Please note that the notes in italic are the responses from John Ellerbrock, CEO of Gates. I thought it would be good to include the manufacturer’s responses to my review.

During last year’s DEMA, I’d spoken with John Ellerbrock at Gates about the Sony HVR-V1 housing and the possibility of testing the housing when it was available. It just so happened that I had two trips, a 17-day Banda Sea voyage and another 11-day Wakatobi reef monitoring trip planned for October, so John graciously sent his latest offering to me for testing, the Gates FX7/V1 underwater video housing. Included in the test was the Gates tripod (which was introduced at DEMA ’06) and the flat port. Unfortunately, the big Fathoms SWP44B lens was not available before my departure and I’d forgotten to request for the SP44 standard dome port. Thus, I could only concentrate on my tests on the handling and ergonomics of the housing and the new EM43 16:9 4.3” External Monitor. This housing also fits the HDR-FX7, which has been discontinued in the US but still available for sale. It is not discontinued in other countries.has been reintroduced as of Sep 2008 at US$1999. (updated 09-12-08)

The Housing

The FX7/V1 housing is made of machined marine grade anodized aluminum in a black finish. All the controls and locking mechanisms are stainless steel and the window ports are acrylic. It is approximately 370mm (depending on the port) x 230mm (no monitor attached) x 180mm (310mm with handles). It weighs approximately 9kg/20lbs with camera and the flat port.

The FX7/V1 housing has 14 mechanical controls giving the using access to 18 functions on the camera, plus full menu and picture profile controls. The left side of the housing has 10 controls: the Manual focus dial/knob, Exposure (manual/auto), Exposure Dial, Push Focus (AF onetime), Assign button, ND Filter and Expanded Focus/AF Auto/Manual in the front half. The rear left side resides the Picture Profile/Status, Shutter/Gain and White Balance/Menu knob controls. There is also an internal URPro flip filter. The right side of the housing has the REC and Zoom controls on the side and the Flip Filter lever in the front right side of the port.

Right: REC and ZOOM controls

The rear bulkhead has 3 acrylic windows with push/dial knob control for Sel (functions for menu and other controls) on the left side and the power dial on the right side of the bulkhead. The top window is the unmagnified viewfinder, which can accommodate the FX7 and V1 viewfinders (they are of different height).

(Drew—I’ll point out some things that you may want to consider including in the review.  For example, the Push/SEL knob is an inventive piece of engineering. It looks deceptively simple but consider that one control provides reliable mechanical access to both rotate and push actions of the camera roller/SEL function. That said I note below that you had trouble with this control.  I would have recommended a simple cleaning of the silicone rubber for grip to the camera wheel. That would have allowed perfect operation. I’ll be adding that to the manual.)

Left Front: EXP, EXP dial, AF/MF and Expanded Focus toggle, Focus dial, ND Filter, Assign controls

The front ports are bayonet 1/4-turn mounts with options for an acrylic flat port, SP44 dome port or the SWP44B Fathoms glass lens.

A few of the buttons served dual functions (e.g. Expanded Focus/AF), which means to switch between the two functions, one has to precisely turn and align the knob’s pin into preset holes for each function. This clever design allows for added functionality and minimum clutter. All knobs are spring controlled to prevent the buttons from sticking and thus keeping the camera from responding.

(The pin/hole is a feature for two reasons: 1) to prevent accidental activation as a ‘lock out’; and 2) to allow the control to activate 2 or more buttons by aligning the pin/hole for each. I note later in the review that it was troubling to make sure it was aligned but the alternative is more controls and unintentional activation.)

The housing can accommodate all Sony L series sizes including the big FP970, which allows for over 8 hours of operation.

The EM43 external monitor is basically a housed 16:9 LCD monitor with wet connectors. It runs on 8 AA batteries and has no controls on the outside of the monitor housing itself.  There are image controls adjustable when the rear bulkhead is opened. The monitor has a base that allows it to slide into the top grove of the housing. This groove, like the handle grooves, run the entire length of the main housing, ending where the front and rear bulkheads are joined to the main body.

Inside, the camera tray is fastened to the housing by two screws, matched to a fixed bottom platform with matching holes for the screws. These two screws have o-rings to prevent them from dropping off. The bottom platform also has a frame in the front to ensure proper aligning of the camera inside the housing. This is especially important for a mechanical housing as the controls have to be able to reach the corresponding controls on the camera to work. The test housing only had the connectors for the monitor but there are options for a hydrophone, internal flip diopter and a wet alarm.

