Davide DB

Even though I'm a bit late to the party, I wanted to share my two cents on video 😇 As others have said, there's no "perfect" camera system out there today. Hybrid cameras are incredibly high quality across the board, so it really comes down to personal preference and what you'll be using it for. I'm a pretty practical person. If you've already got a bunch of Canon lenses and you're comfortable with their system, I'd honestly stick with Canon. Then, take the money you save and spend it on travel and diving trips! 😁 Full-Frame vs. APSC: My Take Now, about the full-frame (FF) vs. APSC thing, I'm pretty opinionated and a bit cynical. Sure, the shift from DSLRs to mirrorless cameras brought huge tech changes. But the speed at which companies release new models isn't always because we, the consumers, actually need them – quite the opposite! Companies are always trying to boost sales and profits, and launching new products is a key way to do that. Through marketing and ads, they make you feel like your perfectly good camera is suddenly "old" or not as good as the latest version. Right now, the whole market is obsessed with full-frame. This trend really took off because of home videomakers who used cameras like the Canon 5D Mark II to get that "cinematic look" in their backyards. For them, the entire cinema look concept meant crazy background blur and chasing the perfect bokeh at all costs. Companies saw this and jumped on it headfirst. But, even if the market says otherwise, for underwater video, a cropped sensor actually has some big advantages. Underwater, unless you're going for a specific creative effect, you generally want a good depth of field. And that's much easier to get with APSC or Micro Four Thirds cameras. For macro shots, both video and photo, APSC/M43 formats also give you an edge when it comes to magnification compared to full-frame. The common belief that full-frame sensors are automatically brighter and have less noise than cropped sensors is a tough one to kill. Theoretically, it's true, but in practice, it makes no difference. Technology has come so far that for our kind of use, it has zero impact. For video, almost all modern sensors now have a dual gain circuit, meaning two native ISOs. Canon calls this DGO, and every manufacturer has their own version – it's technology originally developed by Arri. Plus, APSC lenses are generally smaller too. Canon's colors, especially, are really popular for underwater shooting, and Canon cameras usually do a great job with white balance even at depth. The one big drawback with some Canon cameras is how you do the custom white balance – it forces you to take a photo first, then set the white balance from that shot. I'm not sure which models still have that quirk though. Back to Reality If you're sticking with Canon and you're not in a huge rush, I'd personally wait for the new Canon R7 Mark II. Of course, if you always wait for the next big thing, you'll never buy anything because there's always something new coming. But the R7 Mark II has been rumored for over a year now, with hundreds of whispers. It's hard to say exactly what features it'll have, but everyone agrees that Canon will release a true APSC flagship, bringing all their latest innovations to that format. It'll basically be like what the 7D was for DSLRs. Even now, the R7 is an excellent camera, and some people use it specifically for macro. Its video sectionhas some limitation. https://www.canonrumors.com/tag/eos-r7-mark-ii/ Before You Buy Anyway, before you choose, try to borrow some cameras from friends and get a feel for them. You don't even have to go in the water; your backyard is perfectly fine. Or, for mainstream cameras, you can often rent them for a weekend from various camera rental services at pretty reasonable prices. If you're coming from a DSLR, this is a great way to understand what these new hybrid mirrorless cameras can do and get a real idea without getting sucked in by all the "shilltubers" . P.S. I almost forgot: as I mentioned, personally verify that certain features actually work in video mode. Ciaoooo

It's an anemone, Alicia mirabilis During the day it's closed, barely visible. During the night it's https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alicia_mirabilis

I'll add an important detail that's often overlooked or simply ignored: when you switch to video mode on cameras, even those famous for their autofocus, the myriad of AF settings are disabled, limited, or at least very different. Ninety-nine percent of the AF setup tutorials you find online for top-tier cameras forget to mention that those functions only exist for photography. Sad but true. After doing tests and watching dozens upon dozens of YouTube videos, I only found one video on the Sony A6700 that had a chapter dedicated to video AF, and it clearly showed that all those super cool functions just explained are not available in video mode. Additionally, as Ben says, the user experience of autofocus is directly tied to the lens being used.

Great combo indeed for video These videos aren't just for aesthetic purposes; they also serve as a magnificent memory of our holidays! Ciao

Welcome aboard Stephen!

Really nice video. Excellent editing and colors. I like the backlighting you tried to achieve. Perhaps, if I may suggest, the music is a bit off-mood. It has a crescendo of strings and tension that's hard to follow with the images. The visual climax is reached with the sharks. But, of course, these are very personal preferences. The lens seems perfect and very versatile for the video. What dome port did you use?

