149 replies to this topic

[Ryan]

Light & Motion also planned to offer manual white balance via the back door camera restart process, but has found that it just doesn't work. The camera will wb on a blue shop towel, something a manual white balance wouldn't allow. I expect, even if Amphibico offers it, that it won't really work either.

This leaves the A1u as the clear choice. Light & Motion's bluefin A1 will access the custom button, which can be programed for manual white balance, making this a very attractive option.

Sea & Sea's housing would also be compatible w/ the MWB, but it strangely didn't access the telemacro button.

[Detonate]

Thanks for the info Ryan. I didn't even realize Sea & Sea and L&M had A1u/HC1 housings coming out.

I guess I need to take a step back for a few months and see how everything unfolds before I commit to a housing. I was pretty much sold on the Amphibico if it was going to be an electronic housing with one touch MWB and a $2k retail price.

I guess that was just too good to be true.

[LERF]

Hey guys, check this out from Ikelite:

Hi Sim, We have two controls on the top and bottom of the touch screen that allow you to touch all pads in the pmenu. You can see a picture on our website and look up #6039.01.
Regards,
Glenn Goodrich

So manual WB can be accessed through the housing. I checked out the HC-1 here at Sony Kuala Lumpur, you need to tap the touch screen menu like 4-5 times to get to the manual WB and another 3-4 times to get out of the menu to have a clear screen! A bit dodgy if you need to WB fast, unless you don't mind to see through the words shown on the menu!

Anyway, it's still a huge savings of $1K to the A1 plus & $900 for the Ike housing compared to Amphibico's Evo ( not released yet ) and the wet lenses you might already have ie Inon UWL-100, UrPRO filter, etc can be attached to the Ike. Btw Ike just up the price to $1100!

So what do you guys think?

[Detonate]

Can't you setup custom menus on the HC1? Might considerably lower the amount of 'touches' needed to WB and get out.

[LERF]

Just checked the HC-1 again, the manual "one-touch" WB on the touch screen menu can be set to a total of 4 taps, including exiting the menu...so a lot less than I thought!

Still it would be akward to do it on the Ikelite housing, through the viewfinder or side mirror, right hand on the right grip and left hand tackling the WB menu and the white slate? Use your buddy? or white fins? Modify arms on ball joint attached to the grip to hold the white slate?

Would appreciate some feedback, thanks from Malaysia!

[larsdennert]

I'll let you guys know when my housing shows up. Hopefully it went out on Friday.

[LERF]

Would be really helpful for me to have your hands on impression of the Ikelite housing, looking forward!

Thanks!

[nshon]

Just checked the HC-1 again, the manual "one-touch" WB on the touch screen menu can be set to a total of 4 taps, including exiting the menu...so a lot less than I thought!

Still it would be akward to do it on the Ikelite housing, through the viewfinder or side mirror, right hand on the right grip and left hand tackling the WB menu and the white slate? Use your buddy? or white fins? Modify arms on ball joint attached to the grip to hold the white slate?

Would appreciate some feedback, thanks from Malaysia!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Sim, from Malaysia too. Waiting for you guys to test the Ike underwater before I put money down. I was halfway towards purchasing the A1 cause I thought manual WB wasn't available with the HC1.

[Painted Frogfish]

Amphibico have confirmed they have not been able to crack the WB via LANC, so I am getting the Ikelite one which accesses it via touch screen. Gates also does this mechanically but costs about 3 times as much..I'll let you know how it gets on!

[LERF]

Looks like Ikelite's gonna make a headstart with their housing, just curious to know how hard or simple it'd be to accessed the touch screen menu. Ike quote there's one dial button each to touch the top and bottom of the screen. From their picture of the housing back and having it facing you, I pressume that the dials located on the backplate are the ones .

Brine Shrimp, looks like we might be the 1st two in Malaysia with the HC-1 underwater eh?

A big thank you to all contributors here, it's great to see so many people helping out each other!