The housing comes with a four-leg rubber foot base that can be slid off as standard. There is also a removable 1.8kg ballast weight which is secured to the base by 4 screws.

The tripod is a mix of Ultralight Control Systems clamps and three sectioned aluminum extending arms controlled by two knobs on each arm. Two arms in the front and one pointing rear. The arms have a plastic ball foot.

The bottom of the housing with 1.8kg/4lbs ballast weight attached.

Setting Up The Housing

Being able to customize the fit of a housing is important for a shooter to get the most out of the housing. The Gates allows for some fit personalization with its modular components and the adjustable handles and external monitor. The first thing to do with this housing is to decide on the lens port then choose the right fit at the bottom of the housing. Due to the setup I had, I choose to have the tripod attached because it was the most neutral setup for liveaboard diving. Putting it on the housing is simple - just unscrew the fastener on the bottom and slide out the four-leg base and reverse for the tripod.

The interior of the housing. Note the fixtures at the back for the diopter arms and the tray assembly system

The camera is fitted with a teethed ring grip for the focus controls. Next was putting the camera into the housing, which is simple but not ‘straight’ forward. The removable tray uses a single 1/4-20 screw (which is not secured onto the tray and drops out!) for the camera mount. The tray is fastened by two screws which are aligned to the base of the housing by two groves. Before you install the camera into the housing, you must pull the control rods on the left of the housing out a little to make space for the camera to enter. The controls on the right of the housing cannot be pulled out. That is why the camera tray (with camera on) cannot slide in straight but has to be shifted to the left first then it slides into the slot. Hence the design of the tray with a moveable tray and sliding control rods on the left of the housing. A metal alignment frame at the front end of the slot aligns the front of the camera to the port opening. Basically if the camera front lens is in the hoop and the trays are aligned, you’re good to go.

(The reason for this alignment guide is important. It sets alignment for the camera with all ports but most notably with the Fathom SWP44B. Camera/port alignment is critical to get sharp, clear pictures. Even slight misalignment will quickly degrade image quality and introduce image ‘killers’ like distortion, vignetting, etc.)

After that you tighten the two base screws to secure the camera tray to the housing and reposition the control pins in their respective recesses to actuate the desired controls (eg. Pic Profile or Status). It is important to note that you should tighten the tray screws firmly (I’ll explain why later).

The two handles are fixed into two grooves on the top of the housing and can be positioned according to the reach of the user’s hands to the controls. For the left handle, all the controls on the left side of the housing were either forward of the housing or near the rear. The knobs controlling the Shutter/Gain and White Balance/Menu controls need to be turned almost 180° to choose between the two functions each knob operates. Merely using the thumb was not easy and to operate the control knob at the back. To use the buttons, one has let go of the left handle. The only time I’d use most of the settings at the back is when I’m not shooting (except for Shutter, especially in Progressive Scan mode shooting 30P) so the more crucial controls are in the forward area. I chose to set the left handle to allow me easy access to the controls up front. Securing the handle is simply done by tightening the screw once you have the handle in the position desired. The right handle is easier to decide on position as the two controls are nearer the rear of the housing.

This is how the arm handles are secured to the housing body.

After connecting the component plugs for the EM43 monitor, closing the rear bulkhead is a matter of aligning it to the housing and snapping the two stainless steel latches on the side. Gates recommends you latch or open the two at the same time but I occasionally opened one side first with seemingly no detrimental effect. One should be careful opening the right latch. These latches have a strong rebound and the latch sometimes catches your fingers against either the record lever (which is why it’s a good idea to lift it out of the way before opening the latch) or the right handle ( this is because I set it close to the latch).

Now that the housing is set up, we have to set up the EM43 external monitor. The monitor uses the same latch system that secures the battery compartment at the rear. It uses 8 AA size batteries in 2 serialized holders of 4 batteries each. Simply load the batteries ( I used 8 2700mAH NiMH rechargeables for this test) and close the rear cover. Attaching the monitor on the housing however takes a bit of thought (especially for those who suffer hyperopia). The monitor enclosure is about 3lbs and is slightly negative neutral (~3 oz with your batteries), so it does affect the balance of the housing a little. With only the flat port to test, I pushed the monitor as far forward as possible to counter balance the front buoyancy. However, if the other lenses like the SWP44B were installed, the opposite would be done and then the issue of having the monitor too close to the diver’s eyes. Unless you have long arms and like to shoot with straight arms, the natural position is usually a slight bent relaxed arm.  Pulling the monitor back and having the 25% water magnification may become a problem for hyperopia sufferers.

