underwater shooting

[oao]

hello everybody.

i'm going to work with the 900 for an underwater film. i'm not experimented with underwater shooting, does anyone have some experiences to share with me? how should i prepare the cam, what kind of accessoiries is usefull (RM-B150 maybe with housing), what are the procedures to repare if the cam get wet, what kind of lens fit, what kind of paint setting work well with the caustic light and chroma?

[Elhanan Matos]

Call Pace Technologies, (818) 759-7322. www.pacetech.com. They are the best at what they do, no questions about it.

[Peter J DeCrescenzo]

I don't know the gentleman myself, but DSC Labs seems to highly regard Tom Campbell:

http://dsclabs.com/tom_campbell.htm

http://www.tomcampbell.com/

 

He might be a potential resource.

 

All the best,

 

- Peter DeCrescenzo

[oao]

thanks for your riplies. I'm wondering what is the photographic approch with the water world? i know the lens get 25% magnified, the warm color get lost and the blur get special. for example if i had sharp lens like primo what kind of kodak film and filter work well to get a contrasted picture and not saturated with colors? it maybe sound wierd but the comparaison can help me to shape my gamma, matrix and knee curves.

thanks again

[Guest]

Are you a certified diver who will be operating at depths past 15ft?

 

Doesn't sound like you are?

 

If you're going below 15ft use a red filter on the camera to replace the red spectrum of light, which falls off first underwater. If you lose one of the three primary colours your video becomes muted.

 

Above 15ft do not use a red filter or all your video will have a red look to it.

 

Professional housings have the lens shoot through a "bubble" to compensate for the curveture the water creates, also you usually use the widest lens possible and get the camera as close as possible to the subject.

 

Water is much denser than air so sharpness drops off fast underwater. You compensate for this by getting the camera close to the subject and staying wide with your lens choices. If you try and zoom underwater your video will become soft.

 

R,

[oao]

thanks, i don't dive i will prepare the cam. Is it possible to switch red filters under water or is it more easy for the operator to switch the color from a remote using white balance or matrix control? I would prefer the glass filter series but is it convenient for the operator?

[Brian Wells]

HydroFlex has much helpful information on this topic.

www.hydroflex.com, then click the "practical applications" link.