54 replies to this topic

[Steve Douglas]

thanks for the info Simon. I leave on Friday and will be using this system for the first time. Never felt like such a novice, even when I was a novice.
Steve

[WaterWorks]

reading up on what people are saying about settings etc - and noticing that Philip Bloom comes up in the conversation now and again - I'm wondering when someone will do a Technicolor Cinestyle review for underwater use for WetPixel?

My problem is that I don't have a housing for my 7D otherwise I'd be out there doing it now...

From what I read about Cinestyle, it provides a higher dynamic range and flattens out the picture in general - allowing your post software more control, kind of... in layman's terms

Anyone played around with it, yet?

Edited by WaterWorks, 12 June 2011 - 07:12 PM.

[jonny shaw]

It's really good but every clip does need graded, not a massive issue on bigger projects but if you want a quick turnaround it will increase time.

[OkiMike]

Just tested my 7D and the Transcend 32GB card (UDMA 400x) out in my air-conditioned office on a cold desk surface.

Video ran for the following times before cutting off (size is directly from in-camera stats):

12'11" (3.98GB)
12'11" (3.99GB)
12'08" (3.98GB)
11'59" (3.98GB)
11'55" (3.98GB)
11'42" (3.98GB)

---Camera cutoff from overheating automatically at about 5 minutes. I deleted the partial clip, then---
---I went to lunch for an hour and resumed recording the following clips with no cutoff---

11'53" (3.98GB)
4'56" (1.68GB)
0'03" (20.3MB)
0'22" (128MB)
0'01" (5.43MB)

CARD FULL

As for the battery, I started the little test with a 100% fresh charge and ended the above with a reading of 8%. So filling the card with some minor editing work using the in-camera menu more or less drains the battery with a bit to spare.

Edited by OkiMike, 09 August 2011 - 09:46 PM.

[Drew]

Cool test Mike. So the battery life stated in the manual is pretty accurate. About 80 mins of shooting on a full charge.
60D is better due to the single DIGIC IV processor @ around 120mins.

[SimonSpear]

Overheating update:

I was shooting 30p last week inside an aluminum housing and had a heap of overheating issues that I'd never had before when shooting 25p or 50p (although as I've said before I've also had problems while shooting 60p). Looks like shooting for NTSC-land pushes the camera to the limit way more than it does for PAL-land.

Cheers, Simon

[Steve Douglas]

Both Steve Williams and I just came back from the Cocos Islands. Both of us had the overheat icon warning come up during the trip. For me, it was once only toward the end of the dive. I shut the camera off, waited a few seconds and turned it back on with no issues after that. Surprised it happened. During a long night dive the cam was on, if not recording, the whole dive but no warning came up for me.
Still new to the system and glad Steve was along as he was a great teacher. Found that the 10-22mm was a bit soft on the edges and tried out Steve's 10-17mm. Now to order one for myself.
Steve

[SimonSpear]

Found that the 10-22mm was a bit soft on the edges and tried out Steve's 10-17mm. Now to order one for myself.

Hi Steve

I'm normally using the 10-22mm. How did you find the 10-17mm for video? Isn't that Fisheye or am I getting confused?

Cheers, Simon

[Drew]

It could be about how much compressing the DIGIC IV has to do a lot of times. With a busier scene, it works harder.
Notice Mike's times when it hits the 4GB mark. The last few clips before the shutdown had fewer seconds, meaning more data being compressed and hence heat buildup. Would be interesting to see if it overheats with a lens cap on.
Obviously ambient heat is a factor, but in a housing, I think it's about the scene and how busy it is, and the amount of compression.

[Weiry]

Hi,
i have the same set up 7D Nauticam and Im using dual Ike 161's. Im enjoying reading these posts.


I have been shooting full auto (TvAv) to start with and playing with the exposure lock in that mode.

When you set the custom WB on a dive does this automatically apply in HD video?

[Steve Douglas]

Hey Simon,
Remember that I am still learning this thing and back to beginner status. While the 10-17 is a fisheye, for most all underwater stuff, the distortion didn't show. Of course, I borrowed Steve Williams 10-17 and used it for only 2 dives. I should have my own by the end of the week. My guess is that the fisheye would show more when filming topside. Not sure whether the size of the dome matters, mine is an 8".
Steve

[ehanauer]

Still photographers have resolved the fisheye question long ago. There are few straight lines underwater, and the advantage of getting really close outweighs any distortion issues. At 17mm the Tokina 10-17 has minimal distortion. It's a workhorse lens, an essential part of any underwater shooter's kit.

The downside comes when big critters won't come close. Sharks look like minnows.

[Drew]

I'm not so sure that the fisheye look is all that nice with the distortion, especially when the subject enters the frame or exits. Plus you get that tadpole look with all that barrel distortion.
It definitely is worth having in bad viz with with huge animals, but I personally like rectilinear looks more and now there are super wide rectilinears like the 8-16 Sigma for APS-C. Of course the dome has to be pretty darn big

[Drew]

Oh and of course there's the 8-15mm f4L fisheye now from Canon!

[SimonSpear]

Still photographers have resolved the fisheye question long ago. There are few straight lines underwater, and the advantage of getting really close outweighs any distortion issues. At 17mm the Tokina 10-17 has minimal distortion. It's a workhorse lens, an essential part of any underwater shooter's kit.

Still learning here too Steve !!

Eric - have you ever used the Canon 10-22mm and if so how would you compare it to the Tokina 10-17mm? Zoe has been talking about getting the 10-17mm for still photography and I'm wondering if I'm going to end up fighting her for it if she does, although admittedly I have never really liked a fisheye effect for video. I've found the 10-22mm to be a great lens underwater and I'm always surprised that it isn't raved about more than it is. Maybe because it is double the price? Or is there another reason?

Just as a point of interest I have now had a growing number of broadcasts of footage shot on a 7D and not once have I had a knockback due to quality. Today I was even asked if the footage had been originally shot on HDCAM, but admittedly that was a news company

Cheers, Simon