The wet connector for the EM43 is a 6 pin female with a rubber band fastener.

Plugging the monitor into the 6 pin female connector on the right front side is easy. Just push the male connectors in and then pull the rubber band to secure. I did try the connection without the rubber band for a few dives just to see if it would pop off and it worked except for one dive in current where the picture went to black and white until I pulled the rubber fastener on. 

Field Test

Once I had the housing set up, I could finally fine tune the balance and handling for various shooting situations (day dives without lights, night dives with lights etc) (The Gates approach is ‘one size does not fit all’ and we configure housings for a users’ needs. This means that every configuration may be different buoyancy/trim and require adjustment to suit the user.) On my trip, I had all sorts of shooting environments, from coral reef to black sand ‘muck’ diving, from pelagic fish to pygmy seahorses (and smaller!) For general shooting, I decided to put on the tripod on and the external monitor recessed far forward for a barely negative neutral buoyancy. Balance was a bit more difficult. The controls are mostly on the left side of the housing and thus there is a tilt to the left. Fore aft balance was about right with the monitor but I’d imagine it’d be much different with other ports. The housing is quite positively buoyant with just the base stand alone, especially in my configuration of flat port without hydrophone, internal diopter and top handle. The ballast weight of 1.8 kg/4lbs makes is a little too negative for my taste, but then being very negative has its uses when shooting in slight current, especially when combined with the tripod. This housing is pretty big and thus buoyant, being the biggest of all the aluminum housings in the market for this camera. The space needed to accommodate the big FP970 battery, the extensive controls, the double flip filter/diopter and other options forced the designers to make space for it all.  That, in effect, made it more difficult to find the right balance for the housing. The base stand, designed to take ballast weights and optional battery packs for lights and the Gates tripod adds to the overall bulky feel. I had a problem finding the best balance and handling.

(On the topic of buoyancy/trim we have other weights now for various configurations including using the tripod/lights. Furthermore, it’s important to note the Gates shell design allows the housing to go deep. Making it different to be smaller/lighter/etc would have tradeoffs to deep water capability.)

Being the housing with the most access to camera controls in the market, the choices do present the user with a very subjective and individual problem, memorization of the functions of each control. I’d already become quite familiar with the V1 and where the controls are placed on the camera. Familiarizing myself with the housing controls on the left side took more time than I expected. The ND filter control and dial for Exp and Focus were easy but the push buttons were more difficult due to the alignment requirements. The pins had to be aligned to the holes to work. The knobs can be easily misaligned when pulling controls out for the camera’s entry to the housing. Extra care is needed when repositioning the controls. The feedback of the spring-loaded knobs indicate if the controls are aligned or not. If aligned properly, the buttons would recess inward and rebound. However, they won’t press down if the pin is out of the hole. Quite a few times during the first few dives, I found myself frustrated when using Push Focus because it wouldn’t respond, then I’d finally remember that the pin had to be aligned. The tactile feedback of the buttons was easy to get accustomed to but that’s in tropical diving. Wearing thick gloves in colder water, the feedback may not be as telling.

The rear bulkhead controls. Note the Gain/Shutter and WB/Menu controls require almost 180° turn to actuate the functions

Even when the controls became second nature on feedback, I still had to turn the housing to look at which function I wanted on the control, especially the A/M Focus/Expanded Focus control. The two holes require a minimal twist but you still have to align the the holes with the pin. Still all of the controls in the front left of the housing were within reach of my index finger or thumb and by the 13th dive, I had most of the controls memorized without having to double check myself. I just made sure to leave the knobs aligned to the functions I used most often. Not so were the rear left side controls where I had to release my left hand from the handles to use the dial knobs. Requiring almost 180° turns, you also need to look at the controls to know which end its on. With practice and habit, it’s not a big issue, but it’s not quick enough to change settings.

