Amphibico Phenom FX1E Review & comments

Hi there

Thought it was about time I let this go to the world.

It's just my personal thoughts though and don't take my review as being 100% correct. Test for yourself.

www.ningalooreefteach.com/camera/phenomreview.htm

wagsy

Thanks for the review. My sentiments are pretty much the same regarding the vignetting. The only way is to get a custom SWA lens to remove the vignetting. There goes another $3k.

The Sea & Sea does not vignette but has a smaller FOV (70+°). It also doesn't have as many functions available but is bigger and heavier. The 2.5" monitor is all but useless for focusing since it shows the 16:9 smaller due to the 4:3 design. But I guess for framing it's good enough.

I liked the old solution by S&S of a macro port where you can put in achromatic diopters like the Century Optics. There was vignetting but you zoom for macro anyways. The single element diopters used in the flip system cannot be of good quality but a compromise design.

As you say.... caveat emptor.

Wags, Thanx for the review....

BTW... the vignetting is not a new problem ... this also happens with the PD-170/Amphibico combination too... I just bump the zoom like you said...

But, I am interested in how to create the black border mask in Premier Pro...

can you help out with that...

Later

Hi Wags,

thanks for the review. Your info came just in time for me to cancel my order for the Phenom. I'm now going for the Light and Motion housing.

Peter

Hi Wags,

thanks for the review.  Your info came just in time for me to cancel my order for the Phenom.  I'm now going for the Light and Motion housing.

Peter

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yikes that's like going from the frying pan into the fire... They still have exposed circuit boards. Only saving grace is that they have a nice SWA lens.

Hi all.

It looks like even with the vignetting on the 94 degree len, the Phenom is best value for money.

Even zooming in the 94 FOV lens will give around FOV 84.

The other housing come standard with less FOV. You have to buy the extra wide lens.

Amphibico are working on a new 120 degree lens that will cost around $3000 US. So if that can shoot without any vignetting, then we are laughing.

I ended up using a balck template made in Premiere Pro's Title program. Its real time and is better than a black template I made up in Photshop. When a normal DVD is made, the black area cannot be seen, only when watched on a full pixel screen like a computer or if you have the oversacan area turned off on the Plasma or LCD screens.

I also have 3x (+1 +2 +4) macro diopters coming that I will try on one of the flip arms. When you are on macro you are zoomed in anyhow so no vignetting. This will then give me instant macro.

I have also took the setup to 18 meters the other day. The FX1 still white balanced no probs at that depth without any URPRO filter on. Amazing....show me a MINI DV camera that can do that!!!!

After 10 hours of underwater material collected so far, the housing is working fine and I love that LCD screen.

Paul Wags

Hi all.

It looks like even with the vignetting on the 94 degree len, the Phenom is best value for money.

I don't know about that. The S&S is about $4.2k retail. You cut 10° off the lens, no LCD glass display and S&S dealers around the world for a fix (although I doubt many dealers stock parts). The electronics are still technology from the 80s so it's very reliable if limited.

When a normal DVD is made, the black area cannot be seen, only when watched on a full pixel screen like a computer or if you have the oversacan area turned off on the Plasma or LCD screens.

That is a limitation that some (like myself) will not like. There really is no excuse for even having vignetting. What's the point of claiming 94° if you can only use 88° cleanly?

I also have 3x (+1 +2 +4) macro diopters coming that I will try on one of the flip arms. When you are on macro you are zoomed in anyhow so no vignetting. This will then give me instant macro.

I still think achromatic diopters are the way to go and will miss the old flat port + century optics solution.

I have also took the setup to 18 meters the other day. The FX1 still white balanced no probs at that depth without any URPRO filter on. Amazing....show me a MINI DV camera that can do that!!!!

The VX2100/PD170 can do it too. I'll miss that rig. Thanks for the review.

Paul - you are right about FOV. But you do have a reduced resolution by cutting off the sides of the footage.

Scubadru - You same to favor Sea & Sea. I owned a Sea & Sea housing for the VX1000. I had a flooding once and had to replace all the electronics. I guess they weren't protected that well either. Support was a nightmare. The housing had to be sent back to Japan. The total repair costs, 1500$ = 50% of the initial purchase price. Two years later I wanted to buy extra spare parts like o-rings, ... Sea & Sea didn't have them anymore.

I also use(d) fixed diopters. They work great but you have to decide before the dive whether to shoot macro on wide. Chasing a free swimming green muray eal with fixed diopter does not produce the best result. Having the diopters on flip-filter arms, is for me the only professional solution.

Your comment about the LMI HDV housing "Yikes that's like going from the frying pan into the fire... '" Do you know of any other problems I should be aware of besides the exposed controls? This HDV housing would be my first LMI housing, so I have no previous experience with this brand. I did some research and did not find negative reports.

PCdiver

I don't favor any brand. I've owned 5 different housings from the big manufacturers.

Here's how I see the present housings for the Z1/FX1

Amphibico: Pros: super functionality, well balanced, wide FOV on standard lens, LCD display, good reliability.

