The Morrison Spring Cavern Project

[msuman]

Bugman is correct....Yoda and I talked about the Morrison project again while were diving last week. We are going to try and set a date for the project. It is still very much alive.

Thats good to hear. Sounds like it would be pretty cool if it works out.

Im sure someone has posted pics of the cave on here before, Im going to see if I can find some to see what yall are talking about.

 

[SeaYoda]

I'm actually going to try and get there today between the weather and the river level rising. I have been trying to get some clear water for test shots to fine tune the focal length of the camera. I'll be posting what happens if I make it out there.

 

[huntster70]

Has the Morrison springs picture project been completed????? I'm interested in seething the outcome. Heck I think that GoPros might do the trick as well.

 

[Hetland]

Has the Morrison springs picture project been completed????? I'm interested in seething the outcome. Heck I think that GoPros might do the trick as well.

Project is still in the works.

I really love to trash-talk GoPros, so take this with a grain of salt when I say they wouldn't do the trick. You're going to spend a lot of time setting up lights, and have a result that isn't worth it. Also, I'm not sure how you would synch the shutter to the strobes.

GoPros make great scooter and gun cams (after you spend a hundred bucks "fixing" them for underwater use) but their low-light performance is sub-par when compared to even the cheapest compact digital camera, the glass is terrible, focus is fixed, and is usually soft underwater, there's no depth of field, and the distortion at the edges is almost extreme.

That said, I've been proven wrong before on the GoPros. I have seen some decent underwater video taken, so feel free to prove me wrong, and I'll be happy to eat some crow while showering you with praise for a job well-done

 

[JEC11718]

hetland, i'd like your opinion of a good affordable video camera....I was like days away from buying one! Josh

 

[Hetland]

hetland, i'd like your opinion of a good affordable video camera....I was like days away from buying one! Josh

Josh, I'm a camera snob, and, as hinted at above, I'm biased against GoPro. My biggest argument is that you have to buy extra stuff for it to work underwater, even though it's marked as an underwater camera, and, the video quality just isn't that great. You're essentially paying for its tininess. At minimum, you'll need a special lens port to make the video viewable, but I think GoPro is finally shipping cameras with it. Personally, I would have one for scooters or gun-cams, but that's about it.

That said, watch some actual GoPro underwater videos. I'll emphasize that they need to be UNDERWATER, and shot in conditions similar to the ones in which you will be shooting. If you're happy with what you see, then don't let me talk you out of the GoPro. If it makes you happy, that is all that really matters.

I don't know much about dedicated video cameras. In recent years, digital cameras from DSLRs to Compacts have come with video options that make it harder to purchase a dedicated video unit. The cost to say, add a wide-angle lens to a video camera is exponentially higher than the cost to add one to a digital camera that happens to take video. If you're shooting for the internet, then a digital camera will serve your purpose.

Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Olympus all make really good cameras, and you really can't go wrong with any of them. I prefer Canon because they manufacture their own underwater housings, which makes it easier to find one. A canon housing is generally waterproof to 130ft (though I have taken mine slightly deeper with no ill effects). They are decent housings, and you get a good deal as they usually run about $170-$250. Obviously an Ikelite housing will be more robust, and an aluminum housing is even better, but we're talking big-bucks now.

If I were to purchase a camera tomorrow, I would likely buy a Canon PowerShot S100 ($364) and Canon housing ($230). Obviously this is much more expensive than a GoPro, and you'll likely have a lower frame rate on the Canon, when shooting in HD, but you can't use those extra frames on the internet anyway (unless something has changed).

If money wasn't an object, I would go for one of the new mirrorless SLR cameras like the Sony Nex, which split the difference between DSLR cameras, and compact digital cameras. I wouldn't choose a DSLR because they're just too big underwater, and too expensive (even if money isn't an object!) to outfit properly. Mirrorless SLR's hove their downsides too, as you have to chose a lens, and if you chose a macro lens, and find out underwater that you need to make some wide-angle shots, you'll have to call the dive and change things out. Compact cameras give you more of a choice, especially with stackable wet lenses available.

All the companies above make cheaper cameras that would be fine for underwater video. Check out Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros for info on housings, including some good tips on how to care for your gear. If you're on the fence about a particular model, you can find detailed reviews here: Digital Photography Review but keep in mind that what works topside, doesn't always translate into what works underwater.

 

[JEC11718]

Hetland- thanks so much, I hate how my funds inhibit my wants!!!! I will have to delve deeper into my research for a camera. that was a great response back and I appreciate it!~