The pin/hole design requires the controls to be precisely aligned to operate the housing

The rear left controls require the entire left hand to actuate. The Shutter/Gain and White Balance/Menu knobs are quite intuitive and sensitive enough to rebound out after being actuated, which is a good thing since the camera can’t access other functions if one button is being depressed continuously. Changing the settings of those controls is done by a friction roller in the rear bulkhead. The rear bulkhead controls occasionally failed to work during the trip. I had difficulties with the SEL control as it wouldn’t grip the scroll wheel of the camera properly quite a few times and I had to press the control deeper to ensure grip, sometimes selecting a function or setting I didn’t want because of that. One of those times was due to sloppy preparation on my part. However, the screws on the camera tray, even though it comes with o-rings, can be loosened through vibrations from the skiff’s traveling at speed etc. I would test the housing in preparation for the dive and it would work. I’d then experience difficulty with the controls at the beginning and even during a dive.I especially had frequent difficulty with the Power switch, which had to be aligned properly to make sure it catches the camera power switch. Turning the knob in normal position sometimes did not power switch fully to camera mode. I would have to repeat it while looking through the window to ensure it’s properly aligned. Each time I fixed it during the dive (e.g. SEL button had to be pushed a little before turning).

Note the right (circled) leg. The balance of the housing is left biased. It took some work to get it right.

The problem with mechanical housings are that they have to be precise to function properly. Sometimes, when the specs of the housing and camera, while still within their respective specs, but just wide apart enough to give trouble to alignment, it can manifest itself like it did for me. Many times the problem was also that the camera tray was not fastened down enough (shaken loose in transport) and there was some movement which caused the misalignment.

With the almost fixed length controls on the right for zoom and REC, there were no such problems. The REC lever worked every time and the zoom lever gave you good feel so you could control the speed of the zoom if needed. The URPro flip filter is in the right front of the housing and is easily flipped on or off.
To have all the camera functions at my control within a few pushes and twists of buttons allowed me to confidently shoot in many situations.  The EM43 monitor made is very easy to frame and judge focus for macro shooting and even white balance. The 8 AA batteries meant I could shoot all day 5 dives a day and I never saw the low battery warning. I tested to see if it worked and after 5 hours into that test, it was suffice to say it would last a day of diving easily. The monitor hood was nice and deep, blocking light and preventing reflections in all but shallow water diving in bright sunlight. That is the one problem all external monitors have, the inability to handle the strong light reflections because of the glass chosen did not have anti-reflective materials. I was snorkeling a few times with cetaceans and could barely make out the picture if I were shooting down. Only when I freedived to about 5-7m and shoot level did the view become easily viewable again

The EM43 takes 8 AA batteries to give seriously long operating times

There are no controls for brightness and contrast for the monitor during the dive. There are adjustments inside the enclosure but once underwater, you’re stuck with the one setting.

With the problems in shallow water viewing in the monitor, it gave me a good chance to test the viewfinder, which had peaking and zebra information. However, because it’s not magnified (other than the water magnification of 25%), it proved pretty difficult to use it for anything but rough framing. I can focus and read text from 6” from my pupil, but I had problems pasting my mask on the viewfinder to see. The viewfinder was somewhat functional but the flat window prevented me from getting too close to the window (my nose was in the way too much). It wasn’t easy due to the lack of magnification. Gates does recommend using the expanded focus function to aid focus, which I did try once. It still wasn’t easy to judge focus. An easier way was setting the VF to black and white and Peaking to red to approximate focus. That was my best solution even thought it still wasn’t easy to see for my 20/15 eyes.  Without magnification, the viewfinder isn’t a true viable alternative to the monitor. This would be especially so for hyperopia sufferers who’d have to back up enough to see properly, which makes the image even smaller.

I did try attaching a magnifying piece to the viewfinder internally. However, seeing how the camera out be lying outside where any sun rays peeking in would possibly fry the viewfinder LCD, I decided it wasn’t worth the effort try customization like that.  Left alone, my magnifying modification in the viewfinder window may lead to LCD burn from the sun’s rays, a common occurrence in older housings from many manufacturers.

The rear bulkhead of the housing. Note the viewfinder window is almost flush with the bulkhead, making it difficult to move in close with a mask.

Since I only had the flat port, I experimented with several achromatic diopters. However due to the tighter fit of the flat port I could only fit the Raynox DC5320 +2 (it came with a +3.5 as well but that was too thick) and the older Century Optics AD5840 58mm size +4 diopter, which was designed for SD cameras. The both diopters dropped resolution down to about 600lph but still worked very well, especially the Century Optics which had slight less chromatic aberration and was crisper overall. Combined with the 20X lens, the +4 diopter could’ve isolated a pygmy seahorse’s upper torso full frame, but none of the fans I found the seahorses on were on the ground to set up the tripod. I also have the +7 which I didn’t test underwater because the shallow DOF would’ve made it impossible to get focus correct on a moving seahorse. I did use the camera’s Optical Image Stabilizer in Soft mode for a few shots and it worked ok.

