I need a suggestion on a Sony Camcorder.

[akscubainst]

Hi all,

While at DEMA, I bought a Mini Top Dawg housing/lights, etc. Now, I need a camera and there are about 20 different Sony camera's that fit that housing. I want a good quality MiniDV camera that will shoot well here in our green Alaska water and my budget is $600 or less.

Here's the list I have to choose from http://www.topdawgvideo.com/compatibility.htm


Any Suggestions?

Thanks

Dave

 

[diversteve]

I'd stay away from the PC1000 since Sony in their infinite wisdom encapsulated the battery inside the housing - so you can't get a large capacity one. Also no MiniDVD's, not that you were considering them.

Another consideration would be to check the other models to see which of them load the battery from the bottom since it will mean you'll have to remove the camera from the housing mounting plate each time to change it.

Other than that I have no specific experience with any of the cameras that will fit.

Did you get a green water filter with it? UR/Pro sells one: http://www.urprofilters.com/content.do?region=FilterInstructions

 

[thereefgeek]

My housing is a Stingray III (flat front port) by Light & Motion wich is the same as the Top Dawg Mini (in my avatar). http://www.uwimaging.com/stingray_three_sport/index.htm
I'm housing a Sony TRV-22 and the camera battery is on the back. I'm also using the Color LCD Monitor Back screen which makes it great for composing shots, but the 4AA battery pack on the Monitor Back combined with the High Capacity Sony camera battery leaves me no room inside the housing for accesory lenses on the front of the actual camera. The flat front port, while less expensive than a dome port housing: http://www.uwimaging.com/stingray_three/index.htm doesn't give you a lot of options for lenses and filters.

 

[crpntr133]

Just remember that most of the newer cams aren't going to be manual white balanced through the LANC. Some are turning the unit off and back on at depths but I haven't heard or seen any results.

Thanks for the heads up sjspeck. I was looking at the PC1000, not now.

 

[diversteve]

Thanks for the heads up sjspeck. I was looking at the PC1000, not now.

Want to read the rest of the review? It isn't pretty, they slammed it pretty good.
http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/Sony-DCR-PC1000-Camcorder-Review.htm

 

[akscubainst]

Thanks all! This helps.

Dave

 

[ChrisA]

Hi all,

While at DEMA, I bought a Mini Top Dawg housing/lights, etc. Now, I need a camera and there are about 20 different Sony camera's that fit that housing. I want a good quality MiniDV camera that will shoot well here in our green Alaska water and my budget is $600 or less.
Dave

Given that housing and that non-clear water you live near you will almost certainly be shooting wide angle. and subject only a few feet away at most I suggest stongly that you buy a screw-on wide angle lens and mount your camera as close to the front port as you possably can. When doing the calculaton to see if the camera fits remember the wide angle lens adds lenght. Any of the HC seres Sonys will give good video. The weak link wil be the water quality. Buy a filter and expect to have to tweek color in post production. With the TopDawg you will have to use a screw on filter between the camera and the screw on filter. (Well OK you could duct tape a filter over the wide angle lens) But you can't remove it without openningthe housing. So concider buying TWO cameras. One for use dry on the baot and one locked up in the housing with filter installed.

The most importent feature on an UW video camera is the size of the CCD chip. bigger is better. The bigge the chip (all else being equal) the beter the camera works on low light. And low light s all you've got down there.

Some people may recommend three chip cameras but your housing is short. Also you are not in tropical clear water