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Mike L

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Posts posted by Mike L

  1. Posted

    Nate, lets try and answer these questions for you.

     

    1. The smaller cameras that are in your budget range are pretty much all AVCHD, which is a very good format and not any more difficult to edit with than HDV or SD really.

     

    2. AVCHD is perfectly fine. Perhaps I am misunderstanding what you are looking for here.

     

    3. Must have: record, zoom, Manual White Balance, Manual Focus, Still photo (personal preference) and access to the custom control which is assignable.

     

    4. My recommendation would be something along the lines of the Light and Motion Stingray housing with a Sony XR 200 or CX 500...that set up would put you around $2600 but with a high quality machined aluminum housing instead of polycarbonate. Also a great camera with lots of features.

     

    if you can spend an extra $400...go with the Stingray plus which has a port system (expandable). This is an actual lens system from L&M as opposed to the flat acrylic front on the regular Stingray. Definitely worth it especially as you get more into and want to shoot wide angle and macro video. Another really nice feature of the Sray housings is the new optional electronic left handle which will give you access to many more camera features...that would likely be a late upgrade for you as its pricey...I guess what im saying here is you can get this system in your budget for now, but have a lot of room to upgrade as you learn and get more into.

     

    5. Just switching to Mac, make sure you get Final Cut Express 4.0 unless you really want to get creative and spring for the full FCP quite which is definitely worth it at the new lower price of $999...but that can be upgraded to later on as well.

  4. Posted

    Ah glass vs. acrylic...scratching a glass port is MUCH more difficult than the acrylic. But it does happen.

     

    Perfect example, I use the Fathom superwide port on my Gates EX1 system...for a year it has traveled thousands of miles...3 trips to antarctica, been to every continent and back...and hit the reefs and sharks countless of times. Never with a scratch to it...then comes a shark cage at Guadalupe. I spent 2 days shooting in the cage, getting tossed around in currents and rapidly moving from one side to the other banging the port...one time, I was slammed into the cage, port first, and finally, after a year and a half of hitting reefs, sharks, etc...the first mark was made.

     

    As pissed as I was, I had always been amazed that the port had never scratched or chipped...had it been acrylic, I dont know how many times I woulda replaced that port. Of course...that one SMALL chip showed up nice, and cost a HUGE chunk to replace the glass...which is the CON...scratch a glass port, you cant just buff it out.

     

    The Zen ports are VERY nice glass optics, and I do highly suggest them if you want a glass port for your housing. Its worth the money...however if you are making a visit to Tiger beach, Id invest in an acrylic port for that trip.

  6. Posted

    the Nauticam D90 is the only housing shipping at this time. I know there are many on the wait list for the D700, 7d and D300s housings which should start shipping later this month and into January.

     

    I played with the D90 housing extensively at DEMA and was VERY fond of it. Their engineering is awesome. Very precise, excellent finish on the housing, and extremely ergonomic. The port adapters for pretty much all manufacturers makes this a very economical housing for those already with an SLR housing.

  7. Posted

    Yeah I just read the Scarlet releases today...definitely getting tired of waiting for new releases only to be disappointed. When it comes out, it will be great...but the big if and WHEN becomes a PIA.

     

    by my recollection, with the latest delay, Scarlet (if released in May/June) will be more than a year delayed?? (initial promise Spring 09). RED is good at getting hype, but I think they should start putting off announcements until they are further along in development.

  9. Posted

    Ann,

     

    The bluefin is definitely worth the price. Its a very nice housing. One thing to consider though when buying the Bluefin is that you really will need and want the wide angle lens, so that will add $1500. You cannot go wrong with either the Gates or the Light & Motion housings. They are very different, but both extremely high quality and worth every penny.

  11. Posted

    The Gates GP32 port is sharp. I shot it around in the store a bit, and will be diving it this week (was supposed to today but woke up with a migraine). Reviewing the footage from in the store, I do not see any edge distortion. the port is best used at full wide, but does allow a bit of zoom through (a few clicks on the zoom). Fathom ports are always excellent, but this new Gates port is really nice, and its very reasonably priced at $680 for 85 degrees of coverage. A flat (macro) port is $158. And, fathom ports just arent an option for the HF S10/11 cameras.

     

    Ann: Are you talking about the Bluefin for the HF S11, or the new Bluefin for the CX 520?

  15. Posted

    First, both of these units are very easy to use, especially with MWB.

     

    As for a comparison of the two, lets go through how you would complete MWB with each of the cameras.

     

    For the Bluefin C (HF S10, S11, S100) you would select the menu, then use the joystick control to select White Balance, then hit the MWB button, once white balance is set, you would hit Menu to exit out. With the new CX500/520 housing it is REALLY easy for MWB, and is FINALLY one touch MWB. Light and Motion was able to program a series of IR command sequences, so when you hit MWB button, the remote handle sends the programmed sequence (in this case the same sequence as you manually enter on the HF S10/S11), however you are only hitting the button one time. Here is a link to the WP forum on this new bluefin, scroll to the bottom and watch Eric's video of the IR sequence in action!

  16. Posted · Edited by Mike L

    Jeremiah,

     

    The Fix housing is definitely an awesome piece of machinery. Its compact size, ergonomic buttons, easy to use control wheels, and simple addition of fiber optic cables with its fiber optic ports, along with the optional available optics, make it a heck of point & shoot system! The DS-TTL combined with the G11 and the 110a strobe is very reliable. The power of the 110a and the size, make it the best bang for the buck on the market. For the Fix housing, set up with S&S or Inon strobes is ideal with its fiber optic ports, versus adding the DS-160 which is much larger, and more expensive as well.

     

    As a compact system, the G11 with 110a is rock solid and will produce excellent results. Combine that with the flip macro lens, and the UWL-04 fisheye lens, you have what you need to be creative.

     

    The Ike system is nice, and bit more cost effective, but is definitely larger in size. The flip macro lens is definitely easier than dealing with the threading of the 67mm diopters. the control wheels are also a bit more clunky compared to the Fix housing

     

    Check out this package here on the G11 we have. All of this fits in a fairly small Think Tank photo bag as well. Think Tank Streetwalker hard drive. You even have room for a second strobe in this bag.

  25. Posted

    The new Nauticam 180 Viewfinder is one beautiful machine! having the external adjustable diopter is a huge benefit, and the only one of its kind. For $900 plus the cost of an adapter ring to your housing (Approx $30-60) it is also easily one of the best buys on the market!

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