The Gates tripod was fixed onto the housing on almost 40 dives. It was just negatively buoyant enough to counter the buoyancy of the housing with a monitor and FP970 battery installed. The overall buoyancy of the housing with tripod was probably 200-300g negative. which helped the housing’s handling. However, the real function of the tripod was to keep the housing steady and it worked well for wider shots where minute adjustments are not needed. It’s very easy to set up. ULCS clamps allow the legs to be turned without too much fuss. The length of each leg can be controlled by adjusting the knobs to lock it at the desired length, then merely check your framing in the monitor and make angle the adjustments by adjusting the length of the legs. It works very well for reef shots where the scuba noise would scare fish. Just set it up, leave it running, go away and come back.

However it does not replace a true adjustable head tripod in macro shooting. Minor and more precise adjustments are harder to make and the fixed plate means you cannot track a pygmy seahorse jumping from branch to branch. The weight is not at the base and in surge, the top heavy setup will move. A good tripod has the weight right at the feet for best stability. It does serve a great function for shooting off walls.

(I would note that the tripod was designed primarily for flexibility and to collapse tightly under the housing when not in use. It provides decent stability but not like a heavy, bottom weighted tripod.)

It does have another function. By turning the front two legs forward and extend the legs, you can cut down fore/aft and side to side motion, which leaves you to concentrate on the up/down motion for shooting macro on a wall. I tried this a few times and it worked quite well.
A little extra work is needed when it came time to change tape. I had to pull the 6 controls out of the left side, lift the REC arm on the right side, unscrew the tray and side-shift it out more than halfway before I could access the tape. Not a problem when diving from a liveboard but the extra time needed could mean valuable seconds in situations like baitballs, etc.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I did like the control the housing gives over the camera… a lot!  With the number of option accessories, this multi-configuration housing is fine for most shooting scenarios. It is due to this versatility that it is particular strong as it can fit various budgets. With a base price of $3990, it can be configured to the hilt with HD monitor and SWP44B Fathoms lens for over $10000 or a SD monitor with a dome port for under $6000.
The housing has the most controls of the aluminum housings available for this camera, allowing 18 on camera functions to be accessed. This also adds to the versatility of the housing in choosing the right settings for the scene, from accessing picture profiles to turning other features on/off via the assign buttons..  Moreover the tactile feedback of the controls is good, especially the zoom lever which was excellent for controlling the zoom speed.  It is rugged and tough tested, having survived a drop in the Indonesian airport security check with merely a bent flip filter arm.  Battery life isn’t an issue with the acceptance of the big FP970 battery and the 8 AA powered external monitor.  The flat port worked as promise and allowed smaller achromatic diopters to be used. However to fit bigger diopters, it’s advisable to try the SP44 standard dome port.
I do highly recommend getting the EM43 external monitor. The battery life is great and it’s sharp enough to judge focus and white balance is pretty accurate. The viewfinder has marginal use and relying solely on it will be difficult. The monitor does suffer from the same problems all external monitors have in shallow water in bright conditions, reflections on the viewing window glass.  These reflections made it very difficult for me to do anything but barely manage to frame IF the subject is really big and dark. ( We’re looking at a way to improve this.)
With the configuration I tested, it proved to be a strong macro camera, especially with the tripod ($600), which doesn’t replace a true tripod but the legs did help in stabilizing the housing for some shots.
There is no such thing as a perfect housing. The Gates gives many options for various conditions and budgets too.  The controls were not always precisely catching all functions.  I’m sure those controls can be adjusted to fit individual cameras. The balance and handling, while not ‘tight’ due to the versatility of the numerous ports and accessories, can be customized as well. As for the camera, this review revealed the CMOS rolling shutter problem (please read the page: The HVR-V1 Revisited)
In the end, I can easily recommend it as a good choice for the HVR-V1. It’s not a housing you can just buy and jump into the water.  Nor is it the lightest or most compact of all the V1 housings. It requires more fine tuning and customization, then some time to get accustomed to the plethora of features and controls.  In reward, you can control almost every aspect of the camera and that in turn allows you to use the camera’s abilities to the fullest, as any professional product should. That is half the battle. The other part is up to the user.

