hands free video !!

[jellybelly]

Hi anybody have any experience with these ?? look kinda nifty are they any good?
might be over priced for what the are especially if you add lights, I am unsure if they do still shots

Model 318 & 319 - Wide Angle Scuba Series by Liquid Image | Liquid Image Co.

 

[Glenn from CO]

From the link you provided:

The Wide Angle Scuba Series is an Underwater Camera built into a dive mask making underwater photography ""Hands Free"" for safer swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving.

• Wide angle video camera embedded into a diving mask captures what you see, for easy "Hands Free" photography while snorkeling and diving to 130ft/40m deep
• Video Mode records HD 720P Video 1280x720 up to 30 fps
• Photo Mode records 12.0 MP interpolated images through a 136 degree lens
• Includes a 4GB micro SDHC card and expands up to 32 GB (sold separately). A 4GB card records approximately 2 hours of video. Camera records approximately 700 or more images or 30 minutes of video per 1GB of memory added.
• Includes 4 x AAA Energizer Lithium Batteries
• Model 318 - S/M size mask, Model 319 - L/XL size mask

 

[diversteve]

Or for the same $300 - HERO3 Silver Edition | Wi-Fi Enabled | Professional Quality HD footage

interpolated

Another word for that is often pixelated.

 

[jellybelly]

From the link you provided:

The Wide Angle Scuba Series is an Underwater Camera built into a dive mask making underwater photography ""Hands Free"" for safer swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving.

• Wide angle video camera embedded into a diving mask captures what you see, for easy "Hands Free" photography while snorkeling and diving to 130ft/40m deep
• Video Mode records HD 720P Video 1280x720 up to 30 fps
• Photo Mode records 12.0 MP interpolated images through a 136 degree lens
• Includes a 4GB micro SDHC card and expands up to 32 GB (sold separately). A 4GB card records approximately 2 hours of video. Camera records approximately 700 or more images or 30 minutes of video per 1GB of memory added.
• Includes 4 x AAA Energizer Lithium Batteries
• Model 318 - S/M size mask, Model 319 - L/XL size mask

Ya that one slipped past me glen . i really wanted to know if people have used them .ant what they thought are they worth the money etc . can you ajust white balance etc on the camera
you would think at 12.0 MP. image quality would be good and not pixelated or interpolated as diversteve says . Steve that hero system looks good too and better depth range 40m seems a bit to close to the limit for deep rec dive .

 

[diversteve]

Let me explain that better. Interpolated means that the sensor fills in between pixels to get the desired size/resolution. Typically by using some algorithm that "borrows" part of the adjoining pixels to fill in the space. You can do that in Photoshop also to make small images larger when you don't have the original. Since it's creating information that's technically not there, it introduces some blur.

In the case of this camera it has a 5.0MP sensor but you get 12MP images from it? - you do the math...



It's also a fixed focus camera so nothing closer than .5M will be in focus. And how can you tell when it's on your head?

I think [user]Shaka Doug[/user] was using something similar once in his dive business in Hawaii so you might ask him.

Also compare the video quality of their sample with this one from the GoPro.
http://gopro.com/videos/video-of-the-day/2013/2/14/

I think the choice will be clear.

I'd also be pretty annoyed if somebody kicked my $300 mask off my face somewhere I couldn't recover it. More so than my $50 dive mask. And you can put a lanyard on the GoPro in case it comes off the mount.

 

[flareside]

Yeah, the idea that a 5MP sensor takes 12MP images pretty much tells you all you need to know. And 720p/30 max video makes it about a $30 camera.

 

[jellybelly]

I thought it was too good to be true , camera specifications woul;d not be my strong point i think you guys awnsered all my questions
cheers

 

[Paladin]

My son has one and it really isn't too bad. He used it during our trip to Ginnie Springs at Christmas.

Diving Ginnie Springs II - YouTube

 

[ronscuba]

"Hands Free" is a nice option for recording fast moving action or activities that involve using your hands. I think you will get better more steady footage holding the camera with your hands. Get a lanyard so you can let go of the camera when necessary.

 

[jellybelly]

Thank you guys ,

What attracted me to the hands free was the fact that as a working DM. you could make a little sideline income by videoing dives for clients and still have hands free to lend assistance if Required. I've seen a couple nice cameras get ripped from a DM's hand by panicked diver's . luckily they were recovered but that is a risk i could do with out . Also i like to be as streamlined as possible in the water and not have a lot of gear hanging off my wrists or BCD.but that is just me!!!.