crpntr133:
There is so little information out there that it is hard to figure out what you want if you don't know what CCD, High8 etc. are. So far I have only found a few web sites that sell housings. I know Ikelite (which I like) L&M and TopDawg.
Any suggestions on does and don't? I know it will mostly be personal preference but it will at least give a noob some idea of what to think about.
One direct question, does Ikelite make a back to their housing that has a screen on it. I noticed the mirror but how well does that work?
To the best of my knowledge they don't, that's why they sell the mirror. One thing I've read(but not confirmed) is that panning l-r is backwards in the mirror.
My suggestions:
I'm sold on the idea of Sony MiniDV camcorders with LANC control. I think electronic vs. manual control of the camera functions is easier. Having everything in one place is better when you're focusing on what, not how you're filming. And in the rare event that I open my housing on location, it's easy to plug in the LANC jack, slide the camera into the mount, seal 4 latches and go diving.
So Top Dawg, USVH, Ocean Images or L&M would be my choices depending on cost considerations. Personally if I were buying a housing today it would be a USVH or O/I, I like their design philosphy and relative affordability. If money were no object, I'd look at the L&M, Amphibico or Silverfish(German) housings, they seem very intelligently designed and unbreakable.
I would also consider the Top Dawg or any of the other flat port housings since they're not camera specific. I personally don't shoot enough wide-angle work to justify a dome port, ymmv. I like the idea, esp. with the Top Dawg, that there's a whole range of camcorders that will work with it, and it allows for future camera upgrades. Ditto the O/I Dolphin Pro for the same reason.
I like the idea of pushbutton control of the camera functions, even if the electronics do die, you can still seal a running camera in the housing and dive, get a leak with a mechanical housing, especially at a foreign dive location and you're done till you get home. This happened to me, my electronics got fussy on a dive and wouldn't power-up at depth, so the 2nd dive, I just turned the camera on, sealed it and went filming.
And although I have no personal experience with it, from what I've read all of the new electronic housings have solved reliability problems associated with water damage by sealing their electronic modules separately. So worst case, a flood destroys your camera but not your electronics, a point the mechanical housing devotees used to use as a pro-mechanical point.
I also like the idea that I don't have to reach all over the housing to find the controls when I'm focusing on what's in the viewfinder. With a mechanical housing I'd think that there's also an increased risk of bumping the housing, or even banging into it with something hard, like my wristmount computer, which will then be seen/heard on the tape.
I do shots where I follow over a fish as he swims over the reef, so I do a lot of filming through the viewfinder. Having all the controls in one spot makes this easier. My buddy on the other hand does more point and shoot when he uses my housing. We both get good results, except for closeups, he cuts off parts of things. And for my style of filming, access to the zoom/wide and autofocus on/off are as important as power on/off functions. I shoot with 2hr. tapes and batteries that are changed every day, I've never had either end u/w.
I also think having an external monitor on top of the housing (like Gates or the new O/I EasyView) not behind it would make this easier - wish I had one.
For cameras, I think 3-CCD is the way to go if you can afford it. Better quality images and superior stills as well if you plan to grab an occasional still image. This is also why I'd only consider a MiniDV camcorder now, or maybe a Digital 8(Sony) if money's really tight.
As expressed previously, I think the Mini DVD, while a good idea for vacation videos, is a bad one for u/w work. The image quality is compromised for recording purposes and the recording time is limited to 60min or less. Also since you're actually burning a DVD, I think there could be a problem if the power unexpectedly died prior to the recorder closing the session, the footage would be unrecoverable.
If money were no object, I'd be looking at the new HDR-HC1, or an FX1/Z1 if I win the lottery, but even though the HC1 s/b around $2K, the housing costs(for me) are out of reach. There's someone over on Wetpixel who's trying to buy the Gates housing through a partial ownership program, anybody who puts in $375 gets it one month a year. If you need a better reason to consider waiting for/buying HD, check this out:
http://www.ningalooreefteach.com/FX1.htm
Websites that I know of that sell housings:
www.backscatter.com,
www.bhphotovideo.com
www.oceanbrite.com
www.adorama.com
http://www.absea.net
Also the mfr's list(maintained by yours truly) has links to most of the housing mfrs, a lot of them either sell direct or have a dealer list:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=96646
As others have suggested here, I'd get the housing you want then buy a camera for it. Doing it the other way limits your options.
my .02
Steve