Gates V1/FX7 Housing Pros/Neutrals/Cons:

Pros

• Access to almost all the cameras functions, allowing the user to use the camera’s abilities fully.
• Multiple port configurations from macro to superwide angle
• Mechanical controls have good tactile feedback, especially the zoom lever, giving excellent control over zoom speed.
• Excellent battery life for EM43 monitor, which can match the performance of the FP970 on the camera. Low battery indicator adds that extra level of control.

Neutrals

• Viewfinder usefulness is limited due to lack of magnification and the flat window preventing the user to get close to the window
• The pin knob design: While I totally understand the need for them, the knobs are easily misaligned because they are unrestricted. The good tactile feedback is negated by this on a few controls
• EM43 external monitor lacks image controls during the dive (eg Brightness).
• The camera tray relies on screws to fasten down, which allows for user mistakes and also be shaken loose by vibrations. It also impedes quickly changing tapes between dives.
• Mechanical controls do require practice to get accustomed to.

Cons

• EM43 monitor suffers from bad reflections in shallow bright conditions, making it difficult to see.
• The rear bulkhead controls were finicky sometimes.
• The bulky design makes balance and handling difficult to set properly without further customization

The HVR-V1 Revisited

The camera setup I used for this test was similar to the previous review I wrote. With this trip, the CMOS sensor rolling shutter effect was very apparent due to the many strobes firing while I was shooting. When the strobe fires, the rolling shutter of the sensor can be caught in mid-scan. This can lead to partial frame exposures whereby part of the frame is exposed normally but the other part have inputs mid-scan (see pic). The partial frame exposure issue can be dealt with in post by whiting out the errant frames or a more complex job of frame blending. To lower the chance of this happening, using faster shutter speeds generally helps but this is not always possible under water.

The rolling shuter issue: If a strobe fires directly onto the sensor in mid-scan, the frame can partially expose the new input for part of the frame...

...then pick up the remnants of the strong light source in the next frame, rending both frames unacceptable

As with other external monitors, the Gates EM43 did not work if I had on screen markings on so I had to keep it off.  Peaking and zebra did not show but the histogram was available. Of the previous settings, the notable changes are:

Assign Button 2: OIS on/off/ OIS: Soft

With access to the assign button, I wanted to experiment with OIS for macro shooting, especially with Pygmy Seahorses. However with OIS, if you are using a tripod, the system can sometimes want to compensate when there is nothing to stabilize causing jumps. In unsupported shooting, the OIS in soft setting actually did help slightly in certain conditions such as shooting nudibranchs in current etc.
Black Compensation: Stretch
To get the best latitude out of the picture, I used the Stretch mode so I could control light better in post.  This is also for guys for who broadcast so the post guys can have the shadow details for post production. For shooters who produce DVDs at the end of the dive day, I personally think Compress would give a better contrasty picture without much post.
Shutter Speed: 1/60 or higher
In 30P mode, the V1 defaults to 1/30 shutter speed, which is great for low light shooting. However, shooting the faster moving subjects means 1/30 would give you a blurred image. I was caught with this a few times and decided to lock it at 1/60 and keep it in manual.
Gain limit: 9db With 1/60 shutter speed , the V1 loses about ¾ stop so I raised the gain limit to 9db from 6db. 9db has a bit more noise but is acceptable.
Quick Rec: ON The biggest complaint I have about HDV cameras is the tape drum has to be spooling at full speed before it starts recording. This can take 5-6 seconds. So I turned this on, risking the broken time code, which now modern NLEs can capture regardless of timecode breaks.

Overall, the HVR-V1 is a good underwater camera. The progressive scan sensors capture a nice image with higher resolution (especially in 1080p) than the FX1/Z1. It isn’t as light sensitive but the 1080p picture makes up for a lot at just 1 stop loss of sensitivity. And with the higher resolution, there is more detail in high gain.  The 20x lens is great for supermacro with a diopter attached. It’s not very wide at 35mm but most housings for it have great WA options. Furthermore, it’s the most compact of the 3x sensor HDV cameras, with an average housing weight savings of over 25% over the bigger counterparts. It isn’t the best performing HDV camera but it does compare well against the competitors for performance underwater considering its size.