Shallow fresh water test of Akaso EK7000 ($75 GoPro knockoff)

[Russoft]

]I use a color correction on my videos. Pick an object like your buddy's fin and have the computer correct that to white. I also use the image stabilization software, if needed. This video was shot as deep a 35' off Newport RI and I didn't use any filters.

Every time I white balance footage, I don't like the results. When I have the tools to fine tune things on a photo, it turns out great. But in video, I hate the results. Maybe I just need an object that I know is white rather than picking a spot I think is white.

 

[CT-Rich]

I have just started playing with whit balance. It won't work if you have no reference object. For one shot I used the reflection off a divers wrist gauge. The shot with the anchor was actually referenced to the anchor rope. The last shot was tanked at 35 feet and I referenced off of a piece of Jordan's rig (possibly it was the reflection). I keep meaning to add a piece of white plastic some where I can wave in front of camera periodically. Any thoughts on the effectivess?

 

[2airishuman]

I haven't tried any editing yet. Any suggestions for programs? The AKASO shoots .mov, and I'm using Windows 10...

I've been using Power Director, which is probably the best available for Windows. Most serious video editing is done on macs, from what I understand. I like Power Director well enough. It is a resource hog -- you need a modern PC that is well appointed CPU and memory wise, with a higher performance disk.

 

[2airishuman]

I have just started playing with whit balance. It won't work if you have no reference object. For one shot I used the reflection off a divers wrist gauge. The shot with the anchor was actually referenced to the anchor rope. The last shot was tanked at 35 feet and I referenced off of a piece of Jordan's rig (possibly it was the reflection). I keep meaning to add a piece of white plastic some where I can wave in front of camera periodically. Any thoughts on the effectivess?

With good editing tools you can balance the color manually and don't need a white target. A filter still helps more because it restores the dynamic range you otherwise lose. For the best quality you have to do both.

I don't balance manually because it is a paid upgrade to Power Director.

The other thing with underwater video is that the white balance will change depending on depth, distance, and the direction the camera is pointed. If you're working to a high enough standard, you would end up placing key frames while editing that delineate areas where the white balance has to change, and would set up fades so that the change in white balance isn't abrupt.

My goal is to have illustrative videos that can show other divers and non-divers what a site is like. The EK7000 is fine for this. I am still working with a square gopro filter held onto my EK7000 housing with a rubber band. Hardly ideal but it works for my purposes.

 

[J322Y]

With good editing tools you can balance the color manually and don't need a white target. A filter still helps more because it restores the dynamic range you otherwise lose. For the best quality you have to do both.

I don't balance manually because it is a paid upgrade to Power Director.

The other thing with underwater video is that the white balance will change depending on depth, distance, and the direction the camera is pointed. If you're working to a high enough standard, you would end up placing key frames while editing that delineate areas where the white balance has to change, and would set up fades so that the change in white balance isn't abrupt.

My goal is to have illustrative videos that can show other divers and non-divers what a site is like. The EK7000 is fine for this. I am still working with a square gopro filter held onto my EK7000 housing with a rubber band. Hardly ideal but it works for my purposes.

I bought a cheap housing for the Akaso even though it came with one. I did that due to the lack of filters for the Akaso. Russoft directed me to these filters which fit the linked housing.

 

[J322Y]

Shot this today at Alexander Springs again. I used the pinkish filter linked above. Not sure it helped much. Still no editing. 1080p 60fs

This was mainly a test of a rig I'm working on to hold the camera and a light. Can't give details as it's super secret.

 

[Russoft]

at that depth, I'd be surprised if any filter is really necessary.

 

[J322Y]

at that depth, I'd be surprised if any filter is really necessary.

I was hoping it would take out some of the neon green/bright white that shows up in the deeper water...

 

[CT-Rich]

Your brain actually does an amazing job of color correcting. That’s why pictures taken under old style fluorescent lights or at depth look so crappy. Your brain brings up the reds and drops the blues and greens. I used to sell film cameras in a department store. Pictures without filters designed for a particular lighting would look like utter hell. Digital cameras can do some amazing things automatically, very different than film cameras.

 

[J322Y]

I'll be back at Alexander tomorrow. Any advice for minimizing the neon effect?