Big Screen Underwater Camera

Sockmonkey · Post by **Sockmonkey** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 5:38 pm

We do a crapload of underwater video at my job. We have a bunch of canon point and shoots that take really great HD video. No one I work with is able to keep them still enough for usable video. There's also a canon HD video camera and a massive ikelite housing. None of these devices have a screen that is very easy to see.

What I'm looking for is a camera and/or housing that does still and HD video, has a very large viewing screen, big handles for steadying, uses flash memory not tapes to store footage, doesn't need a PhD to operate, and capable of big wide angle shots.

Anyone know of such a thing?

Price is rarely an issue.

-Eric

mz53480 · Post by **mz53480** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 6:45 pm

imax has a nice setup.....

lundysd · Post by **lundysd** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 7:02 pm

A gates housing with one of their external monitors might work, though it's probably going to be a $10,000 rig at the end of the day

http://www.gateshousings.com/monitors/e ... l-monitor/

in_minsk_we_trust · Post by **in_minsk_we_trust** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 8:34 pm

Depends on what you're gonna use it for. If you guys have the money go for a gates. When all is said and done it'll be a lot more than $10,000 for a new one though. The EX1R would be a good choice. Brand new with camera, extra little things, monitor, lights, wide angle lens is gonna be around $20,000. You can find used bits to lower the cost. Out on the Islands you can probably skip the lights, but again, depends on what you want to do with it.

A bit smaller is the Light and Motion *Bluefin Pro* housings for something like the CX550. They come with big OLED screens on the back hatch that are really nice and easy to see. Great housing. New with camera, OLED screen, wide angle lens you're looking at $8,000-ish. Maybe less.

Those are definitely the two best options for medium and large sizing with big monitors and sturdiness.

spatman · Post by **spatman** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:02 pm

Eric, how large is a "very large" screen to you?

ljjames · Post by **ljjames** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 9:26 pm

mount the little cameras on a scooter body. the weight of the scooter will settle them right down

airsix · Post by **airsix** » Thu Apr 07, 2011 10:39 pm

Put an iPad in a gallon zip-lock. I know. I'm so helpful. That's why you like me.

sheahanmcculla · Post by **sheahanmcculla** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 7:02 am

http://www.amphibico.com/rec/monitors.html

Sockmonkey · Post by **Sockmonkey** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 4:51 pm

spatman wrote:Eric, how large is a "very large" screen to you?

Bigger and brighter than a powershot LCD screen I suppose.

I guess what I really want is a still camera that takes video and not the other way around. The light and motion housings are the highest on my list for video housings. Nice big screen and easy controls. There are too many choices of gates and I don't care enough about this to do the research on the cameras... I'm not doing production video so to me a camera is a camera. Does it take stills? Does it do HD video? I will probably buy the cheapest camera that fits into whatever housing I choose.

Oh and Ben. Shaddup. :luv:

Aloha hard bitches,

-Eric

airsix · Post by **airsix** » Fri Apr 08, 2011 8:10 pm

Sockmonkey wrote:Oh and Ben. Shaddup. :luv:

Aloha hard bitches,

-Eric

Don't forget to rub some more aloe on your dome before bed.

Sockmonkey · Post by **Sockmonkey** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:25 pm

airsix wrote:
Don't forget to rub some more aloe on your dome before bed.

That sounds like a frightening euphemism.

FYI: I managed to survive warm water diving with Spatman again. I live to tell tales of his general strokery.

-Eric

Northwest Dive Club