underwater videographer course | equipment | video cameras
Underwater Video Camera
This section helps you in choosing a video camera for underwater use.
In the world of underwater stills there are dedicated waterproof cameras for underwater use, ranging from simple point-and-shoot cameras rated to just a few meters, up to the Nikonos cameras which are capable of very high quality photographs. Sadly there is no such equivalent in the underwater video market. I expect that as the worlds of stills and video converge, waterproof underwater video cameras will emerge. Perhaps even disposable versions will exist in the future. But in the meantime if you want to shoot video underwater you'll need to get a regular video camera and a separate underwater housing for it.
There are two schools of thought on choosing your underwater video rig. The first is to choose the video camera and then choose the housing. The second is to choose the housing and then the camera. My view is that the two have to be chosen in conjunction with each other since the features and controls of each are so inter-dependent, and each housing only accepts a limited range of cameras.
This section examines video cameras that have been used or could be used for underwater use. The 2nd hand equipment market is one you should not ignore when buying a rig. There are some great deals to be had at places like eBay. So relevant models both past and present are discussed.
You should consider service when you choose your camera. Video cameras taken on boats and underwater can have a rough life. Find out where your local service agent is for the particular brand, and where the camera would be sent for service if it is not done at the local agent. In remote locations this can be a significant factor in your choice.
Sony DV Camcorders
It's highly probably that more dives have been made with Sony video cameras than all the other brands put together. Sony are very well supported by underwater housingLINK manufacturers. There are more underwater housings available for Sony cameras than other brands. One reason is that most Sony video cameras have had a LANC socket, which permits electronic control of the camera from a hard-wired control and therefore also by an electronically controlled underwater housing. LANC sockets are rare on other manufacturers' camcorders.
Sony cameras are not only rugged and reliable, but Sony has a good service network and it's likely that if any brand of camera can be repaired in your area or on your travels, then it will be Sony. For example there is a Sony Service Center in Phuket, where I live, and they have made a fine job of servicing and repairing my cameras and other Sony gear over recent years.
DCR-VX1000 / PD100
VX1000 picture
The DCR-VX1000 was Sony's first prosumer 3-CCD DVLINK video camera and was an absolute classic for underwater use. It took great video and was rugged and reliable. I actually attempted to buy a DCR-VX1000 in Hong Kong to put in an AmphibicoLINK housing when I was sourcing my first underwater video rig to shoot HMHS BritannicLINK. Sadly the vendor was finally reluctant to sell for some obscure reason and I ended up buying a Panasonic in a Greenaway Seapro housing which allegedly had a deeper rating. It was a decision I later regretted, although I shot plenty of good footage with the Panasonic.
Mark Thorpe used a VX1000 extensively in tropical waters and you can see samples of his work hereLINK.
The PD100 is the "professional" version of the VX1000, meaning it has a few extra pro features such as balanced XLR audio inputs (of little importance underwater). It shoots DVCAM as well as DV, which may be attractive.
The VX1000 and PD100 are still around on the used market and if you can find one in good condition, and an underwater housing such as an Amphibico to go with it, then you would probably be getting a lot for your money in terms of features and quality.
Link to review
DCR-VX2000 / 2100 & PD150 / 170
VX2000 picture
The DCR-VX2000 evolved from the VX1000 and improved the minimum light level down to 4 lux. I bought a VX2000 in 2004 and it has given many years of good service in my Gates housingLINK. Most of my standard definition video was shot with this camera, including the majority of my Reef Life of the AndamanLINK DVD. It is still used now to make souvenir DVDs of liveaboard trips.
The PD150 is the pro version of the VX2000, so includes balanced XLR audio, an option of monochrome greyscale viewfinder (which helps judge focus), and the option of shooting on DVCAM.
The low light performance of these cameras is excellent, with a rating of 4 lux for the VX2000 and 3 lux for the PD150.
The VX2000 / PD150 evolved into the VX2100 / PD170 with a few improvements including even lower light levels. The PD170 is rated at 2 lux, and is probably the best 4:3 miniDV camera available for underwater use. It is still sold new, and 2nd hand units crop up regularly as shooters continue to move to high definition.