Welcome aboard Connor!

@MrPhilipps what will be your main use case? Video or photo?

"¡Hola Fotosub! Bienvenido/a al foro. Nos alegra mucho tenerte por aquí. Sí, es cierto, esta sección es para las presentaciones. Es el lugar ideal para que nos cuentes un poquito sobre ti. ¿Eres un aficionado/a de la fotosub con cámaras analógicas, o buscas la lente para algún otro proyecto? Nos encantaría saber más. Una vez que hayas hecho tu presentación aquí, podrás abrir un nuevo hilo en la sección de fotografía para hacer todas las preguntas que tengas. ¡Estamos deseando leerte! P.D. La lengua franca aquí es el inglés, pero puedes usar el idioma que prefieras. Solo lo menciono porque en inglés tu mensaje llegará a más usuarios posibles."

This are the strongest I could find: +3.5 even if on land I use +2.5. Today is first time I use them. Let's see what happens 🤓 Vintage eyes require precision tools!

Golden years macro photography: 1:1 magnification, 0:1 vision.

Hi Rob, Welcome back online and great to have you here! My son is also a big fan of mermaids and tailed sea creatures. Nice collection of mermaid tails here... 🧜🏽‍♂️ I don't think it's practically possible as things stand. It would require a very technical intervention from the forum administrator, and he haven't been very present lately 😇

Ciao Lidas Welcome aboard!

Loud and clear!

Doomsday Device! @Alex_Mustard What is it?

Hi Reefy Welcome aboard!

I shot only video and reviewing the footage my plain camera mic grabs all noise generated by me operating the camera. I clearly hear my clip banging on the housing, backfocus lever press, zoom or focus gear rotation and even shutter and other buttons.

Point taken! So, can we rephrase that a larger Depth of Field helps us, mere mortals, achieve decent focus? 😇

Yes it can be a significant advantage for macro photography, as it allows you to fill the frame with smaller subjects without needing to get physically closer but then we should debate about specific lens... For uw video I'm still convinced that cropped sensors have an edge on FF sensor but again, the ideal choice depends heavily on your specific needs, shooting style, and budget.

I'll give a shot among two lenses, both 1:1 but one is FF and the other is M43 A 1:1 magnification ratio signifies that the lens can project an image of a subject onto the camera's sensor that is the exact same size as the subject itself in real life. For instance, if you're photographing a 10mm-long insect, at 1:1 magnification, the image of that insect onto the sensor will also be 10mm long. This definition remains constant regardless of the sensor size. A full-frame sensor has dimensions of approximately 36mm x 24mm. A Micro Four Thirds sensor is smaller, at about 17.3mm x 13mm. On your full-frame camera, the 10mm projection of the insect will take up a relatively small portion of the large 36mm x 24mm sensor. On your M43 camera, that same 10mm projection will fill a much larger percentage of the smaller 17.3mm x 13mm sensor. When you view the images from both cameras on a screen or in a print of the same size, the insect from the M43 camera will appear significantly larger. This is because the smaller sensor has effectively "zoomed in" on the center of the image circle projected by the lens. While the fundamental optical magnification of both lenses is identical at 1:1, the smaller M43 sensor results in a tighter field of view, making your subject appear twice as large in the final photograph compared to the full-frame setup at the same 1:1 magnification setting. Of course, with a 50Mp FF camera you can crop the image and you can throw away my reasoning 😁

It's easy to say "videolight"! But what about two Keldan 8X with ambient LEDs, aren't you going to throw those in too?

Tell us more about the logistic. Ho many lights? On the bottom?

Welcome to the forum! That's a serious upgrade, Focusing on video and documentary work aligns well with that gear. Nowadays, documentaries that tell direct experiences of citizen science are very popular. Both from the researcher's side and the participating citizen's side. Perhaps your previous university experiences are an excellent starting point for finding subjects. I've tried to document several citizen science projects myself. The problem is finding funding, and if you want to do professional work, you need money. Sometimes it's the university projects themselves that have dedicated funds for communication. Feel free to share specific questions or details about the type of projects you're pursuing. We look forward to seeing your work.

Hello Sabrina! A warm welcome to our community! I'm sure you'll love the Z8 just as much as your trusty D850. Feel free to share your diving experiences and photos anytime you like.