Users DPV camera mounting and subsequent DPV behavior curiosities

[sharkypeeps]

So I am curious and would love to hear from peeps who have mounted fill size housed DSLRs with dome ports on the front of their DPV.  I'm curious about the hydrodynamics, specifically how much the DPV nose wants to pull up and what people have done to eliminate this.  I already deal with this issue using a housed TG6 (Olympus housing), backscatter glass dome, and 2 sola video lights.  It's annoying for running on cruise control and while I want to put my DSLR & big dome (8.5 inch) on I want to solve the pulling up issue first.

 

DPV wise I use what I would consider a mid size DPV (read as black tip, cuda, genesis, or similar DPV).

[humu9679]

@sharkypeeps Just seeing this now, and I'm running an Olympus TG-5 with Kraken hydra 5000k lights. My Dive-X blacktip travel tends to nose down as configured. I removed one of the two plates in the nose cone. You might consider adding weight if you're nosing up.

[Davide DB]

I missed this thread too...

 

I have been using a scooter for about 20 years and have been shooting with a scooter for about 15 although for the last two three years I no longer mount the camera on the scooter because I find it too limiting (broader discussion).
I have an old Suex 14 and have mounted several M43 cameras with 6" domes or the WWL. I have two Keldan Luna with floating arms, monitor and have no particular problems. The scooter is fine as long as some precautions are observed.
The scooter and the photo/video kit must be individually neutral. That way you get a balanced set. 
So if you want to detach the camera from the scooter to photograph by hand (and the camera attachment allows this easily) you can do it safely.
It is also a matter of safety. You may have to separate them and the two objects remain neutral and fully operational.
Some friends during long cruises position the camera and headlights perpedicularly to the longitudinal axis of the scooter (direction of travel) to have less friction but I have never had a problem with this.

 

 

[RomiK]

I've tried the (mini)scooter/SonyA1/Retraflashes once and my take from it was:

 

- need to go really slow otherwise things shake up. UW rig Hydrodynamics not friendly to speed 🙂

- need to operate scooter by left hand and hold the rig using right hand to stabilize the buoyancy issues and control the shot. 

- I used 360deg rotating tripod bases I could do variable angle shots

 

I'd say the camera placement on the picture above is good for GoPro and small lights for documentary (such as my friends working on 80m U72 submarine wreck down in Croatia last month) and is not good for any creative work

 

Since I fly to dive I abandoned the idea of taking DPV with me as I have too many things to transport already 🤷‍♂️

[Davide DB]

Hi Roman I am sorry that you had this experience with camera & scooter but its use it's completely different from what you describe.

What you wrote happens for the reasons I wrote above. I assume that before carrying a camera on it, one is completely confident using the scooter. Although at first glance it may seem simple, its safe use is not trivial even in recreational diving. There are even courses to learn how to use it safely.
In addition, there are different types of scooters, and as for camera mounts, there ar different models with different characteristics.

 

On 7/20/2024 at 9:04 AM, RomiK said:

I'd say the camera placement on the picture above is good for GoPro and small lights for documentary

 

No Gopros there. On the first photo I'm using a GH4 in Nauticam Housing, 6" dome and Keldan Luna 8 lights. On the second photo, a beloved Nauticam GH2 with two custom lights bigger than HF-1 strobes. Now I have a monitor too.

Me and my friends use the camera (GH5, A7SIII, A6700, A7RIV) with scooter, lights and strobes nearly in all our dives. In the early 2000 we were using huge Amphibico Housings for shoulder mounter Sony camera on Gavin scooters.

I drive the scooter with one finger and he goes just straight. When I leave the hand, it stays just in front of me.

 

From the trash bin (wrong settings) last Sunday, my buddy filming @80m/262ft. 

 

 

 

 

On 7/20/2024 at 9:04 AM, RomiK said:

and is not good for any creative work

 

 

For a limitless experience just use a detachable camera mount. The Suex camera mount permit to remove and reattach the camera underwater with a single lever push pull.

 

This short documentary was 100% shot on scooter mounted cameras.

We had no creative constraints in making it.

 

 

[RomiK]

On 7/21/2024 at 1:28 PM, Davide DB said:

Hi Roman I am sorry that you had this experience with camera & scooter but its use it's completely different from what you describe.

What you wrote happens for the reasons I wrote above. I assume that before carrying a camera on it, one is completely confident using the scooter. Although at first glance it may seem simple, its safe use is not trivial even in recreational diving. There are even courses to learn how to use it safely.
In addition, there are different types of scooters, and as for camera mounts, there ar different models with different characteristics.

 

 

No Gopros there. On the first photo I'm using a GH4 in Nauticam Housing, 6" dome and Keldan Luna 8 lights. On the second photo, a beloved Nauticam GH2 with two custom lights bigger than HF-1 strobes. Now I have a monitor too.

Me and my friends use the camera (GH5, A7SIII, A6700, A7RIV) with scooter, lights and strobes nearly in all our dives. In the early 2000 we were using huge Amphibico Housings for shoulder mounter Sony camera on Gavin scooters.

I drive the scooter with one finger and he goes just straight. When I leave the hand, it stays just in front of me.

 

From the trash bin (wrong settings) last Sunday, my buddy filming @80m/262ft. 

 

 

 

 

 

For a limitless experience just use a detachable camera mount. The Suex camera mount permit to remove and reattach the camera underwater with a single lever push pull.

 

This short documentary was 100% shot on scooter mounted cameras.

We had no creative constraints in making it.

 

 

 

I guess it is all about priorities and why would you want to use scooter with camera mounted for video at all. When I tried it my vision was a moving shot, a bypass shot at various angles up to perpendicularly. For these should they last for more than a split second and if you want to have control over framing you really need to control the camera by hand. Otherwise it's a random success nailing the frame and be stable or you just take what you get.

 

Savalia video - talking about shot technique and result - right around 2:20 mark (for example) shows visible wobble caused by the camera placement and the way it was operated. Ok ish for documentary but not a beauty shot. And it's not the only occasion.  So for the documentary anything will go. But for good and beauty shots - not really. Having the camera far away on the tip of the scoot only exacerbates the issue.

 

[Matan]

Just jumping on this topic - which mounts are you using? (model/brand)

 

Matan.