Attached Images

• 

[LERF]

Hey guys! I have the feeling that this is gonna be a hot topic, so I just started our very own thhread for the HC-1 and Ikelite housing: http://wetpixel.com/...showtopic=10724

Hope this is OK with everyone, please proceed from there.

Thanks!

LERF

[serge]

hi guys! just registered and have some HC1 questions ...

1. the silverfushhousing which appeared in the beginning of the poll: i dont really care about whitebalance, so i can live without that button on the housing. but how you want to get the HC1 in there? the manufacturer says there is 220 milimeters space. the hc1 is 185 milimeters ... the hc-optimised sony-lens is much longer than the remaining 35 milimeters (lets not talk about the small battery you'd have to use). My question: is there another lens (good quality & at least 50% zoomable)? or nobody thought about the extra lenght of the lens? ... same thing for the top-dawg housing?

so if all these housings are too short, what is remaining, if i want lanc-control: undersea miniDV, the Amphibicos ... and? or am i forggetting another option?

2. concerning the hc1 itself: for me it is the maximum expense possible. i cant spend more for the cam. for that money (1600 euro here) ... is it really the best choice for UW-Videography? i start getting concerned because of all that low-light problem discussions ... is that just compared to more expensive models or is the hc1 generally bad for low-light ... ands so for uw?

thanks for short and simple answers (i dont undersand much of technology) ...

[spaceflight]

Just thought I would add that the Gates Housing will have WB controls on both versions of ther HC1 housings.

[Painted Frogfish]

Hi Serge
Sounds like you are new to the game. If you don't care about white balance maybe you shouldn't be buying the high-definition camera, the HC1. You should consider something cheaper and more basic, not HD, and you can buy a cheaper housing for it without white balance! Read through all the other threads, there is a lot of information around, and do your own research on the internet.

[MikeVeitch]

Yea Serge i might agree with Marcus here as well. At the moment there is a lot of interest in the new HD cameras and housings but....if you are just starting out and are looking for something small and footage to show the family and friends you may be better off going with a miniDV camera. The editing and processing and the output to DVDs etc is all known and easy with that system. As HD is so new there are still a lot of problems with things like creating DVDs.

Have a look through this thread and decide if it is really what you want at this point in time...

Thinking of going to HDV

[wagsy]

Hi Mike and others.
We are now looking into getting the A1 for our second camera to work with the FX1 underwater.

The PRO EVO HD Amphibico housing when used with the A1 camera can give you access to white balance control through use of the A1's 'assign' button. Unfortunately this is not available with the HC1 camera, as it does not have this 'assign' button.

Will be interesting to see how they go side by side underwater.

Wags

[sjspeck]

Amphibico finally has the pics and specifications for the HD EVO housings (for the HC1 or A1) online. Seems like the only way to WB is mechanically using the assignable button on the A1.

http://www.amphibico...4-1E81B7C41C77}

Looks like a nice piece of work - I think I'm getting one...

[LERF]

$2995 for the Amphibico wow! Too bad we can't get the A1 here in this region ( or maybe better so? :0 )

I'm happy with the HC-1 and Ikelite....

[DeanB]

$2995 ??? It says $1995 on my screen.

Still looks like a steriod enhanced version of the Dive buddy plus for my TRV950 though. Where is the 120 degree port as standard. ???

But if it comes up trumps with the goods and the white balance then I'm all for it.

Someone buy it, test it, then give us a review..Then i will part with my hard earned cash. (ha,ha)

Dive safe

DeanB

[sjspeck]

$2995 ??? It says $1995 on my screen.

Depends on which version, the HC1 is $1995, the A1U version is $2995.

But if it comes up trumps with the goods and the white balance then I'm all for it.

Seems like the white balance only will work with the A1U through the assignable button. Since I just recently read that L&M can't support WB on the HC1 with their Bluefin, I'm now more inclined to buy the EVO and save $1199.

Someone buy it, test it, then give us a review..Then i will part with my hard earned cash. (ha,ha)

I most likely will after Christmas. Unless I go with USVH. Plan to test it in the spring somewhere warm. Will post the results here in the future.

Steve