Canon WP-V1 Housing!

[ronscuba]

Good points. Let's see if any new articles, forum posts or comparison tests appear.

I just made a post on DVinfo forum board asking a specific question about the new Intensity board combined with the new Canon. DVinfo frequently has manufacturers, dealers and pro's contributing in addition to amateurs like me. Let's see if anyone has experience with the combination.

Here is a link to my post.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/high-de...-after-recording-any-benefit.html#post1437333

 

[vikramamladi]

Hi All...
I have posted a separate thread but still thought i could get more on this...
I completely agree from all the reading / discussions that Canons WP-V1 is a fine product in its category (preferably amateur u/w video or a vacation diver).
But I have serious doubts over the performance of Canon HF 200 / 20 under low light situations. There have been some video links posted from the above combinations, and they seem fine...
what is the user experience...
In my case I will be diving in tropical waters with 10/15 feet viz, but waters are turbid...

How does this compare with Sanyo Xacti VPC HD 2000 with the Epoque housing

Please enlighten me....

 

[jim hoppe]

most small camcorders do not do very well in low light. There is a review of the hf200 at camcorderinfo.com as well as most other consumer cameras. There is a review posted of the Sanyo which describes it's low light capabilities.

 

[sguft]

Just came home from a dive trip to the Red Sea, wanted to share this one with you.

Shot with HF200, WP-V1 housing and a Ikelite W-20 wideangle lense.

Uploaded the shot totally unedited, however the red is a little overexposed as the camera was set to underwater mode and lighting was provided. But I think it shows what a cheap underwater HD solution can do afterall

youtube.com/watch?v=SE2Pi_WoUbA (unfortunately I have made too few posts to submit a url to the forum)

[youtubehq]SE2Pi_WoUbA[/youtubehq]

 

[nwflyboy]

That looks pretty good. It also allays some concerns I had had about instability (another poster talked about how shaky his video was, but you yours seems rock-steady). A couple of questions:

1. Did you use the Canon weight set?

2. There seems to be plenty of light - How deep were you there? And what do you mean by "light was provided"? - did you have external lights, or do you just mean it was a sunny day?

Thanks.

 

[sguft]

hi nwflyboy

I do not use any weight-system, I have however added a 2nd handle to the WP-V1 housing, which makes it a little easier to stabilize the camera. I have considered to place a few weights though, as the wideangle lense makes the setup a little nose-heavy.

Nick Poole (Liquid Jungle Productions) was filming the turtle aswell and it is his videolights (2 big Hartenberger) that makes the turtle come alive in the shot. It is filmed at about 20m depth.

 

[subcmdr]

So I shot my second video over a week of diving at Grand Cayman. Posted here:

Grand Cayman Island Underwater Video on Vimeo

No fancy editing, just iMovie on the Mac. Used Ikelite W-20 wide angle lense, no filter. Used the Canon's underwater mode for color correction, such as it is.

 

[diversteve]

[vimeo]7248286[/vimeo]

Expand the video to see it in full HD, Vimeo doesn't allow us to do that here.

 

[aquaspider]

I am glad to see that divers are recognizing what a bargain the Canon combo is and are getting good results with it. After viewing some of the videos posted and reading the questions posed, I'd like to make some observations:

Adding a wide angle lens corrects the positive buoyancy, so a weight kit is unnecessary for this purpose. Additional weights are only used if you want to balance the camera.

My first outing with nothing but a wide angle lens attached to the housing was not a complete disaster. By my standards, at least one fourth of the clips were acceptable in terms of camera movement. Obviously, others have different standards.

You can get steady shots with any video camera if you can plant yourself firmly on the bottom and hold the camera still, or if you have good buoyancy control and can hold your position in the water column. An important part of these considerations is shooting style. I am very often in motion while videoing, cruising over reefs, under overhangs, through lava tubes and wrecks, etc. This is where a properly balanced camera really shines. On my latest outing, practically every clip was steady enough to use. The more clips you have to choose from that do not display shooting problems, the easier time you will have to assemble a finished product you can be proud of.

My advice is to go ahead and get the camera/case. You will see if mods are necessary for your purposes. If so, my how-to video can help guide you.

 

[sguft]

I think practise is what makes the difference. I had around 20 dives on my liveaboard trip and the first day I didn't get much good material due to shakiness. But after 5-6 dives practising camera positioning and learning to lock the hands in a position when filming that reduces shakiness, almost all my videos were useful afterwards.