Cons: Price $6350 (MSRP), vignetting (kiss of death to me), international service is limited (but improving)

S&S: Pros: All major functions, big dials for zoom + focus, under $4800 (estimated), great reliability(KISS), good handling, 2 year service schedule at $175(parts labor in Asia, $200 in Europe), available in BLACK!

Cons: 70+° standard lens (but no vignetting), service is crap in the US.

LMI: Haven't seen the housing. Have had horrendous service with their service dept and mulitple housing failures(electronic). They do have Fathom Imaging lenses for their housing (big fan of Paul Remijian's work). But annual service at $300 a pop?

About the sealed electronics. If you flood the housing, the circuit boards will short because there is power going through. The sealing is more for humidity, which is important if you use the housing often on boat or in high humidity areas.

I know about S&S service in the US, that's why I avoid them. The new S&S HDV housing uses the NX bayonet mount so the shared parts from the photo side is limited to o-rings now. The problem is that they want to sell you a set of o-rings for your video housing... where actually their photo o-rings are the same(at least for the VX2k/PD170 housing). Also Tusa has taken over S&S distribution for north america... so it may be better now.

This is all my opinion and based on my needs. YMMV

I have just been playing around with internal dipoters for my Phenom. I have +1 +2 & +4. I placed them on the internal flip arms and they work perfect. I settled for #2 but with the +4 you can fill the whole screen with a Nudibranhs gill from 1 inch away. Not sure why the Phenom did not come standard with the macro diopters on a flip arm.

Also the vignetting is being fixed, (october) and a 120 degree lens being made.

The best way to edit out the vignetting is to move the video frame down and abit to the right when editing and then add a small 6% covering black template frame. On a normal TV screen or back on the camera the black border cannot be seen, only if it is watched on a full 100% pixel display will the black border be seen. All TV's have a overscan area of up to 15% sometimes and all full displaying TV screens usally have the option of turning the overscan on or off.

I have clocked up around 50 dives now being day, night and macro. It has not missed beat. THe LCD screen is fantastic.... and I have transfered some underwater materail to 35 mm and had it beemed up onto a 45 foot screen. Here is what the guys that did it say.....

QUOTE" I am not saying that the FX1 footage matches footage taken by CineAlta. It simply can’t be. But it is not very far behind. It is better than 16 mm and Digibeta. I have seen a film laser transferred at Digital Film /Canada which was shot on Digibeta and edited uncompressed. It was also in Cinemascope AR. Your footage is way above all this.

Cannot do that with normal mini DV.......

Paul Wags

How is the DoF on the +4 with the standard lens?

I hope they manage to produce a 100+° SWA for the phenom. They promised one for the VH/PD series at $3k for 2 years and never produced. Finally they gave out a few of the old thalacetor based SWA but unfortunately my friend was the recipient of one and not me!)

And you are absolutely right about overscan and modern LCD and plasma TVs. Nowadays there's not excuse for using the overscan area to mask vignetting.

As for mini-DV and digi-beta film out. The Deep Blue (Blue Planet "compressed") used a bit of DV and digibeta filmed out to 35mm and it looked great, but then again the guys at Greenlight are tops at post-production. Look at that movie "Open Water" now that's bad transferring .

I have just been playing around with internal dipoters for my Phenom. I have +1 +2 & +4. I placed them on the internal flip arms and they work perfect. I settled for #2 but with the +4 you can fill the whole screen with a Nudibranhs gill from 1 inch away. Not sure why the Phenom did not come standard with the macro diopters on a flip arm.

 

Also the vignetting is being fixed, (october) and a 120 degree lens being made.

 

The best way to edit out the vignetting is to move the video frame down and abit to the right when editing and then add a small 6% covering black template frame. On a normal TV screen or back on the camera the black border cannot be seen, only if it is watched on a full 100% pixel display will the black border be seen. All TV's have a overscan area of up to 15% sometimes and all full displaying TV screens usally have the option of turning the overscan on or off.

 

QUOTE" I am not saying that the FX1 footage matches footage taken by CineAlta. It simply can’t be. But it is not very far behind. It is better than 16 mm and Digibeta. I have seen a film laser transferred at Digital Film /Canada which was shot on Digibeta and edited uncompressed. It was also in Cinemascope AR. Your footage is way above all this.

 

Cannot do that with normal mini DV.......

 

Paul Wags

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

WEll finally got the chance to get it wet today. Just went out to a little landing craft in the harbour to run it through some tests.

All tests went well, the only thing that might need some adjustments is the menu knob in the back, easy enough with an allen key.

Was surprised to find out how easy it was to handle in the water, on land this puppy weighs a whopping 36 pounds! Thats about 16kg for you metric types....

In the water it almost doesn't sink...It tends to float a bit too much at the port for me and has a slight tilt to the left but that will be easily fixed with the adjustable weights on the bottom. It is very steady and i think the large size really helps out here...i might change my mind when i get into some whipping currents mind you.

