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I have been recording what I see on my dives since I started diving. I own several different underwater photography rigs as well as digital video system. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, so I am always trying to decide which to take on any one trip. I've considered taking both, but just the thought of dragging two 60+ lb hard cases along with all the other stuff you need (like dive gear and clothes) all the way to the islands makes my back hurt!
Photography My current system consists of a Nikon F-100 SLR in a Sea & Sea NX-100 housing. I own several different ports (the part the camera lens looks through) that allow me to shoot with a variety of lenses including a 28-80mm zoom, 60 and 105mm macro, and 20mm wide angle. Lighting is provided by a pair of Sea & Sea YS-350 strobes. The thing a love about this system is that it is so flexible. The camera is very smart when it comes to exposure and focus options. If you want to just 'point and shoot', you can set it to fully automatic and just go. On the other hand, if you want to use shutter, aperture, or manual exposure, you can do that, and you can switch while you're in the water. The system also allows you switch between two forms of auto-focus and manual focus as needed.
Videography For video, I use a Sony VX-1000 in an Amphibico VH-1000 housing. Lighting is provided by the Amphibico Mini-Pro light system. Here again, I love the power and flexibility of this system. The housing gives you excellent control over the camera's capabilities, and it is very capable. When you combine the smarts of the VX-1000 with the quality you get from it's digital format (miniDV), it is almost impossible to not get good results. |