balance on my camera at depth, Ted's white Specialfin Pro's work great for this , and go from there.

Jon

 

[g_atchley]

That is exactly the sort of guidance I was looking for. Thanks very much! Just so you know, my filming is primarily for parents whose toddling offspring are enrolled in classes teaching a survival float technique. Out doors doesn't pose any problems, but one of the locations I must film in is an indoor pool at a local gym. There is only one fully functional high-bay light in the pool area and therefore quite dim. Before investing in any light package I will see what options exist with respect to interior lighting at the gym.

Thanks again for the info.

 

[Jon]

Indoor shots shouldn't be a problem.
These are all shots I took of my daughter taken indoors without a stobe or other light. I use an Olympus 5050 with an Inon dome port lens on the end of it for the close ups. I've heard that video cameras can use even lower amounts of light since the lens is basically always open.

Jon

 

[g_atchley]

Jon,
Great pics! How old is she? I feel it's very important to get the gills developing as early as possible. Anyway, very interesting news regarding video camera light requirements. Your indoor pool situation, however, appears to be quite a bit brighter than the dank cavern-like space at the gym. I should have a chance to check it out sometime next week. Stay tuned.

 

[Jon]

She is a little over two right now.

Here's a few random shots that I took in some murky lakes at depth- or at least below the thrmocline when thins start to get dark.

the toilet is from a Quarry and is down around 20 meters. Vis wasn't great and it was an overcast day.

Ted is spearing athe base of an old underwater habitiat in one of the local lakes. It's a little over 50' at the bottom and vis is never too giid, but you can always touch things up later on.

the scuba diver is down around 80' diving on a wreck in lake michigan. I now know how to set my camera better so the picture would be much improved in the future.

Last shot is one I took of Ted under the ice @ 45'. The lake is never that clean and there was a bit of snow cover to keep out the sunlight.

The main point of all this is that these were all taken without any kind of strobe or light. All where shot in murkier freshwater lakes. If you are in clearwater, where the light can really penetrate you should be able to do quite a bit.

A freind of mine showed my some video stills that he shot was doing some trimix dives up in LAke Huron. When down 2200'+ he could see half the wreck at a time an had shots of the divers swimming along her. Since the divers where so far away his video lights were useless and all was done with just a low lux camera.

Jon

 

[g_atchley]

Great photos. I'm still trying to recover from the words "under the ice". Judging from the light levels in your photos, I should be ok with my camera, as is. I know for a fact I'll be warmer.

 

[donmoore]

After buying my housing last year, I wish I had not. It hasn’t really been worth the money for me. I see where lake divers like Jon really use it, but for me, it costs a whole lot of money and time to get offshore and when we finally hit the water, the camera is the furthest thing from my mind.

My kid’s swim team coach really wanted me to use it for the team practices, but the practices were at night in a low-lit building, which just would not work, plus the editing of the tape and getting it back to him to show the kids in a timely matter just made it impossible. Instead I bought him a couple of 4’ x 8’ mirrors and had him put them on the bottom of the pool. The kids swam over them and looked at their form. Immediate feedback!

I have and will use my camera, but if I had to do it over I would have just bought a digital still camera and case.
don

PS Jon I beat those white special fins look cool! I know that when I look at the light green or blue ones moving through the water they have kind of a mesmerizing effect. White would even be better.

Has anyone heard from Jyri lately? He hasn’t answered my last few e-mails. Haven’t seen any advertising for special fins and their web site hasn’t been updated in awhile.

 

[Jon]

Hey Don,

The white ones are the best since they allow you to set your white balance on your camera underwater- without having to drag along an extra slate to do the same thing with.

I looked at video, but couldn't afford something small enough that I would actually carry with me. I really like my 5050, but I would love to get a housing for my wife's Casio digital camera- it's 5 megapixels and super small so you'd hardly notice taking it along. She has told me that it's not allowed to go anywhere near the water- for now.

I have used my camera, in video mode, to shoot the local master's swimming club during their mid-winter practice's, when it's too cold to do anything outside and I need something to keep me busy. I find it a good workout to swim underneath them and video while they swim on the surface- kind of like a bunch of repeat dynamics while dragging along a camera. I can playit back for them when the get tot he side of the pool and then give it another try as soon as I catch my breath.

I understand about not always wantingto drag it along. Mine usually goes on my float when I spear and then I can grab it if I see somethingneat- that I'm not allowed to spear. Of course, I've also got my speargun/camera mount that allows me to take both along with me when I dive. It slows me down a little bit due to the drag and that's why I'd like to hook up my wife's camera instead.

Here's a couple of shots of the first generation camera mount I had on my gun, I am not sure where my latest hptos are and I'm too lazy to go and take any pictures right now. There's also a quick shot of one of the fish Ted tagged when we were out. Since the camera was with me the whole time I could just snap a picture of him while we were out.

Just to let everyone know I do NOT point a loaded speargun at Ted to take his picture. I can either pop the camera off the mount or just unload my gun to take a pic of him- don't want to loose my best spearfishing buddy just yet.

Of ocurse, I can also take video of fish AS I shoot them which is also kind of fun.

Jon