WB worked a charm. I really like the 1 touch compared to my current Gates system.

What i was impressed with myself is the macro focusing, fantastic. I also have a +2 diopter that i will install for macro shoots, it seems to be the bomb on land so far.

I thought the viewfinder on the back would be kind of small, but its not bad at all actually, the viewing window on the top is kick butt! Works really well for macro and close up but will take a little getting used to i think for fine adjustments.

(definitely getting that prism/mirror though)

WEll, i will give a more detailed report when i have some time to check it out a bit more and time to write more detailed info (although Wagsy gave a great report i would like to add my two cents as well.

Here's a couple of stills of the camera in action, taken with the Magic Filter!

Andre Couture and the Phenom

Mike Veitch and the Phenom

Well done Mike,

Yikes !!! 16kg I will now be looking at the smaller A1E when i get the chance. The housing and the actual Z1E would cost a small fortune in excess luggage. Looks good though. especially that lovely looking warm, clear water, as i sit in my office in blighty watching the rain belt down outside..( repeat:not jealous, not jealous..)

Whats your opinion to the Amphibico Vs Gates debate..???

Dive safe

DeanB..

Mike

Nice to see you got it wet. Yes its very easy to push underwater, I find it better with my HID lights bolted on as it makes it abit more negitive and easier to keep steady.

Make sure your focus is spot on when getting zoomed or close up shots as its very easy to be out of focus on subjects. Stands out heaps when editing but looks oka when shooting. #2 macro is best, #4 is like full screen nudibranch gill 1 inch from dome.

We have just finished editing our new 70 min underwater DVD, and even though it was ashame to downconvert to DVD standards, the finished material looks great. More on that soon, we will be releasing it in PAL and NTSC versions.

I can also tell you now after lots of testing that a DVD made from edited HDV then straight to DVD is better than camera downconverted to DV, edited in DV and out to DVD.

Other interesting thing we found was it took like 8 hours to encode the 70 mins on a 3GIG PC from the timeline! just like the old days when DV first came out.

Have fun

Wags

PS: make sure you have lots of space, we used 700 GIGS....

Thanks for the info Wags, that will definitely be useful. I have had to take the weights out of the rail on the left side as i found it to have a definite list to the left, also added a weight to the front by the dome so it doesn't try to pull up. I don't have lights to add.

Very easy fixes to make this thing a cadillac in the water. I have the #2 macro and am well impressed how i can still shoot wide and get good focus too.

Haven't gotten into the editing yet but i think that will start this weekend, looks like i might need some new drives...if i only had some money....

But the rendering...yikes!

Yes it's amazing how it's a slug out of water but so easy to push around underneath.

Rendering, I just rendered another 70min edited PAL clip to NTSC from the HDV timeline with procoder and it took 12 hours. Playing both Pal and NTSC clips side by side gives a great look at how much smaller NTSC is. Not sure why they just don't change to PAL world wide.

Space is cheap, we used 700 GIGs for the edit. To think my first computer had just 700 megs on the hard drive.

Wags

I agree, NTSC is silly! I also use procoder

But i do have the Z so i have the option of shooting both PAL and NTSC, i can figure out my guest ahead of time and then shoot PAL or NTSC from wherever they are from.

But that is going to be a pain for masters....

THink i might just shoot PAL all the time.

But at the moment for my needs i am shooting in HD and just doing the download in DV for daily stuff, can't afford that sort of time for rendering.

When i do a new big project i will do your method. The big manta mating season (30 plus mantas in trains and orgies) is coming up Jan-April so i am looking forward to getting that all on HD!

Woo hoo!

Isn't it easier to use a hardware decoder for NTSC<>PAL conversion?

Also DVD players are now available with the conversion built in and also (FINALLY!!!) zone free. That zone BS is utter nonsense.

I just wanted to add my 2 cents. I know there is a debate between gates and amphibico but to me there is no diffeence. I looked at the 2 at Dema like crazy to decide which one to buy. Plain and simple when it comes down to price, optics, and performance, the Phenom wins hands down. It is so nice in the water, and the images with the diaptor are amazing. The people at B&H couldn't answer my questions at all about either housing. Our company decided to go with the Phenom and we are very happy with our choice.

Good luck all

I will post some pics as soon as I can

Ryan

Isn't it easier to use a hardware decoder for NTSC<>PAL conversion?

Also DVD players are now available with the conversion built in and also (FINALLY!!!) zone free. That zone BS is utter nonsense.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The only hardware i could find was well over $1000, whereas Canopus Procoder Express was $60! I was skeptical at first but it works damn well i must say.

Just put your DVD ready file into it and hit the button, a 20 min video takes about 45 mins to go from NTSC to PAL. Works a charm for what i am doing (selling videos to guests)

Also, most people don't have the conversion DVD players so i its better i continue to do it this way so i don't have to mail new copies out to Europe from Yap when they find out they don't...

(Or should i say most people don't know if they have that sort of a DVD player....)