DIGIDEEP underwater photography & video forum | Unterwasserfotografie & Video

White Balance setting on Sony CX700

2012-01-05T12:18:05Z

Hi there,
I am looking at purchasing a Sony CX700 Video Camera and the Gates housing but I am a little confused as to whether the white balance can be set manually from the housing.
I am coming from a compact camera (Canon G10) background where I can just point undrwater at a slate and click to set the White balance.

Is this possible with Video or is it done in a different way?
Does any one own the Sony CX700 who can give my guidance?
It’s a lot of money to shell out if I can’t shoot underwater and adjust whitebalance for different depths.
Thanks guys
Gary

Noob needs guidance

2010-09-28T23:45:11Z

Hey, new here and searched the board a bit with little luck. Im new in this area and need some guidance on what camera and housing to get. I would like to spend less than 1,000 U.S on the camera and housing. If at all possible id like to get an HD camera. Can someone guide my on what research I need to do, or if this price range is even realistic? Thanks

Washed out colours

2011-01-23T01:02:30Z

Hi there,

I have recently purcahsed a Sony HDR HC3 Camera and a gates housing. So any tips and advice with this setup will be greatly appreciated. Anyhoo, after watching a bunch of UW videos on youtube I have noticed some where the colours are fabulous and some where the colours are kind of washed out, everything still has a blue tint to it. Is this down to

a) The white balance?

b) Lack of light?

c) Editing ?

How can one avoid this and ensure that the all the colours come out perfectly?

Cheers and thanks for reading.

Steve.

Would love to hear some Opinions!

2011-12-07T13:59:53Z

I’m currently new in this community and would like to gain more knowledge with you everyone here

I’m looking to buy a new camcorder does anybody have experience with these models?
Canon VIXIA HF M30 Full HD Camcorder or Canon XL-H1 Camera series.

Any advice and info would be much appreciated!

Shark dives in Fiji

2011-11-27T23:14:51Z

Shark feeding dive in Fiji’s Beqa Lagoon . world class spot if you like sharks sharks sharks!

http://vimeo.com/27614851

Turtles & Stingrays of the Red Sea

2009-01-08T17:10:30Z

http://vimeo.com/2756248

Just to chase away any winter or post-Christmas/New Year blues; here’s some more footage from my HOT summer in the Tiran Straits in the Red Sea.

I missed out on filming any Manta’s, but got some good shots of the beautiful, if venomous, Blue Spotted Stingray who moves so gracefully. In the last shot, a fine specimen actually ‘shuffles’ backwards and forwards in an underwater ballet. The other ‘leopard spotted’ ray is a ‘whiptail’.

It’s hard NOT to love turtles. Especially the last Hawksbill filmed here very nonchantly having a huge feast on the coral, oblivious to all who were admiring him. Contrast him to the shy individual who bolts to the surface at the start of the clip, before dipping his head beneath the waves to keep an eye on us.

The music is a most exquisite rendition of Jules Massenet’s ‘Thais Meditations’. Alas, I played neither instrument!

Happy and prosperous, (or at least PEACEFUL), New Year to all.

Sony - CX550V: Aquatica or Amphibico Housing ?

2010-09-21T03:20:07Z

I have a Sony CX550V High Definition camera.
I’m interested to buy a Housing.
Wich is better ? Aquatica or Amphibico ?
Help me !
Tks
Cadu

Dakuwaqa’s Garden - Underwater footage from Fiji & Tonga

2011-10-05T12:53:52Z

I made a video of some of my favorite underwater footage from my time spent as video pro on Nai’a in Fiji and Tonga in 2008:

Dakuwaqa’s Garden - Underwater footage from Fiji & Tonga

The footage was shot with my Sony HVR-Z1P HDV camera in a Light & Motion Bluefin HD housing. I used the wide 80 degree port for most of it, and L&M Sunray Elite lights for the night dives and some of the macro.

The footage was shot in 1080-60i HDV converted to 720p for YouTube using my Sony Vegas > AviSynth > Megui/x264 method. Unfortunately YouTube’s encoder doesn’t do well with swaying schools of fish etc. so much quality is lost.

Dive site names and species names can be turned on and off using the CC button at the bottom of the video.

I’m interested in feedback, so please let me know what you think. If you enjoy it, please “like” or share it, and subscribe to my channel for future videos. Thanks!

p.s. Is there a way to embed YouTube videos on Digideep?

NEW HOUSING THAT FLOODS. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

2010-11-12T17:46:36Z

i have been shooting underwater stills for about 20 years and after experimenting shooting video on a dslr i decided to make the switch to an hd video camera and housing. so i purchased a new video housing and hd camera to take on a five month trip to film whale sharks in honduras (utila), followed by a two month trip to ecuador (galapagos liveaboard and isla de la plata).
i headed off with my new equipment, amazed at the opportunity of the year ahead of me. the housing leaked at 40 feet on its first use in honduras, a small slow leak but one which made it impossible to use the housing. five months of seeing whale sharks every other day and not a second of hd footage shot.
i returned to the states sent the housing back to the manufacturer and in tens days it was shipped back to me “repaired” and ready for my trip to ecuador.
on the first dive in ecuador the “repaired” housing leaked again, this time at 30 feet but now it was no longer a small leak, this time it flooded in, filling the housing. my video camera was ruined in a matter of seconds. now i’m in the galapagos followed by a month as a volunteer on a giant manta research project at isla de la plata and yet again not a second of footage and a ruined video camera.
in both honduras and ecuador i had pro cameramen look at the housing and in both instances the consensus was that there was no problem with the o rings but the latches that secured the back of the housing didn’t seem to be pulling tight enough to create a water tight seal.
i emailed the manufacturer from ecuador but received no reply.
as soon as i returned to the u.s. i sent it back to the maker and demanded a refund. after a month and several unanswered emails they finally got back to me saying that they would not issue a refund, the housing was fine. despite “repairing” the housing after its first use, the maker claims none of their housings have ever flooded due to maker error, implying it must be my fault.
it seems to me my housing was a manufacturing LEMON, it has never been water tight, not even after being repaired and i have never been able to use it for its intended purpose, to shoot video!
i’ve never asked the maker to pay for my ruined camera or to compensate me for the tens of thousands of dollars i spent to go on trips which were specifically to shoot underwater video. they seem to think that they should send me the housing back and i should just buy another video camera and try using the housing again.
what a great position for a manufacturer, deny all fault and blame the customer for any problems with their product.
to be clear, this is not about money, its about principals.
if a product is sold and never functions for its stated purpose, is “repaired” but continues to be faulty, shouldn’t the customer be refunded their money?

Canon S95 Underwater Footage

2011-08-19T21:45:04Z

After 3.5 months on the road backpacking with my wife, and trying to find some time to edit a small clip during the busy wedding season since we’ve been home (we’re wedding photographers), I finally put this montage together from some of the diving with did.

Everything is shot on a Canon S95 in a Recsea housing. No external macro lens or wide angle was used. In all i’m pretty impressed with this little camera. We’ll be taking off again for another 3 months at the end of this year, and I’m hoping to get a wide angle for it.

SCUBA :: indonesiaPALAUphilippines on Vimeo

our travel blog // http://asphoto.ca/travel