TRV900 & HDVA1 & HDVFX1

Question Wags

There is significant distortion in the corners. What lens are you using?

Question Wags

There is significant distortion in the corners. What lens are you using?

Hey stop picking on me little EVO

Well those shots are all zoomed in Drew, full wide it's better and like other housings adding another $$$$ lens will improve performance but then these little housings would end up costing way to much for the average guy/girl diver.

Well isn't image quality part of the evaluation? Usually the most important part. Just something else to consider. I mean a Hi-res HD lens isn't that expensive and a port (be it flat or dome) can easily be made to compliment it.

Sometimes the compact housing may not be all that great., esp since many use the compact housings for macro and if there's distortion to the point of unuseable, then what's the point of spending a few grand on a housing with poor optics, not that I'm saying the Evo has poor optics. Just something to consider in your evaluation.

Wags,

and it sinks if ya let it go

Are you using the NP-QM71D battery? Mine sinks also with that battery.

The bottom weights on the housing are removable if you want it to be more buoyant.

Although I think if both are removed it might now be too light and I don't know what it willl do to the balance if just one is removed.

I'm going to experiment with cutting them down next time I'm near an ocean.

I agree Drew.. image quality is important but it's made for the general diver and if image quality is the number one thing then I recon the buyer would be going for something else in the higher price range with a $$$ port on or a larger HDV camera. Who knows, maybe the Canadian mob are working on a sexier $$$ port for it.

The lens on me EVO is the same as the Navigator 900 and the dive buddy housings. Footage from me little Navigator has been on many TV doco's around the world over the years and been use to shoot over a couple thousand Whale Sharks day DVD's for customers and not to mention use to shoot that Naturally Ningaloo DVD of which we have sold 2000 copies so far all without a single complaint about the quality...so I'm guesing the little EVO with the same lens on it should be fine.

I suppose one could put a flat Ampibico port on to shoot macro. I'm also going to pop in a macro +2 diopter on the flip arm to try it out as it worked great in the Navigator 900.

sjspeck..yes I have the same battery in as well, will slide out the leads for a dive and see how it goes.

O... by the way I found this, it's a screen grab from another A1 housing brand with a Super Wide $$$ Port on...can you see something in the bottom right corner

Well Wags just remember that the resolution of HDV is much higher and the lens you have that works well with SD is obviously having problems with HDV resolution.

If it were such a free lunch I'd be using a S&S housing for my A1 and use the old Fathom lens I customed for the PD170 housing. Unfortunately it's too soft.

As for that vignetting, it's not the lens but the housing. Obviously it's not aligning the camera properly to fit the lens image.

I was under the impression that if you wanted to use the zoom it was best to use a flat port and flat ports are generally the cheapest ports.

I was under the impression that if you wanted to use the zoom it was best to use a flat port and flat ports are generally the cheapest ports.

Flat ports are cheap and, if you use a diopter, they might be the way to go but consider the optics. I don't know of a flat port that has a solid piece of glass. The vignetting on the image might just be that someone slightly twisted the port protectors slightly out of line. They should be directly above and below the lens and not diagnal (sic)

Steve B)

That Vignetting on that UWL...I suppose it could be the corner of the port that has moved around abit. I'll have a look at more of the footage it shot to see if it's in every shot.

Yes there is a flat port one can buy and put on. Im out for a dive today with the EVO so I will put the Macro +2 in and give it a try and see what it comes up with..

A nice sharp port would be nice but most people can not affort to have $5000US lenses on $1,500-$3000US housing.

Hey Wags...how is that a1 review coming along!?!

I've come to the conclusion that drew has a dislike of the A1 Whether it slept with his wife, shot his cat or just forgot to buy him a drink he definitley is not a lover of the little devil..

I suppose he's been spoilt with the Ferrari's of the cam world and when a little consumer sports car comes along it does not quite match up..Well why buy one :glare:

Still, I, like most others have been pleased with the A1, have had no vignetting issues poor low light issues or any other (apart from the bloody lanc lead) issues and Yes I will (when I start stealing his work) invest in a bigger better cam. But until then..The A1 for me is ,well, A1..

Now...who's for tea...

Dive safe

Dean(A1 appreciation society)B

Dean I don't know where that came from but I think you've mistaken me for NickJ. I have no love or hate for any camera. It's a tool which I bought for certain uses.

However, it is limited by the CMOS chip and demands more light for a good picture. Again it comes down to how you use it within the limitations it has.

My observations of distortion isn't about the camera but the lens on the housing in question and the distortion zoomed in. If you are saying that you find the distortion exhibited by Wags' pics acceptable, that's great. I found it distracting and detracting to the image quality.

PS I'm not Abi Titmuss, my A1 shoots home movies of a different kind. I hate cats and don't drink alcohol. And I'm DEFINITELY not married.

who or what is abi titmuss ?

Hi

Still puting my review together.

No it's not a FX1/Z1 but it can still get nice shots. Also if you set it up before it goes into the housing you can get a better image from it than if you just leave it on auto.

And yes this image is terrible and would not know how anyone would be happy if their little video camera took a image like this

More soon.

It will be interesting to see how the 3 cmos chipped FX7 stands up the the FX1

Steve B)

Ouch! Just seen my name taken in vain!

I have panned the A1 in the past, I'm sorry. I love the footprint, and love the, .... let me see now, what else do I love? Well it produces really nice HDV format video in the right conditions with the right settings! There that wasn't too bad was it?

I'm just stupid tho', and finding exactly the right set of conditions and the right settings underwater was a task that has been a little beyond me. I should say at this stage that I am evidently anal about picture quality, I HATE those older DVDs on my plasma that give all those colour bands because of high compression rates etc - get the picture? So I have been chasing the ultimate quality possible in the 'prosumer' bracket for my own material. This has been an expensive and frustrating adventure.

Now I have the 950 and the A1 and the FX1 and can see the difference between all. I don't have time to list out all the pros and cons right now, but I am super happy with the combo in my signature below. Downside - it cost me a bloody fortune, and my wife thinks (knows) I'm obsessive!

The A1 is fantastic for it's size and cost. I'm hanging onto mine! Compared to the FX1+LMI however, there is no comparison at all IMHO. You pays yer money and yer makes yer choice!

Ladies, ladies..

Now come on.. Its not supposed to sound like I was spitting the dummy.

I know you all love the A1 and only say nasty things to make yourselves look better. But I was being sarcastic, really i was.

Now, If you have a point to make in future..Keep it to your fooking selves.

What do you think this is, A FORUM.

Dive safe

Dean(I'm only joking)B

Abi Titmuss...NICE !!!

Dive safe

DeanB