Link to review
TRV-900 / PD70
Picture of TRV900
Another absolute classic for underwater use, the TRV-900 gives quality comparable to the VX1000 but in a smaller package. It is 3-CCD and rated at 4 lux, so it is still good in low light. The PD70 was the pro version (DVCAM, balanced XLR audio etc.).
Some awesome underwater video has been shot with the TRV-900 and some fine housings were developed for it such as the Amphibico NavigatorLINK. Take a look at Kris Wilkes' macro workLINK which won the XXX prize, or Josh Jensen's standard definition workLINK.
After the TRV-900 went out of production it was sought after for its low light performance in a compact package, and these days it is hard to find. If you can find a used unit and housing in good condition then for shooting standard definition 4:3 DV there is little better.
Link to review
TRV-950 / PDX10
Pic of TRV-950
The TRV-950 replaced the TRV-900 and was something of a disappointment to underwater shooters because the minimum light level rating rose from 4 to 7 lux. However it is still a good 3-CCD camera and commonly available on the 2nd hand market.
The PDX10 is of particular interest because it shoots 16:9 natively. Many other cameras shoot 16:9 as well as 4:3, but they do this by cropping the image and lines of video are sacrificed. An external anamorphic adapter (a big lens) can be used to convert the 4:3 picture to 16:9 and still retain the full resolution, but these are usually incompatible with underwater housings. So if you are just interested in shooting for standard definition widescreen then the PDX10 would be a good choice.
Pic of anamorphic adapter ? And pdx10?
Link to review
110 / 115 / 120 / 125
pic
This was a fine range of compact, single CCD, upright "palm cams". They cannot be manually white balanced and the minimum light level is higher than the previous models. However footage I have seen indicates that they perform quite well on automatic white balance and would still be a reasonable choice for a compact, basic DV rig. These cameras were widely used in the early 2000s by resort videographers shooting "dailies".
Link to review
TRV30 / 40 / 50
pic
The specifications of this range were very similar to the 110/115/120/125 range but the shape of the body was "portrait" format as opposed to "landscape".
In 2002 I bought the TRV40 (same as the TRV50 but without Bluetooth) and it was absolutely awful underwater. In daylight white balance mode the color would totally wash out to a monochrome greenish cyan even at a very shallow depth. In auto white balance mode the color would wander and sometimes become quite purple. The only way I could get anything like acceptable performance in available light (daylight from the surface) was to fit both a blue water and green water filterLINK inside the housing and shoot with both. It's OK under artificial light at night though, and it still gets used now for some topside work, but I can see the lesser quality from not having 3 CCDs.
I assumed the problems I had were just typical of single CCD cameras, but when I saw some footage taken with the 115, which had the same basic specifications as my Sony TRV40, it has a much more pleasing color balance. So, for want of more evidence to the contrary, I would recommend you to avoid this range.
Link to review
TABLE OF SONY DV CAMERAS??
Sony High Definition Video Cameras
HC1 / HC3 / A1
Pic
The HC1 was Sony's first consumer HDVLINK camcorder.
The A1 is the professional version of the HC1. It shares the same body but shoots has balanced XLR audio inputs and a larger microphone. It also shoots DVCAM.
The HC3 was the successor to the HC1, in a similar body.
Both cameras are well supported by housing manufacturers.
Link to review
HC7 / HC9
Pic
The HC7 was the successor to the HC3 and has become a very popular camera for underwater video, and rightly so because it does a fine job in a housing such as the GatesLINK that allows it to be manually white balanced. See XXX's video for some idea of the quality that it can deliver. In fact well-shot footage can be hard to distinguish from FX1/Z1 footage, yet the size of an HC7 rig is much smaller.
The HC9 is the latest in the series of HC models.
Link to review
SR
Pic
AVCHD? SR11? SR12?
Link to review
FX1 / Z1
Pic
The FX1 was Sony's first prosumer HDV camcorder. It's a 3-CCD camera in a larger body than the equivalent DV models.
I chose the professional variant, the Z1 as my first foray into high definition videography. I wanted the balanced XLR audio inputs as I have some nice XLR microphones and enjoy recording high quality topside audio of live music etc., and I wanted to be able to take on more topside jobs that require good audio. It also has the ability to record DVCAM for standard definition jobs, and, importantly for me, the ability to boot the camera into either PAL/50i mode or NTSC/60i mode. This means I am available to shoot for customers from both PAL and NTSC parts of the globe. The other feature that I really like about the Z1 over the FX1 is that the zoom can be displayed in numbers from 0-99, rather than the FX1's little graph. This is a useful time saver to me as I know that the camera will not focus in my housing when zoomed in beyond 70.
The Z1 became widely adopted as a 2nd unit camera for broadcasters like the BBC, much as the PD170 had been in the standard definition world. The BBC own loads of these cameras.
The FX1 / Z1 were very well supported by housing manufacturers, and each of the main players offers housings for them. Many accomplished underwater shooters such as Paul WagsLINK, Sean HeinrichsLINK and Mark ThorpeLINK use, or have used, the FX1 or Z1 as their main underwater camera.
Link to review
FX7 / V1
Pic
The FX7 and its "professional" variant, the V1, effectively took the image quality of the FX1 / Z1 and squeezed it into a body of a comparable size to the VX2100 / PD170 DV cameras. They also shoot true 24p, 25p and 30p, which the previous models do not.
The FX7 and V1 are supported by housings from Gates, Amphibico and others. Light and Motion decided to skip these models. The camera is in use by shooters such as Simon Spear and XXX and samples can be seen here.
Link to review
Z7
Pic
For a long time people wondered if Sony would bring out a Z2 model as a successor to the Z1 with, most importantly, true progressive scan. This didn't happen and in the meantime the FX7 and V1 filled this void. But finally there is a more direct successor to the Z1 in the form of the Z7. While still an HDV camera, this adds 24p, 25p and 30p to the formats already shot with the Z1 and improves the low light performance with a rating of X lux. The sensor is now CMOS
The Z7 includes the option of tapeless recording using the optional add-on XXX module which takes SD cards. One hour of HDV takes around 13Gb, and with SD cards now available in 16Gb capacity, this is a very attractive alternative to tape. It has also been reported(LINK TO LAURENCE THREAD) that integrity of the files captured from the XXX module is better than that captured from tape.
Interchangeable lenses?
Sadly the camera is different enough from the Z1 that housings are not compatible, and by mid-2008 no housings that I know of had yet been produced for the camera, but I have no doubt that it would be a good camera for underwater use.
Link to review
XXX (XDCAM EX MODEL)
The XXXX is an exciting development for professional underwater videographers and raises the bar in terms of features and image quality in this size of camera. The XXX shoots Sony's new XDCAM EX (LINK) format and records to solid state Express cards. Early reports about the camera's performance topside have been very complimentary.
The XXX was developed and manufactured by a completely different department at Sony from the one that developed the Z7.
A Gates housing for the camera is scheduled for release in mid-2008 and a Sealux housing is also in development. There is no news from Amphibico, Light and Motion or Sea & Sea about support for the XXX.
The cost of a full XXX rig including camera, housing and lights is likely to run at over USD 20,000 so this is definitely a camera in the professional level. Nontheless the BBC have categorised it as an "HDV" camera(LINK) and as such, productions shot with over 15% XXX footage are not permitted as "high definition". But there is more to life than the BBC, and the camera is highly recommended for shooting great quality video.
Adam Wilkes wrote a fine review of the XXX which can be seen here LINK.
TABLE OF SONY HIGH DEF CAMERAS?
Panasonic
mention my DX100/DX110
and The HVX200 has been used very successfully underwater by a number of shooters. Josh Jensen has used one extensively in a Gates housing and you can see examples of his work here. LINK
DX100
DX200 - 24P
DX300
Canon
- image quality
pedigree of stills cameras
LANC control on some recent models?
JVC
own housings
Sanyo
Equinox?
Seatool?
RED
Link to B&H for purchasing link
Hitachi
Sharp
Samsung
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