ColdDarkDiver

I find that the procase is usable for more than just Social, although it is hard to judge when it will have an artifact from the case or will be usable. In particular, in the shallows there seems to be some reflection/refraction that it can't always deal with. So after the fact, it can produce some nice footage. Here is a clip showing what it looks like in a darker situation (exported to 4k in non-360) - https://youtu.be/SPpYkaQvh1Y Not amazing but sooooo much better than with the regular case. That was with Pure mode on and for context - to similarly expose the ice with a still shot @ F/10 and 1/50th - I was shooting ISO 8000. So dark.

I will add that if you do get the X5, the Pro case is a must have. It has more float but the images from it are not bad, unlike the normal case.

And for some examples (since it was asked): Marelux R5 w/ 140 Marelux dome: F/8 - 100% corner crop F/11 -100% corner And - while corner sharpness is not astounding at f/8 - I realized when trying to find these examples that I shoot at f/8 a lot on that lens and don't even notice the meh sharp corners. I also think it is important that it is the very corner that is not sharp, just a wee bit from the edge and it is so the image is often just fine. I also really like the compactness of the 140 compared to a 230 or even 180 dome. I shoot the 15-30 at f/11 and greater (up to f/14) and also find the corner sharpness completely acceptable.

I also shoot this (Marelux 140 dome) - I still shoot it stopped down but it is my go to lens. I shoot at f/11-13 and sometimes down to f/8. I don't find the corner sharpness distracting at f/9 but prefer it at a smaller aperture. The only reason I don't shoot it is if I am not looking for the fisheye look on that dive. I also own the 14-35 F4L and shot it underwater for 2 years with great some success - however, the 15-30 is a superior lens underwater and I can shoot it wider open with more sharp results. My 14-35 is now only for above water use (where it is superb). I would suggest you think about trying the 15-30 with your current dome and the proper port extensions - you may not need anything else. I would love to see someone really show me that some of the WACP or WWL options work for canon as well as they do for Sony - I am so tempted by them. Even if the 15-30 works only at 28 and 30, I don't mind shooting prime above water or below.

Anyone get their hands on one to see if it might work in an R6 ii housing? Since Nauticam released a specific housing for it - it makes me think that the III won't fit in the II housing.

To follow up on this thread - the Pro casing is night and day from the other (non-pro) casing for the Insta360. Here are a few frame grabs from the pro in dark conditions. Relatively sharp at most distances and pleasing to watch - unlike the non-pro case. I find putting a few smaller weights at the end of the selfie stick balances the float a little bit so it can be moved easily while diving.

I don't know about 4-6 hours but the upgraded batteries to the LP-E6NH is worth a try. I get at least 2 -1 hour dives in at 28F with those on canon mirrorless, and occasionally the housing sits well below freezing for a day between those dives. I do try and change the batteries between dives when possible. I frequently have the cameras just living at -10 go -20 F for a few days and am surprised at how long the batteries last.

The video is not as obviously bad if viewed on a small screen or a corner of a browsing window. It still does not focus close at all and there does seem to be a certain distance that it is able to get a sharper image. When the stitching is off it is just as if not more obvious and in that case it is sort of like two 180 cameras some of the time, and 1 360 cam another time and you don't know until you download the footage at the end of the dive.

To hopefully help people see what normal quality looks like from the X5 and non-pro video housing here are some screenshots. They look fine if viewed on a phone but as soon as one starts to look in closer, they are just very soft and really obvious stitching depending on the sun angle... and maybe if there is something close for it to focus on? Not sure as there didn't seem to be a rhyme or reason. These were shot on pure video. It could also be that my particular camera was not having a good day as it did fry itself half way through the dive (Insta360 did replace it without hesitation, although that was after I returned from the trip). This is the best of (and we do large scale experiments on the seafloor to understand the impact of nutrient polution and fishing on coral reef ecosystems - those are the cages you are seeing in some of the images): I uploaded these at full size so you can see how it looks. That is the best one. Here you can see what it looks like when close to things. A non-smooth stitch that would sometimes happen. And how it sometimes looks with the 'invisible' stick. @RomiK - I hope you don't mind me adding these as further examples to your threads. I do like the story telling in your video. You can see in all of the 360 promo videos that they play with the 360 aspect by zooming around (which is really fun) but also masks the soft nature of the camera in the housing itself. Hope this sets expectations correctly for anyone who may be purchasing this camera and housing.

