More WB problems for the HC1

Hi all,

To be honest, im not too familiar with this 'discovery' myself, but maybe someone more knowledgeale in the area than me can confirm? But it doesnt sound good at all...

UPDATE ON HC1 AND A1 WHITE BALANCE FUNCTION

L&M are abandoning the white balance capability on the HC1 camera / housing. This is because the camera does not have a true manual white balance feature and the light frequencies that can be manipulated by the HC1 are limited. Consequently when the camera is ordered to white balance underwater it is unable to handle the light frequencies involved in most diving environments. The WB results can then lead to a false reading and odd coloured images.

Cheers,

Tristan

Wow, that is terrible news.

Is this going to be aross the board with all housings I wonder ????

Fingers crossed the Amphibico will come up trumps ??

Dive safe

DeanB

Has anyone tried WB the HC-1 through the red filter on land? If that works, then it should underwater as well right? Will take my red filter to the Sony shop tomorrow and try it out mysef........

Well according to the release, it's not a housing limitation, but a limitation of the camera itself getting a correct WB underwater.

I've yet to see any HC1/A1 underwater footage, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

And maybe it will be able to WB to some extent when using daylight balanced lights???

Sheeeeeeeeeeesh.......... Just have to wait and see. I'll really be pissed that I bought the A1 instead of the HC1 if I can't WB underwater.

I am very surprised to read this. Back in September, Peter, who does the Magic Filters with me, had his HC1 underwater in Sulawesi. He modified his housing to be able to adjust WB manually and using a coloured filters and available light was able to get great images. He told me he got great images with both the Magic Filter and the UR Pro CY, although he prefered the more subtle colours of the Magic (but then he would say that).

He got it working 3 months ago. I have seen the footage in Final Cut and it looks great. I really can't see why everyone else is struggling.

Alex

Alex, ask you friend Peter what a housing he use and how he have modifiert this. It will be a great help for all us that have a eye on HC1

Lambis

My understanding of the problem is not that the white balance does not work. It is that the techniques used to try to force a white balance through the electronic contols did not trigger a true white balance like they did with the HC1000.

Accessing the white balance through the screen, or the assignable button on the A1 does work. Based on comments about the camera used above water, the HC1 may be have more problem than some when the white card does not fill most of the image.

I have heard a report of the camera used in a prototype Gates housing (mechanical access to WB) without problem.

The electronic WB is already a known "no-go", this article is clearly talking about more than the access to the WB function, especially since they mention the A1, which does have mechanical access.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

The plot thickens..??

Yes Alex, which housing and modification. That would be a great help..

I heard not so long ago the Z1E had white balance probs as well. But nothing more came of it. All seems well on that front so fingers crossed its just a L&M prob. Or their tester...

As we are waiting with baited breath and spring loaded wallets, as soon as someone can confirm the W/B prob with the A1E / HC1 the better.

Dive safe

DeanB

My Ikelite HC1 housing, which controls WB, is still somewhere in process and I'm scheduled to go diving again next weekend. I was hoping to have it. I'll be shooting with no lights and I might borrow a wide angle from a friend. The waiting is interminable...

I tried to go ngiht diving last night with my still camera but my reg stuck open and emptied my tank in the surf. Ah well time to service that too.

We displayed footage from both HC1 and FX1 cameras in our booth at the Florida Dive Show. Not one video expert could show me a single scene with bad white balance from the entire 15min. run. There were scens shot w/ filter alone, filter & lights, and lights alone. AWB on the HC1 performed very well.

Gates & Ikelite are both accessing the touch screen. We have Ikelite housings in stock, and they are very well done. WA optics are a bit limited, but for a normal to macro shooter this is an excellent mechanical option.

I haven't spent enough time underwater with the camcorder to offer personal insight on this, but I plan to

I manually WB the HC-1 through my red filter against a white background and the result may be what L&M is refering to as incorrect. I do realise that anything you put in front on the lens takes away some light to some extent but the background was VERY much darker! Imagine this underwater, where even less light penetrates!

I'm dissapointed.....any ideas anyone? Anything else I should try?

It seems that the one-touch manual WB does take out the large amount of light, resulting in dark, coarse and grainy images. Lars just posted the 1st HC-1 underwater footage, using red filter and Outdoor WB setting: http://67.122.16.97/lars/hc1/uwcatalinashort.wmv

Quote: Ikelite HC-1 manual:

Color filter: When using color filter ( during the day ), set the camera WB to Indoor for 0-15 ft depth. For 15-80ft depth, set WB to Outdoor.

Video-Lite: When using optional Video Lite at NIGHT,set the camera WB to Indoor position. During the DAY, use the Outdoor setting for subjects beyond 4-5ft and the Indoor setting for closer subjects.

I don't consider Indoor or Outdoor settings manual, they're pre-set by the camera. But what the heck, if they work...who cares!

Phew! What a relief! Can't wait for my next dive to try it out!

If the indoor or outdoor or over the door settings work and you dpnt get grainy images then it is not a problem.

You can still fine adjust later in NLE software

But if we whant to use other filters will it work the same way??

Alex, ask you friend Peter what a housing he use and how he have modifiert this. It will be a great help for all us that have a eye on HC1

 

Lambis

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Lambis and all

For my trip last September I modified a Top Dawg housing to provide MWB using a single push button control which rotated into three positions to select and activate MWB with the LCD screen folded out and turned back onto the side of the camera.

To achieve this with a single control I had to rearrange the button positions on the menu (scroll down to Page 3/3, P-Menu Set up). This allows you to reposition the MWB buttons so they are on Page 1/3 of the menu.

I used a Magic and UR Pro filter and both worked fine in MWB but, surspise, surprise, I prefered the Magic shots!!. I didn't notice any light or quality loss.

I am currently working on a new (non-commercial) housing which will control MWB with three seperate push buttons for simpler, faster MWB.

I hope this helps.

Peter

PS Alex made me come out of lurk mode!

I tried the one push WB with the Ikelite housing but I didn't see any difference from the Outdoor setting and just changed it back. I don't think I was deep enough at the time. I'm thinking of uploading the short video again with Contrast adjustments done in post. It looks a lot better since the water was so hazy.

Peter,

Where are you able to move the MWB menu option to by reconfiguring? (I'm living vicariously through you guys while deciding when to go HD and considering potential housing needs. :-) )

How many "touches" does it take to set MWB?

You click P-Menu then you can directly get to MWB or you have to go through WB then to MWB?

Peter,

 

Where are you able to move the MWB menu option to by reconfiguring? (I'm living vicariously through you guys while deciding when to go HD and considering potential housing needs.  :-) )

 

How many "touches" does it take to set MWB?

 

You click P-Menu then you can directly get to MWB or you have to go through WB then to MWB?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Press P-MENU, scroll down to Page 3/3, press P-MENU SET UP, press SORT, select button to move (WHITE BAL), press UP or DOWN arrow to make WHITE BAL move to position 6. This will make it appear on the 1st page of the MENU bottom right.

Then when you enter the P-MENU, WHITE BAL will be positioned bottom right. A rotary control can them be positioned to press WHITE BAL then pressed again to select ONE PUSH then rotated to push MWB symbol to the left, then when the MWB is set, rotate round to press OK.

That should do the trick

Best wishes

Peter

Thanks, Peter. That's the easiest explanation of the process I've seen. You should be writing the Sony manuals (as if you had the time).

Eric