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Anyone
who dives with a group has most likely seen an underwater videographer.
They almost seem to be carrying as much equipment as they're
wearing and it occupies most of the dunk tank! While they get great videos, just watching them handling
it all gives me back-ache! Also, it takes a lot of skill - and
investment - to get to that point. So, does that rule out underwater video for the rest of us? Absolutely not!
There are two options
depending on how much you want to spend and how much gear you want to
carry around & put at risk!
1. Buy a camcorder & a dedicated case from manufacturers like ikelite (www.ikelite.com) or
2. Get a point & shoot digital camera & an underwater case.
I've achieved decent quality using the second approach - the lowest
cost route, but you'll need to do some homework as not all digital
cameras are created equal in terms of video. Most people consider video
or movie mode on a still camera to be an afterthought or even a
gimmick (which it often is), so here's a checklist that I
recommend:
1. Choosing a Camera
- A good movie mode with at least 640x480 pixels and 15 - though ideally 30 frames/ sec (fps). I recommend checking different
cameras' video modes out as quality varies and some (like mine) don't
allow you to zoom while recording, which is a minor annoyance. Newer cameras often do, & some are even offering HD (though check the recording times as HD files are
HUGE!)
- Good battery life (based on # minutes / battery in video mode) - & I recommend you get a spare battery.
- A lens with the lowest f-stop # (no larger than 3.5, ideally 2.8). This is the maximum aperture size; key for low light images
- A high ISO rating: this measures the sensitivity of the film, ideally ISO 800 or more, again key for low light situations
- A large screen, but note that this often has a detrimental effect on battery life. I'd go for at least 2.5" (6.35 mm)
- Check the movie file types it stores, too: some (like mine) use
"muxed MPG", which can be a bit more of a pain to edit if you want to
capture sound - more on this in another article. Others use .AVI
(Windows) or .MOV (Quicktime)
- Get at least 2 GB memory (which stores ~24 minutes at 640x480 pixels & 30 fps on my Sony T33), more if you can, especially with HD
2. Getting it under water
- Make sure
there's an underwater case for the camera that's good to 35+ m
(130 ft) depth - check the companies' sites or www.ikelite.com. A double 'O' ring
(like the one for my sony T33) adds extra protection in the event one
leaks (yes, I've lost a couple of cameras from underwater flooding).
- I strongly recommend an underwater color correction filter it counters the blue that otherwise blah's out the image (though
the deeper you go, the less the filter will do).
Some camera case manufacturers sell the filters (Sony sells them for their cameras). A few cameras have an underwater mode: worth checking out, but make sure it
works on video, not just still images.
- Finally - and this is
the cheapest bit, you'll need a dessicant pack that fits inside the
case. They stop condensation & lens fogging - a problem when the air humidity is high, even in warm
water. Most camera stores stock them, but make sure they fit your case/ camera without obscuring anything important! They only seem
to last a few months, even in the original bag, so get them fresh.
You should be
able to get the whole set up for ~US$500 if you look around. It's
cheap, & it's compact enough that you won't be dragging another
suitcase with you or hogging the dunk tank. And another advantage
- you can take underwater pictures, too and you'll be surprised how
good your videos can be. If you're going somewhere remote, you might consider a duplicate set-up in case you flood one case, which happened to me
in Cozumel a couple of years ago: try to find a replacement camera in Cozumel: good luck!
Check out the other pages above on the right for more on this subject
- Set up precautions
- Shooting tips and precautions for underwater video
- Lighting
- Editing, including handling muxed MPG's.
Happy shooting and feel free to email with questions.
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