Still or Video? Why no Sony forum?

[Teamcasa]

Although not new to diving, I’m new to underwater photography. I have a Sony DSC-V1 and Ikelite housing.
Photography for me is a hobby and I have no intention of becoming a professional UW photographer. I am very proud of some of my land based photography and was surprised at the lack of quality in my UW photography. I realized I could not hold the camera steady enough for slow exposures and have decided to get a flash unit. Quality land work was always done with a substantial tripod.

The other option is video. I may just pass on stills and go headlong into video.

My questions are, is the Sony DSC V1 worth keeping and using? If so, I’ll need a better way to see the smallish screen if I keep it. Maybe prescription mask (a whole new topic) or some other method of reading the screen.

Aside from using a flash, what other methods or tricks are there for securing/steadying the camera for slower shutter speeds.

Why is there not a Sony camera forum? Are they simply not good enough?

Dave

 

[Fastmarc]

I'm unable to find your camera, so I don't know the specs, but I have a DSCS60 and though this camera doesn't come with some features that would help in underwater shooting, I do manage to shoot some reasonably nice shots from the internal flash as long as the objects are close enough. I do not have a strobe as yet.
If your camera is similar in specs, I suspect you should be able to do the same.
I was pleasantly surprised with the video capabilty of the camera, but if it's video you want to do, getting a video camera would be best.

 

[Larry C]

I looked at the specs on your camera at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv1/page2.asp and it looks like it should be a perfectly serviceable underwater camera. Many excellent photographers on this forum shoot on 5mp as your camera has, or less. Your camera allows manual control modes, which will be helpful underwater, and even has a hotshoe. If your housing has a bulkhead for a strobe, that should allow you to use a variety of them, or you can use an optical slave strobe with your built in flash.

 

[CrazyScuba]

Hey TeamCasa
If you want lots of others to see your pictures go with still over video. I have found over the last 32 years of alternating between shooting stills and video's that the stills get seen a lot more. People also seam to use their imagination more and ask more questions with stills. Videos seam say it all and people don't get as involved when I show them, so I don't get the impact I do with an impressive still.
A strobe is a must to bring out those vivid colors underwater. Here is a good one to check out for most digital cameras. http://www.crazyscuba.com/pd_sea_and.cfm
Type in "camera1" in the discount box for the Blowout pricing.
Britt :fish:
:fish: