Shortly after returning from Mexico I sold my CamOne infinity & accessories at a fair price via Taucher.net. While satisfied with the underwater footage I got out of it in the darkness of the caves, the image quality of sunny above land takes wasn't quite good enough for me to want to keep it for any experimental action shoots.
A month later I let go of my Dive Rite reels and a Beaver lift-bag. Figuring I could use a finger spool as safety, rent a primary reel whenever needed and having no use for the salvage bag.
This month I also sold off my precious TillyTec LED 2000 VIDEO, TillyTec LED 1000 and three Scubapro regulator sets, based upon the improbability of a dedicated dive trip in my near future.
Showing posts with label camera. Show all posts
Showing posts with label camera. Show all posts
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
CamOne focus adjustment -vs- DiveBox lens replacement
[1] CamOne focus adjustment
By rotating the CamOne's optics about a quarter turn counter-clockwise it's possible to shoot underwater with the original DiveBox.⊕ all modes can be used, e.g. 127° 1080p, 170° 720p & 4:3 photo
⊕ best possible IQ, if you find out the optimal focus adjustment
⊕ no extra costs
⊗ either sharp above or below water, i.e. mixed footage is not possible without changing the camera's focus
⊗ changing the focus requires fiddling with two tiny screws, which is rather impractical on the go, meaning one has to decide beforehand what shots are wanted
[2] DiveBox lens replacement
Though not yet available for purchase at the time of writing, I assume aquapixs will eventually commercially produce flat lenses to replace the CamOne infinity DiveBox's domed lens, if demand is there. The two flat lenses I got were prototypes to be tried at my own risk. I chose to buy a second DiveBox for this DIY modification.⊕ both above and below water filming is possible in Full HD
⊕ no need to change the CamOne's factory set focus
⊗ only useable for 127° 1080p video, due to heavy vignetting in 170° 720p and photo modes
⊗ putting a wide angle behind a flat lens causes corner softness
⊗ somewhat narrower FOV due to refraction
⊗ replacing the DiveBox's lens implies modifying it, which should not be done too often, as the metal screws holding the lens in place would eventually wear out the threads of the plastic housing, and of course this solution requires at least one check dive to verify waterproofness, but that should be standard procedure anyways
⊗ additional costs for the flat lens and optionally a second DiveBox
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The diver behind the camera
Speleological video dive in Kalimba, challenging one's buoyancy skills, sinus equalization, body positioning and camera handling technique.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
DIY lens replacement
Replacing my secondary DiveBox's standard dome lens with a flat lens prototype took 25', carefully following the german manufacturer's step-by-step instructions. Now I just need to test my modified box's waterproofness, before trying it out with a camera inside.
Using a DiveBox with flat lens should allow me to shoot in Full HD (i.e. with a FOV of 127°) both above and below water, without needing to manually re-focus my CamOne infinity for each medium, as would be required with the original dome lens.
Note that this flat lens solution causes heavy vignetting in all photo modes (3|5|8MP) and in 170° videos (480p & 720p), at least in air!
UPDATE: My modified DiveBox failed its first test, from the looks of it the prototype lens leaked :o( The original remained dry down to 18m.
UPDATE: Yesterday I replaced the first flat lens prototype with the second one I got in about 15'. And today I'm happy to write that this one passed its first 70' submersion down to 18m.
Using a DiveBox with flat lens should allow me to shoot in Full HD (i.e. with a FOV of 127°) both above and below water, without needing to manually re-focus my CamOne infinity for each medium, as would be required with the original dome lens.
Note that this flat lens solution causes heavy vignetting in all photo modes (3|5|8MP) and in 170° videos (480p & 720p), at least in air!
UPDATE: My modified DiveBox failed its first test, from the looks of it the prototype lens leaked :o( The original remained dry down to 18m.
UPDATE: Yesterday I replaced the first flat lens prototype with the second one I got in about 15'. And today I'm happy to write that this one passed its first 70' submersion down to 18m.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Bathtub trials
Just as GoPro's standard housing, CamOne's DiveBox suffers from blurry vision when used underwater. Unlike GoPro's HD HERO, it's supposedly possible to manually adjust the CamOne infinity's focus to get sharp underwater images using the original domed housing.
As there's nothing like trying it out one-self, I filled up the bathtub, pre-checked my DiveBox's waterproofness, put in the CamOne and gave both their first plunge together. For the record: with standard housing & factory-set focus, underwater footage is uselessly blurry indeed (screenshot from 1080p clip below to see for yourself).
Corrective action being required, I put on my reading glasses, got out a precision screwdriver, slightly unscrewed the two 1.5mm screws keeping the CamOne's optical element fixed in place and turned the lens counter-clockwise about 60°. Placed the camera snugly into the housing again and went for another dip. To my surprise that little twist already improved image quality quite noticeably, as in usable-if-need-be. Getting good enough focus, at least at close range, required several more twist-plunge-check cycles and, it being an overcast day, some more artificial light to reduce overall graininess.
In the end, I rotated the lens nearly 90° counter-clockwise* from the factory setting, i.e. a quarter turn, in order to obtain a relatively clear underwater image. Note that sharp below means blurry above!
So, definitely possible, but alas rather impractical on the go as this re-focusing involves fiddling with two tiny screws and requires some Fingerspitzengefühl. Whether in the middle of Yucatan's mosquito infested jungle after a sweaty hike, on a rocking salt sprayed boat before rolling back over into the sea, or, you get the picture, pretty anywhere near outdoor action, is not quite the right place nor time to open a housing and start screwing around with a camera. YMMV.
Meaning you have to decide beforehand whether to go for air or water footage, as shooting sharp in both mediums is not possible without giving the lens a spin. While acceptable for a dedicated above- or underwater cam, not being able to obtain mixed footage, not to mention one-take transitions, is IMO a very restrictive limitation.
As there's nothing like trying it out one-self, I filled up the bathtub, pre-checked my DiveBox's waterproofness, put in the CamOne and gave both their first plunge together. For the record: with standard housing & factory-set focus, underwater footage is uselessly blurry indeed (screenshot from 1080p clip below to see for yourself).
Corrective action being required, I put on my reading glasses, got out a precision screwdriver, slightly unscrewed the two 1.5mm screws keeping the CamOne's optical element fixed in place and turned the lens counter-clockwise about 60°. Placed the camera snugly into the housing again and went for another dip. To my surprise that little twist already improved image quality quite noticeably, as in usable-if-need-be. Getting good enough focus, at least at close range, required several more twist-plunge-check cycles and, it being an overcast day, some more artificial light to reduce overall graininess.
In the end, I rotated the lens nearly 90° counter-clockwise* from the factory setting, i.e. a quarter turn, in order to obtain a relatively clear underwater image. Note that sharp below means blurry above!
So, definitely possible, but alas rather impractical on the go as this re-focusing involves fiddling with two tiny screws and requires some Fingerspitzengefühl. Whether in the middle of Yucatan's mosquito infested jungle after a sweaty hike, on a rocking salt sprayed boat before rolling back over into the sea, or, you get the picture, pretty anywhere near outdoor action, is not quite the right place nor time to open a housing and start screwing around with a camera. YMMV.
Meaning you have to decide beforehand whether to go for air or water footage, as shooting sharp in both mediums is not possible without giving the lens a spin. While acceptable for a dedicated above- or underwater cam, not being able to obtain mixed footage, not to mention one-take transitions, is IMO a very restrictive limitation.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Steinbock Konstellation
In plain english: underwater camera lighting support constellation (codename "ibex") to be tried out & adjusted as needed on location.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Flat lens prototypes
In my mailbox this morning: an envelope sent by a friendly company with two flat lens prototypes for my CamOne's DiveBox.
To be assembled, tested & used at my own risk. Returnable after review if not wanted. Feedback appreciated. [ to be continued ]
To be assembled, tested & used at my own risk. Returnable after review if not wanted. Feedback appreciated. [ to be continued ]
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Camera specs: CamOne infinity
☆ CamOne infinity action cam —firmware 1.05—
* apparently the CamOne's no longer made in aluminum, but in plastic?
☆ CamOne DiveBox underwater housing
| Sensor |
| • 1/2.5" 5MP CMOS |
| • photo: 4:3 ratio , 2592 x 1944 pixel , ~3MB/picture |
| • video: Full HD @ 30fps | HD @ 30|60fps |
| • ISO: auto |
| • WB: auto |
| Lens |
| • glass with fixed focus from 60cm to infinity |
| • aperture: F2.8 |
| • FOV: 127° @ 1080p | 170° @ 720p |
| • replaceable & refocusable |
| Storage |
| • 2× microSDHC memory cards up to 32GB |
| Formats |
| • photo: JPEG |
| • video: MOV or MP4 (H.264 compression) |
| Special Functions |
| • photo bursts of 3|5 shots |
| • time-lapse photos every 3|5|10|30|60 seconds |
| • time-lapse video @ 1fps or 6|2|1fpm |
| • video loop |
| Features |
| • 1.5" TFT LCD |
| • built-in microphone (Mono, 48kHz) |
| • built-in LED light |
| • easy connectivity via micro USB & mini HDMI |
| • rechargeable 3.7V 800mAh LiPo battery |
| • 1/4"20 tripod mount |
| Size & Weight |
| • aluminum alloy * |
| • W:49 x D:34 x H:42mm |
| • 89g (incl. battery & 2 microSDHC cards) |
☆ CamOne DiveBox underwater housing
| Features |
| • access to all the camera's functions & settings |
| • clear view of the camera's LCD |
| • action mount* & 1/4"20 tripod mount |
| • rated to -30m according-to-spec-sheet* ⚠ focus adjustment or lens replacement required for sharp underwater images |
| Size & Weight |
| • polycarbonate |
| • W:75 x D:42 x H:74mm |
| • 63g (w/o camera) | 152g (with camera) |
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
HeKaSys - OneCam
Just ordered a CamOne infinity (224€*) from HeKaSys, enjoying an instant 10% discount as facebook friend :o) which I invested in two Sandisk Mobile Ultra microSDHC memory cards (8GB, Class 6, UHS-1).
UPDATE: Got my tiny new action cam delivered in less than 24h!
UPDATE: Got my tiny new action cam delivered in less than 24h!
Friday, March 14, 2008
Floods happen
Yesterday morning, as I checked my equipment prior to the first dive, I noticed my Tektite Expedition Star wasn't burning evenly. The reason: a few drops of water somehow got through the double O-ring protection supposed to keep it dry :o( How? Who knows. Maybe the O-rings were just too old. I've been wanting to replace them for a while, but haven't been able to find any new ones of that particular size. Luckily I brought a third back-up torch with me, so I still have two as required for cave diving.
Worse and impossible to replace here and now, this morning as I submerged and wanted to switch on my camcorder, it didn't respond. Through the housing's translucent back I suddenly noticed some small drops and immediately resurfaced, opening it as soon as I'd swum back to shore, releasing several cc of water... too late though, the damage already done. Sensitive electronic components + H2O = The End.
Through the dive I kept hoping that maybe I'd be able to resurrect some life into my Xacti later on, after it had had some time to dry, but alas it hasn't given a single peep ever since :o( There's no way this O-ring could have been too old. I'd cleaned & greased it prior to the dive and everything had seemed fine enough. Of course it could also have been a failure of one of the smaller, inaccessible control button O-rings? All it would take is just one little grain of sediment lodging itself where it shouldn't. As you can imagine, I'm a bit depressed loosing my camcorder so soon. Six video dives is all I got to do with it. I was only just starting to get the hang of it...
Despair not however, I still have my old Sea&Sea DX8000G, so I sure hope to do some more shooting, if not high-res photos than at least better-than-nothing low-res video-clips. The show must go on!
UPDATE: I took my empty Epoque housing for another test dive down to 5m and it remained dry... meaning it was probably the main O-ring that failed, and thus my fault? There not being any obvious reason for the leak isn't very reassuring though and my confidence got flushed.
UPDATE: Epoque's quick reply to my email informing them of my misadventure:
UPDATE: According to some german forum posts from an underwater photography shop in Austria, great care must be taken when placing the Sanyo Xacti HD1000 inside Epoque's housing, otherwise the housing's lid might actually not be properly closed, even though all seven clamps are shut! They've apparently had several customers coming back with flooded camcorders, and have now put an explicit warning on their website stating Epoque does not assume any responsibility what so ever no matter the cause of the flood and therefor recommend some kind of third party insurance. They also note that the first Epoque housings (pre 02/2008) for the Sanyo Xacti HD1000 require some internal pieces to be replaced (to me that reads: production error). Anyways, I actually did replace the two small rubber pieces in question inside my housing. To no avail :o(
UPDATE: There's no longer any doubt in my mind that Epoque's EHS-1000HD housing is indeed leak-prone, as more and more users are reporting similar floods. (see forum threads listed below)
→ Forum thread #228051 on ScubaBoard
→ Forum thread #24014 on Wetpixel
→ Forum thread #24410 on Wetpixel
→ German forum thread #4823 on Taucher.Net
→ German forum thread #5019 on Taucher.Net
→ Spanish forum thread #48305
UPDATE: Sanyo (Germany) of course declines any responsibility, even though they promote the EHS-1000HD as accessory on their website.
UPDATE: Interesting read in UWP #48 in which Sim Chee Ghee describes both Epoque's EHS-1000HD and Patima's Xacti housing, thereby briefly commenting on the EHS-1000HD's susceptibility to flooding:
Worse and impossible to replace here and now, this morning as I submerged and wanted to switch on my camcorder, it didn't respond. Through the housing's translucent back I suddenly noticed some small drops and immediately resurfaced, opening it as soon as I'd swum back to shore, releasing several cc of water... too late though, the damage already done. Sensitive electronic components + H2O = The End.
Through the dive I kept hoping that maybe I'd be able to resurrect some life into my Xacti later on, after it had had some time to dry, but alas it hasn't given a single peep ever since :o( There's no way this O-ring could have been too old. I'd cleaned & greased it prior to the dive and everything had seemed fine enough. Of course it could also have been a failure of one of the smaller, inaccessible control button O-rings? All it would take is just one little grain of sediment lodging itself where it shouldn't. As you can imagine, I'm a bit depressed loosing my camcorder so soon. Six video dives is all I got to do with it. I was only just starting to get the hang of it...
Despair not however, I still have my old Sea&Sea DX8000G, so I sure hope to do some more shooting, if not high-res photos than at least better-than-nothing low-res video-clips. The show must go on!
UPDATE: I took my empty Epoque housing for another test dive down to 5m and it remained dry... meaning it was probably the main O-ring that failed, and thus my fault? There not being any obvious reason for the leak isn't very reassuring though and my confidence got flushed.
UPDATE: Epoque's quick reply to my email informing them of my misadventure:
Dear Mr TM, Firstly we thnk you for your having purchased our EHS-1000 HD underwater housing and we are sorry that you have had trouble on this unit for flooded. We are producing our underwater housing with care and we are doing waterproof test with 100% and sufficient pressure before shipment and we are sure that there is no item we shipped with flooded. Anyhow so sorry for this. If you would have any further question please be back to us. Best regards, NN, Epoque World.
UPDATE: According to some german forum posts from an underwater photography shop in Austria, great care must be taken when placing the Sanyo Xacti HD1000 inside Epoque's housing, otherwise the housing's lid might actually not be properly closed, even though all seven clamps are shut! They've apparently had several customers coming back with flooded camcorders, and have now put an explicit warning on their website stating Epoque does not assume any responsibility what so ever no matter the cause of the flood and therefor recommend some kind of third party insurance. They also note that the first Epoque housings (pre 02/2008) for the Sanyo Xacti HD1000 require some internal pieces to be replaced (to me that reads: production error). Anyways, I actually did replace the two small rubber pieces in question inside my housing. To no avail :o(
UPDATE: There's no longer any doubt in my mind that Epoque's EHS-1000HD housing is indeed leak-prone, as more and more users are reporting similar floods. (see forum threads listed below)
→ Forum thread #228051 on ScubaBoard
→ Forum thread #24014 on Wetpixel
→ Forum thread #24410 on Wetpixel
→ German forum thread #4823 on Taucher.Net
→ German forum thread #5019 on Taucher.Net
→ Spanish forum thread #48305
UPDATE: Sanyo (Germany) of course declines any responsibility, even though they promote the EHS-1000HD as accessory on their website.
UPDATE: Interesting read in UWP #48 in which Sim Chee Ghee describes both Epoque's EHS-1000HD and Patima's Xacti housing, thereby briefly commenting on the EHS-1000HD's susceptibility to flooding:
Apropo flooding, a few samples earlier versions of this housing reportedly have had some flooding issues, which upon checking was due to user misalignment of the camera in the housing. The camera inserts into the housing with opened LCD directly as it is, without any trays or adapters. Epoque attended to the problem and improved the housing by installing a nicely, chromed semi circle bracket on the top and 2 plastic brackets in the middle and bottom part to align the camera. Misalignment is therefore passé, however a caution note is still included in the housing packaging, warning users to be careful.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Grand cenote - video test
First photo/video dive with my new Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 mini-camcorder in an Epoque EHS-1000HD housing, fitted with a 0.56x WAL and my two TillyTec dive lights, i.e. a LED 1000 and HID 35.
To my surprise it's actually possible to take quite decent photos. Getting sharp footage in auto-focus mode alas seems to be much harder to accomplish... but then, I may need some shooting practice?
First camcorder & housing observations so far:
⊗ Despite its relatively compact size, the Epoque EHS-1000HD is rather bulky and very uncomfortable to hold.
⊗ Fitted with a WAL this housing becomes very front-heavy.
⊗ Epoque's screw-on WAL is a pain to remove & replace underwater. Personally I much prefer Sea&Sea's quick & easy bayonet system, but alas that's not an option in this case. Still, I recommend using a WAL.
⊗ Despite having both batteries attached to my belt, my underwater camcorder set-up is still too heavy, due to the WAL and two light heads clammed onto the housing via flex-arms.
⊗ While recording in video mode, the autofocus really has a hard time finding the right sharpness in the caves.
⊗ Inside the housing, the HD1000's auto-focus becomes very noisy, rendering any underwater tone almost useless (unless you shoot in locked focus mode).
⊗ Video quality suffers from graininess, despite the 225W of combined output, due to the rather limited range of diffused light.
To my surprise it's actually possible to take quite decent photos. Getting sharp footage in auto-focus mode alas seems to be much harder to accomplish... but then, I may need some shooting practice?
First camcorder & housing observations so far:
⊗ Despite its relatively compact size, the Epoque EHS-1000HD is rather bulky and very uncomfortable to hold.
⊗ Fitted with a WAL this housing becomes very front-heavy.
⊗ Epoque's screw-on WAL is a pain to remove & replace underwater. Personally I much prefer Sea&Sea's quick & easy bayonet system, but alas that's not an option in this case. Still, I recommend using a WAL.
⊗ Despite having both batteries attached to my belt, my underwater camcorder set-up is still too heavy, due to the WAL and two light heads clammed onto the housing via flex-arms.
⊗ While recording in video mode, the autofocus really has a hard time finding the right sharpness in the caves.
⊗ Inside the housing, the HD1000's auto-focus becomes very noisy, rendering any underwater tone almost useless (unless you shoot in locked focus mode).
⊗ Video quality suffers from graininess, despite the 225W of combined output, due to the rather limited range of diffused light.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Underwater videography gear
- camcorder , e.g. Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000
- underwater housing , e.g. Epoque EHS-1000HD
- wide-angle lens
- tray , e.g. Sea&Sea multi-stay
- flex arms with light-head grips
- videolight #1 , e.g. TillyTec LED 1000 with diffuser, umbilical cable, Green Force Flexi II battery, handle & float
- videolight #2 , e.g. primary dive light as listed under cave diving gear
Monday, February 11, 2008
Camcorder impressions
After some trial shootings, both in- & outdoors, I must say I'm quite satisfied with my Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000's overall performance.
⊕ While not quite as pocketable as other Xactis, the super compact & light HD1000 is a very portable & easy to handle mini-camcorder.
⊕ Its comprehensive menu is easy enough to navigate and allows straightforward access to lots of optional manual settings.
⊕ Even in less-than-full 1280x720p HD-HR video resolution, clips are good enough to be viewed in full-screen mode on e.g. a 24" iMac.
⊕ Playback is remarkably smooth at 60fps.
⊕ The HD1000 is a best-of-both hybrid, taking surprisingly good 4MP (4:3) or 3.5MP (16:9) photos with vibrant no-need-to-adjust colors.
⊕ Useable 0.9MP snapshots can be taken while filming in HD-HR, and even better 2MP ones in Full-HD.
⊕ Effective EIS enables handheld shooting without too much noticeable shaking, even with some zooming.
⊕ Low light performance seems to be pretty decent.
⊗ The rather slow auto-focus tends to hunt in less-than-optimal conditions, like in low-light & full zoom, but...
+ it's possible to shoot with preset manual focus or lock the auto-focus anytime while filming
⊗ Sanyo's Full-HD AVC/H.264 encoding format is not supported by Apple, meaning it is not possible to just view or edit video clips shot in 1920x1080i resolution on a Mac, but...
+ downloading & installing avc1decoder* partially fixes this problem
⊗ The LCD's default 16:9 video preview changes into a very different 4:3 still preview when (half-)pressing the photo button, meaning what-you-see-is-not-exactly-what-you-get regarding snapshots.
⊗ The otherwise very decent built-in mic suffers from white noise and inevitable nearness to internal mechanics of focus and zoom engine. Topside, both these interferences can be eliminated by using an external microphone, definitely a recommended accessory when clear audio is important. Underwater however, such an external solution is not available. Worse, due to noise amplification by the underwater housing, the camcorder's internal creaks & whizzes become so irritating as to render the o-tone unuseable.
⊗ Epoque's underwater housing allows access to all the camcorder's buttons except for the mini-joy-stick's up. While this is not really a problem as menu navigation is circular, it does mean one less menu short-cut option.
⊗ The underwater housing's biggest button is its least useful one. Worse, the rather obtrusive push & turn button, meant for switching between record & play mode, is I-can't-figure-it-out impractical.
⊕ While not quite as pocketable as other Xactis, the super compact & light HD1000 is a very portable & easy to handle mini-camcorder.
⊕ Its comprehensive menu is easy enough to navigate and allows straightforward access to lots of optional manual settings.
⊕ Even in less-than-full 1280x720p HD-HR video resolution, clips are good enough to be viewed in full-screen mode on e.g. a 24" iMac.
⊕ Playback is remarkably smooth at 60fps.
⊕ The HD1000 is a best-of-both hybrid, taking surprisingly good 4MP (4:3) or 3.5MP (16:9) photos with vibrant no-need-to-adjust colors.
⊕ Useable 0.9MP snapshots can be taken while filming in HD-HR, and even better 2MP ones in Full-HD.
⊕ Effective EIS enables handheld shooting without too much noticeable shaking, even with some zooming.
⊕ Low light performance seems to be pretty decent.
⊗ The rather slow auto-focus tends to hunt in less-than-optimal conditions, like in low-light & full zoom, but...
+ it's possible to shoot with preset manual focus or lock the auto-focus anytime while filming
⊗ Sanyo's Full-HD AVC/H.264 encoding format is not supported by Apple, meaning it is not possible to just view or edit video clips shot in 1920x1080i resolution on a Mac, but...
+ downloading & installing avc1decoder* partially fixes this problem
⊗ The LCD's default 16:9 video preview changes into a very different 4:3 still preview when (half-)pressing the photo button, meaning what-you-see-is-not-exactly-what-you-get regarding snapshots.
⊗ The otherwise very decent built-in mic suffers from white noise and inevitable nearness to internal mechanics of focus and zoom engine. Topside, both these interferences can be eliminated by using an external microphone, definitely a recommended accessory when clear audio is important. Underwater however, such an external solution is not available. Worse, due to noise amplification by the underwater housing, the camcorder's internal creaks & whizzes become so irritating as to render the o-tone unuseable.
⊗ Epoque's underwater housing allows access to all the camcorder's buttons except for the mini-joy-stick's up. While this is not really a problem as menu navigation is circular, it does mean one less menu short-cut option.
⊗ The underwater housing's biggest button is its least useful one. Worse, the rather obtrusive push & turn button, meant for switching between record & play mode, is I-can't-figure-it-out impractical.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Camcorder specs: Sanyo Xacti HD1000
☆ SANYO XACTI VPC-HD1000 digital mini-camcorder
☆ EPOQUE EHS-1000HD underwater housing
| Sensor |
| • 1/2.5" 4MP CMOS |
| • photo: 2288 x 1712 pixel (4:3) or 2496 x 1408 pixel (16:9) • video: 1920 x 1080 pixel (60fields/s, 12Mbps, 16:9) |
| • ISO: auto or manual from 50 up to 3200 |
| • WB: auto, fine, cloud, incandescent, fluorescent, manual |
| Lens |
| • 10x optical zoom • equivalent to 38-380mm (photo) & 50-497mm (video) |
| • aperture: F1.8 (wide) - F2.5 (tele) |
| • focus: from 10cm to infinite (wide) & down to 1cm (macro) |
| • shutter: 1/2-1/1000s (photo) & 1/30-1/10000s (video) |
| Storage |
| • SD or SDHC memory card up to 8GB |
| Formats |
| • photo: JPEG |
| • video: MPEG4 (AVC/H.264) |
| • audio: AAC (48kHz, 16bit, 2ch, stereo) |
| Features |
| • 2.7" widescreen TFT LCD (230'000 pixels, 285° rotatable) |
| • electronic image stabilization (photo & video) |
| • face detection (photo) |
| • built-in microphone |
| • 2.5mm microphone jack (with 3.5mm adaptor) |
| • 3.5mm headset jack |
| • built-in flash |
| • accessory shoe |
| • IR remote control |
| • multi connectivity via docking station |
| Size & Weight |
| • W:55 x D:90 x H:113mm |
| • 311g (incl. battery & SD card) |
| • 40.5mm thread for filters & conversion lenses |
☆ EPOQUE EHS-1000HD underwater housing
| Features |
| • access to all the camcorder's functions & settings |
| • clear view of the camcorder's LCD |
| • rated to -45m |
| Size & Weight |
| • polycarbonate |
| • W:195 x D:124 x H:186mm |
| • 720g (dry) |
| • 67mm thread for filters & conversion lenses |
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Let's roll!
Ordered online barely two days ago, this morning a box full of goodies was delivered at my doorstep :o)
• Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 camcorder (642€), including:
+ DB-L50 3.7V 1900mAh lithium-ion battery
+ SanDisk Ultra II 2GB SD memory card
+ IR remote control
+ docking station charger
+ AC adaptor & power cord
+ USB connection cable & adaptor
+ HDMI connection cable
+ D-AV & S-AV connection cables
+ microphone adaptor cable (from 2.5 to 3.5mm)
+ lens cap
+ wrist strap
+ soft polstered pouch
+ user manual
− useless* DVD with MS Windows software
• SanDisk Extreme III 8GB SDHC memory card (60€), including:
+ MicroMate USB card-reader
+ neoprene pouch
− useless* mini-CD with rescue software
• Lowepro Edit 100 camcorder bag (16€)
• Velbon CX-480 video tripod (33€), including:
+ carry bag
• Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000 camcorder (642€), including:
+ DB-L50 3.7V 1900mAh lithium-ion battery
+ SanDisk Ultra II 2GB SD memory card
+ IR remote control
+ docking station charger
+ AC adaptor & power cord
+ USB connection cable & adaptor
+ HDMI connection cable
+ D-AV & S-AV connection cables
+ microphone adaptor cable (from 2.5 to 3.5mm)
+ lens cap
+ wrist strap
+ soft polstered pouch
+ user manual
− useless* DVD with MS Windows software
• SanDisk Extreme III 8GB SDHC memory card (60€), including:
+ MicroMate USB card-reader
+ neoprene pouch
− useless* mini-CD with rescue software
• Lowepro Edit 100 camcorder bag (16€)
• Velbon CX-480 video tripod (33€), including:
+ carry bag
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000
Can a wannabe videographer expect to be taken seriously with a Xacti from underdog Sanyo? Well, probably not by any Canon or Sony boy. But that's not really my problem is it. Thing is, Sanyo's Xacti, at least on paper, fulfills most of my requirements. Something I can't quite say about its big name brothers. And that for half the price.
+ at 649€ it's the most affordable HD camcorder of the bunch, but what really makes it the best package deal is the custom-built Epoque EHS-1000HD UW housing for only 299€, fitting the Xacti like a glove!
+ camcorder (55x90x113mm, 311g) & housing (195x124x186mm, 720g) both are super compact and together weigh just about 1kg!
+ the Xacti can record in Full-HD on standard SD/SDHC cards of up to 8GB, good for 1h25' of 1920x1080i/60fps video
+ decent low light performance judging from Videoaktiv's test shots, thanks to a relatively large 1/2.5" CMOS sensor
+ 4MP photos (more with interpolation, less while filming)
+ 1cm macro!
+ EIS*, while not as good as OIS*, it's better than nothing
+ 285° rotatable 2.7" widescreen TFT LCD
+ microphone & headset mini-jacks (resp. 2.5 & 3.5mm)
+ accessory-shoe
+ pop-up flash for photography
+ IR remote control
+ decent battery life of up to 120' of video or about 340 photos
+ the housing allows full control of the camcorder's settings and clear viewing of the camcorder's LCD!
Of course, everything just ain't peachy and sweet...
− MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression, while very space efficient, can not quite match the image quality of HDV, nor its relative ease of editing
− editing actually may pose some serious problems: besides requiring a lot more processing power, not all video players, let alone editing tools, support all the possible compression methods
− the 10x zoom reportedly isn't very smooth
− narrow lens equivalent to a 38mm objective for photos and 50mm objective for videos, but at least x0.4 & x0.7 wide angle conversion lenses are available, besides a x1.6 tele, and more importantly, a x0.56 UW WAL for the housing
− no OIS*
− no video light
− the housing is only rated to -45m, which, though it should be enough, won't let me do any deep dives with it
+ at 649€ it's the most affordable HD camcorder of the bunch, but what really makes it the best package deal is the custom-built Epoque EHS-1000HD UW housing for only 299€, fitting the Xacti like a glove!
+ camcorder (55x90x113mm, 311g) & housing (195x124x186mm, 720g) both are super compact and together weigh just about 1kg!
+ the Xacti can record in Full-HD on standard SD/SDHC cards of up to 8GB, good for 1h25' of 1920x1080i/60fps video
+ decent low light performance judging from Videoaktiv's test shots, thanks to a relatively large 1/2.5" CMOS sensor
+ 4MP photos (more with interpolation, less while filming)
+ 1cm macro!
+ EIS*, while not as good as OIS*, it's better than nothing
+ 285° rotatable 2.7" widescreen TFT LCD
+ microphone & headset mini-jacks (resp. 2.5 & 3.5mm)
+ accessory-shoe
+ pop-up flash for photography
+ IR remote control
+ decent battery life of up to 120' of video or about 340 photos
+ the housing allows full control of the camcorder's settings and clear viewing of the camcorder's LCD!
Of course, everything just ain't peachy and sweet...
− MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 compression, while very space efficient, can not quite match the image quality of HDV, nor its relative ease of editing
− editing actually may pose some serious problems: besides requiring a lot more processing power, not all video players, let alone editing tools, support all the possible compression methods
− the 10x zoom reportedly isn't very smooth
− narrow lens equivalent to a 38mm objective for photos and 50mm objective for videos, but at least x0.4 & x0.7 wide angle conversion lenses are available, besides a x1.6 tele, and more importantly, a x0.56 UW WAL for the housing
− no OIS*
− no video light
− the housing is only rated to -45m, which, though it should be enough, won't let me do any deep dives with it
Friday, December 21, 2007
Camera specs: Sea&Sea DX8000G
☆ RICOH CAPLIO GX8 digital compact camera
☆ SEA&SEA DX8000G underwater housing
| Sensor |
| • 1/1.8" 8MP CCD |
| • photo: 3264 x 2448 pixel (4:3) • video: 320 x 240 pixel (30fps, 4:3) |
| • ISO: auto or manual from 64 up to 1600 |
| • WB: auto, daylight, overcast, tungsten, fluorescent, manual |
| Lens |
| • 3x optical zoom • equivalent to 28-85mm |
| • aperture: F2.5 (wide) - F4.3 (tele) |
| • focus: from 30cm to infinite (wide) & down to 1cm (macro) |
| • shutter: 30-1/2000s (photo), 1/30-1/2000 (video) |
| Storage |
| • 26MB built-in memory |
| • MMC or SD memory card up to 1GB |
| Formats |
| • photo: JPEG or TIFF |
| • video: AVI |
| • audio: WAV |
| Features |
| • 1.8" TFT LCD (130'000 pixels) |
| • built-in microphone |
| • built-in flash |
| • hot shoe |
| • easy connectivity via USB cable |
| Size & Weight |
| • W:114 x D:29 x H:58mm |
| • 261g (incl. 2xAA batteries & SD card) |
☆ SEA&SEA DX8000G underwater housing
| Features |
| • access to all the camera's functions & settings |
| • clear view of the camera's LCD |
| • rated to -55m |
| Size & Weight |
| • polycarbonate |
| • W:150 x D:103 x H:95mm |
| • 450g (dry) |
Recording memories
Two years ago I got to try out my Sea&Sea DX8000G digital compact camera (shown below) fitted with 0.6x WAL in Yucatan's cenotes, using only the light of my TillyTec HID 35 with flood reflector.
Not surprisingly, whereas 125W (halogen equivalent) is pretty bright for the human eye, it's barely sufficient for snapshot photography in the absolute darkness of an underwater cave. Still, I managed to take a few halfway decent photos, good enough for my travel journal.
Photography being hardly feasible, I switched to shooting videoclips in stead, a less demanding more forgiving art when it comes to lighting.
These 320x240 30fps low-res clips made me conscious of videography's power to record not just a nicely framed two dimensional moment in time, but a more realistic experience, potentially giving captivated viewers the sensation of being there themselves.
Which is exactly what I'd like to do this time around: To record high resolution live memories of cave diving in Yucatan.
Not surprisingly, whereas 125W (halogen equivalent) is pretty bright for the human eye, it's barely sufficient for snapshot photography in the absolute darkness of an underwater cave. Still, I managed to take a few halfway decent photos, good enough for my travel journal.
Photography being hardly feasible, I switched to shooting videoclips in stead, a less demanding more forgiving art when it comes to lighting.
These 320x240 30fps low-res clips made me conscious of videography's power to record not just a nicely framed two dimensional moment in time, but a more realistic experience, potentially giving captivated viewers the sensation of being there themselves.
Which is exactly what I'd like to do this time around: To record high resolution live memories of cave diving in Yucatan.
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