LuxPro

Yeah, that's totally valid and it's the reason I gave up on the idea of taking the a7S III. My a6500 is over five years old now. If it floods, that certainly wouldn't be fun but it's not going to make or break me. I hear you. That would be fine with a flat port and flippable red filter. I'm just wondering if I can solve the mixed light problem when shooting with a dome where the red filter is committed. Ambient filters on the lights as seen here seems like a potential solution; however, there doesn't appear to be any threads on the Backscatter 4300s and they are already low on lumens. So it seems to be a no go there.

I would get a red cast with my GoPro / Flip filter with the Sidekick Duo which is only 600 lumens. Close, sure, maybe a couple of feet. But it also made any backscatter red. So I'm not confident that would be a non-issue using red filters and two 4300 lumen lights, especially at the medium shot range I'd be starting out in. Already have that one but appreciate the offer! I had looked at that EPL10 offering from Backscatter. It seems like a nice package, the major advantage I noted being Backscatter standing behind it and a probably more reputable housing/system than SeaFrogs. Still, I already own the a6500 and if I go with Seafrogs the housing won't cost any more than the AOI. It still has the option to add a port with 67mm thread for something like the WWL-1 if I want to upgrade to that. The MFT 14-42 (28-84) and APS-C 16-50 (24-75) are going to have a similar medium shot range. So the way I'm looking at it, I should stick with my larger sensor. Am I looking at this wrong?

Right, I get that it's just restoring the air field of view. I just thought 25-100 was a pretty good range, as 24-105 is a go-to for above water if you had to pick one lens for a day. This is great, thank you! I might see how constricted I feel with the a6500 and seafrogs 8" air dome + flat port option w/67mm thread, using the 16-50, as a starting point. Run the GoPro next to it for wider stuff. I have to start with something and this seems to have enough ports and options to expand the rig if I desire. I might be casual enough that I don't need to spend that $1500 on something like the WWL-1 right at the start. Doesn't look like they are removable, at least not readily. I would be curious if there's a way to rig the Backscatter 4300s with ambient light filters, despite knocking out more stops of light... It would at least eliminate the red cast if I do get close enough to something for the lights to make a difference.

All makes sense! I fixed the video link but you understood anyway. Thank you! Barmaglot, your wisdom follows me across the internet! I so appreciate your help. This answers a lot of questions for me. I think I understand my options now and would be capable of configuring something that produces decent results in line with what I'm looking to do. Thank you again! I did some browsing on Flickr comparing underwater photos between the TG-6 and a6500. Definitely leaning towards making something work with the a6500.

Thanks so much for the thoughtful reply, Chris! Those are all great points. I understand the lights are going to have some limitations with that output. I was hoping that “4300 macro wide” included wide to some degree. I expect they will at least be a step up from the Sidekick Duo. I was able to work around that limitation on the GoPro and get nice color by using the Flip filters when I wasn’t close enough to a subject. I don’t suppose there’s something like that for mirrorless? I’ve seen that you can put gels in front of the sensor but since those are stuck there on your dive I imagine if you do have enough light on a subject it’s going to be cast red… Would the RX100 you suggested have a significant advantage over the a6500 w/ 16-50 (24-75 equivalent)? I think I can eliminate the a7S III from those options. It would certainly offer the best video but I’m wary about putting that expensive camera in the cheapest housing on the market. If the lights aren’t going to cut it anyways then I’m not sure I want to spend that much either. So that leaves me with either the a6500 or the TG-6. I’d probably stick a GoPro 10 with Flip filters on top of either of those for 4K120 and to have those filters where the lights fall short. What I’m finding attractive about the TG-6 is that when combined with the M52 Air Lens you have a nice range from wide to macro, without changing lenses, and while maintaining the option for above/below shots. This is described by Backscatter from 4:54 to 5:35 here. Is there a way to rig the a6500 to be as flexible? I’d like to take advantage of the larger sensor but the versatility of the TG-6 with air lens is also appealing. Would this Seafrogs housing with 8” dome combined with the E 16-50 lens offer similar versatility as the TG-6 with M52 Air Lens? Looks like the full-frame equivalent ranges would be 25-100 on the TG-6 and 24-75 on the a6500. Appreciate any thoughts or suggestions. TLDR: - Any equivalent to Flip filters for mirrorless that can be removed when you have enough light? - Can the a6500 be rigged to be as versatile as the TG-6 with M52 Air Lens?

Hello,Putting the TLDR up front: I'm thinking of taking my a7S III or a6500 underwater, but also wondering if I'd get a better value/versatility out of a GoPro 10 and TG-6 together. Ideally, looking for a flexible rig that can shoot wide primarily but also get close if needed. Want to shoot photo and video and already have dual Backscatter Macro Wide 4300s I received as a gift. Considering the three options below, what do you think is the best value and most versatile? Other suggestions? 1) a7S III UW kit ~ $2630 - SEL2860 ~ $500 - Nauticam WWL-1 ~ $1510 - SeaFrogs a7S III Standard Housing ~ $530 - SeaFrogs Flat short port with 67mm thread for FE 28-60 ~ $90 2) a6500 UW kit ~ $1500 - Salted SeaFrogs housing - E 10-18 F4 3) Dual small-sensor cameras ~ $1517 - TG-6 with PT-059 housing (mainly for stills) - $788 - Backscatter M52 Wide Angle Air Lens - $179 - GoPro 10 w/ housing (mainly 4K 120 video) ~ $450 - Backscatter Flip 10 filters ~ $100 The longer version: I work professionally in documentary filmmaking, mostly as an editor but I do a fair amount of run-and-gun shooting as well. I shoot mostly on the a7S III and a6500 above water. Until now, I've been filming on my dives non-professionally with a GoPro 5, Sidekick Duo light, and Flip5 filter. My wife recently gifted me a set of two Backscatter Macro Wide 4300 lights and I came across the SeaFrogs line of housings which are so affordable compared to traditional offerings, I thought I might be ready to take one of those nicer camera underwater with me (still as a hobbyist). My plan had been to pick up a used FE 16-35mm 2.8 GM, and the SeaFrogs housing/dome port/zoom gear for a7S III and that lens here. It was pointed out to me on another forum, in kinder words, that I'm a dumbass. The dome port is too small for the lens and I'd likely have to stop WAY down to actually get any focus - making the purchase of that expensive and fast lens sort of moot. So, I'm coming here humbly looking for some suggestions to step up my UW photo/video game but also to make effective use of my limited funds. I'd like to be able to shoot stills and video (4K 120 preferred) and make the best use of the light kit I now have. I'd also like to avoid swapping lenses between dives as much as possible so having somewhat of a zoom range would be helpful. I know for lights that the 4300 duo doesn't quite match the 10k I've seen recommended around here but it's what I have and it was a generous gift that I'd like to make the best use of. The options mentioned are what I'm considering right now, and I'd love to get some feedback or suggestions on the best path forward or alternate options. I understand some other things will be required like vacuum pump, tray, filters, rigging, etc but the three options I mentioned are the kit building blocks I'm looking at. Thanks for any input!

Hi all, I'm a documentary filmmaker in the SF Bay Area and have been a hobbyist diver for years, shooting underwater with a GoPro and red filter. I now have an opportunity to step my game up a bit and invest in bringing some of that higher end gear underwater with me. It's a bit harrowing finding the right equipment for the right price and I'm looking forward to learning from this community. Best, Lux