Davide DB

Hi Maria, great article. For the video, I know that with Insta360 (actually with all 360° cameras) you shoot everything and then reframing in post. In this case it would be possible to use lights but of course you reduce the possibilities of reframing. Areas with lights should be eliminated. I have seen deep shots of the Mediterranean and the operator was using lights. In that particular case the shots were left at 360 degrees to be viewed with a special viewer. The result was that the arms with lights were visible, Not great to be honest.

One should have the patience to study the manuals of Sony cameras dedicated to video: FX3 and its APSC sibling FX30 to see if these restrictions apply to them as well 📜

Many thanks to @Bio, his clips are perfect in both FOV and the colors in Log have excellent color correction possibilities. The camera is not skipping any frames: the effect is due to the frog kick. I am familiar with the effect. On a side note, DJI is evil: according to their insane mind, WIDE has a narrower FOV than STANDARD. There should be a special hell circle for them, next to the one for those who decide on camera and lens names 😈

A classic case of "The devil is hidden in the details" At this point I fear the same limitations (for uw use) will apply to other Sony camera bodies. 99,9% of Sony AF reviews out there refer to the photography section.

Wow, thanks for the test. While the clip is very short, angles seems good. Which fov did you use on the camera? Do you have some longer clip with some objects on the borders?

This is the new lens/mount for GP13 8:7 & Insta350 Ace Pro from Inon: https://www.inon.jp/news/2024/news613/ No video samples that i could find out there. Ace pro 2 has an underwater filter settings that "adjust" corners. Atrocious corners seems to be caused by using the camera with the default widest FOV. See the thread I linked you on Action 4. Housed iPhone has the worst quality of the quartet. No way to obtain wide angle acceptable results behind a flat port and Geeee colors are awful and unreal.

https://store.anycubic.com/blogs/3d-printing-guides/how-to-https://store.anycubic.com/blogs/3d-printing-guides/how-to-convert-stl-files-to-g-code

So guys, let's shed some light on the PAL/NTSC issue i.e. 50Hz or 60Hz. As far as playback devices are concerned (TVs, Computer displays, monitors) it is a matter of the past. All “modern” devices have for years been able to play content at 50 or 60 FPS and their cousins without any problem. The problem that remains is the one @Chris Ross indicated: if you shoot with artificial light and have a frame rate that is not multiple of the mains frequency you could have serious problems with image flickering. The problem can also appear by filming a computer display or TV depending on the refresh rate at which it is working. In this case there are other ways to solve it. On the net and on YouTube you can find thousands of examples. At this point you may be wondering: what do I give a damn if I am filming underwater? Probably nothing but: Maybe you will happen to edit your clips together with others shot on land at your vacation spot. Images shot in the evening maybe. Maybe you will happen to edit your clips together with other clips shot by other people or by you with another device (smartphone, action camera, drone, etc.). Maybe you find yourself doing more professional work (now you don't know yet) and you want your archive to be future-proof because you could sell the clips to someone else. In short, in all cameras it is a matter of going to a menu item and selecting a simple option. It costs nothing to choose the one in your country or the one in which you are shooting. or, at least, be consistent with all your devices. Ciaoooo

Hi Andrei, I try to write a small recap. Despite the many reviews online, the only reliable images about those new kids, are those posted by our member @Wags. Unfortunately they are images of the DJI Osmo Action 4 only, but I think they will also apply to the 5 and maybe the 6. As you wrote, it seems DJI to be running against time and possible sanctions by the Trump administration. https://waterpixels.net/forums/topic/1889-dji-osmo-action-4/ The Insta seems to be the one that has better SOOC images. But no one who is into underwater imaging would ever dream of posting SSOC video or photos. So 99% of the reviews are nearly meaningless. The only real problem I see is using these cameras with a wet lens. On average, they all have a larger FOV than the GoPro, and these lenses/mounts, originally designed for the latter, struggle to have sharp edges. Inon has released a new lens/attachment specifically designed to solve this problem. Of one thing we are sure: Insta and DJI for land shooting are currently light years ahead of Gopro but have shameful user manuals and technical specifications. They have a lot of work to do on this compared to GoPro. For land shooting I like how other gear form DJI integrates perfectly (all latest DJI wireless mics connects flawlessly with their camera). Ciao

Nice shot. GH5? Which light?