I just ordered one and will let everyone know how it goes. The dome I have for the GoPro Max is giant and scratches at a sideways glance -so if this works it is still a better option. I am still annoyed that Insta360 would even produce the non-Pro version - or maybe that is for above water only... in reality. As an FYI - 14 day lead time for shipment of the new housing for the insta360 X5.

I really appreciate this information! Just wanted to clarity that the flotation would lead to some vignette? Or that the lens itself would vignette images. Secondly, did you find that you could shoot at a lower (wider) aperture and still get the images you were after? One of the compelling components of wet lenses (or WACP) is ability to capture more light while keeping acceptable corner sharpness and would appreciate your take on whether this allows a stop or 2 more light to be harnessed.

Along with Canon and Nikon both announcing video-focused cameras, Red announced the Raptor XE yesterday: https://www.red.com/stories/v-raptor-xe-launch Gates also has stated that their Raptor housing fits it right out of the box (on Facebook). "The V-RAPTOR XE is built around the essentials of modern filmmaking. Key features include: 8K VV up to 60fps, 6K S35 up to 80fps, 4K up to 120fps, and 2K up to 240fps Industry-leading sensor technology with an advanced 8K large format (VV) global shutter sensor Significantly reduced boot time and sensor power consumption (with upcoming firmware update) Iconic RED DNA with extraordinary image quality Unmatched low-light capabilities (17 stops) Available with RF Mount or Nikon Z Mount for ultimate lens flexibility Compact body at just over 4 lbs. that allows for tremendous flexibility in any shooting environment Compatibility with V-RAPTOR accessories" $14,995 (in the US). On the higher end of price, but 8k 60p with a global shutter seems like it could be really nice. I also like that they are sticking with offering both RF and Z mounts.

Released - Overall looks interesting in spec. Dual Base ISO with one at 6400 - so that is good. Can do 7k 60p - (but not in open gate - that is limited to 30p) CLog2 Open Gate (Maybe interesting for underwater?) Lots of Raw capabilities $3,899 (for US folks) Downsides: No Flash Sync (lets see if this is true - they say that electronic shutter can't trigger a flash, which isn't true according to me syncing flashes with my other canon's in Electronic only mode) Some of the HQ spec is limited to 30p, including Open Gate. (and they Released the 11-55 .. for $35k)

I'll just add that the main reason i use 360 underwater is for VR using a Meta Quest to let non-divers experience the world down there. I have a bespoke GoPro Max housing that works well for this, but the Insta360 in the underwater housing is not acceptable. Poor stitching in significant number of shots and really soft to the point of unusability. I almost wonder if they are capturing data from a subset of the sensor and then extrapolating leading to the softness. I hope they can firmware up this, but at the moment, I do not consider this an underwater tool (it works ok If you then turn it into a non -360 image... but it is still really soft.) I hope the Osmo360 in a housing may be better (or really hope for a firmware update that makes the X5 work underwater). Or if anyone has settings or tricks to make it not look bad - I'm listening!

Shame on no IBIS (for some.. but maybe mostly me), but one of the main questions is whether they will have easy/1 button White Balance since it is Cin focused. The other question is whether someone will make a housing, but this seems like a likely candidate. If the photos turn out accurate, then the full size HDMI is nice to see (also expected for the stated purpose). Looking forward to the announcement though and with the (relatively) cost effective price of the C400, there is a chance this won't be stupid money to get.