Link added. Thanks

The Backscatter tutorial is as good as it gets for completeness and clarity of content but I totally disagree with ISO Auto and WB Auto. Those are a sure recipe for ruining all clips. I could agree that ISO auto would work in a few specific conditions: very bright day, shallow depth and cristal clear water. in all (more common) situations the tiny sensor will ramp up ISO to 1600 destroying everything. WB auto is a no go. BTW there are people here who are very experienced regarding video and also with GoPro. We have discussed it dozens of times here. What is the point of resetting the few established points? Ciao

thanks @atus project added to our DYIpedia pinned post. If you have other gears don't forget to post them here.

I missed this! project added to our DIYpedia 😉

Guys, reality check: There are videographers aboard with their lights full of huge Li-ion battery packs 😉

Okay, you are already using long arms, so you can try to position them better. I like the idea of the back lighting. I'm a big fan of additional lights carried by the buddy. Of course you have to have a cooperating buddy. If you find yourself with two extra powerful lights, now is the time to try it. The idea is that the camera lights fill the scene as needed, but the main lights are in the hands of the model/buddy. You decide the amount of fill light. You get wonderful effects. Even a “normal” shot gains a three-dimensionality that would otherwise be impossible, and on wrecks it creates a lot of atmosphere. Another advantage is that by having the lights away from the camera, you do not have backscatter! The first to use this technique extensively was Roberto Rinaldi, who made it a distinctive element of his filming. Almost a signature. The effect can be seen in many of his films and in those of Laurent Ballesta. I tried several times. I haven't reef shot with this tecnique online but I could search if interested. here a couple of old video I have online, It was the first time I tried them with the buddy so it could be done better:

Welcome aboard Samir! Ciaoooo

Amazing video as usual Val! It's really a paradise.

Hi Dave, I too have a pair of old Divepro 15k or 18k, I can't remember. I got them as a gift from a friend who no longer dives. The buttons broke and Divepro didn't even respond to emails. Lights were bought directly from them. I find the quality very bad. I was able to fix them here in Italy but now they have a simple ON/OFF button. So for me this brand is to be discarded. The Kraken seem to be of a good standard. The light seems to have a very good CRI. A whole different story compared to the Divepro which had a very bad light compared to my Keldan. If you have a chance to try Kraken out in the store, check the sequence of switching and power adjustment. I find that some brands have very bad ergonomics. I see that your videos are shot in challenging conditions. I'm not sure that increasing the lumens solves your problems. There is a whitish halo due to backscatter at the lights. You might try positioning the arms differently or lengthening them (I write without having seen your setup). Increasing the power in this condition I am afraid you would make the situation worse. P.S. Keldans are great (and very expensive) but I don't think they make a difference in these water condition.

Here in Tuscany they are quite deep (between 65m and 75m) and share soft bottoms with classic sea pens. I've been told that the Marmara sea is the only place where you can find them at 20m. I never use air below 30m and never never air on a rebreather regardless of the depth.

Re-reading @Edward Lai post I understand that the purpose of the lens is to improve the quality of the flat macro port. Early prototypes also had a slight magnification but the range of focus was prioritized. Thus: about the same magnification as the macro lens on which it is mounted greatly improved image quality bonus: extended range of focus Correct me if I am wrong

The Veretillum cynomorium is a colonial octocoral belonging to the class Anthozoa and the order Pennatulacea. This organism is anchored to the sandy or muddy bottoms of the Mediterranean and Atlantic, distinguished by its fleshy, elongated appearance and its ability to emit a faint bioluminescence. It is made up of a colony of polyps, each with specific functions, working together to feed and reproduce. Bottom trawling and fishing gear that touches the seafloor can destroy entire colonies, tearing them from the substrate or damaging their habitat. Additionally, climate change, such as rising temperatures and ocean acidification, can impact their delicate ecological balance, even through indirect effects like the decrease in plankton, which they feed on. To preserve this species and its valuable role in benthic ecosystems, it is crucial to protect the seabed with marine protected areas and promote sustainable fishing practices. The Veretillum reminds us of how fragile marine life’s balance is and how important it is to safeguard it. Shot on Lumix GH5MII, Panasonic Leica 45mm; CMC-2; lights: RGBlue + XDive

Prices of a used R5C keep falling and it becomes very appealing. Now there are a lot of "old" camera that are amazing video monsters. Few months and the OG A1 will fall under 4K€. Going back to Canon R5C, with the latest firmware upgrade, can do 8k 60p RAW with no external power and JUST the LP-E6P battery: https://www.canon.co.uk/press-centre/press-releases/2024/11/firmware-updates-add-extensive-new-functionalities-to-canon-professional-video-cameras/