Amphibico Endeavor with HVR-V1 review and field test

Dear Ron,

I contacted Gates and they contacted me at the same time , so I have the manual. Thanks for the offer and have a good trip!

Jules

-- I am understand right, that the menu's scroll wheel is not avalaible at the rear side, insted of this, the mentioned right side's up/down button will adjust for example the gain, shutter and menu?

Jules,

I actually don't like the scroll wheel on the back of the camera, perhaps I am a bit hamfisted, but as pressing the wheel is the "execute" it is all too easy to press it while scrolling and open the wrong menu. The separate buttons on the housing eliminate this risk.

Gain and shutter are controlled with the up/down buttons, after pressing the appropriate button on the back of the housing to bring up the numbers on the display. The aperture has its own controls on the left side.

Drew can confirm this, but I think those buttons will be better felt than seen in operation as they could be hidden by the monitor. It will depend how far away you are holding the housing.

Have a great trip Ron.

Roger

Wagsy & Drew,

Thanks for the info on the ND filters. I have been used to using them on still film cameras over the years, but they were glass filters to put over the lens.

Just to satisfy my curiosity, on camcorders are they electronic or actual filters being moved in front of the sensors? On the FX7 the switch has a positive click between settings but I don't see anything move in the viewfinder, just a momentary lightening or darkening as the auto exposure etc. adjusts.

Roger

When I picked up my dropped VX2000 from a very high place, I found the ND filters... it is a physical lens over the inner lens system.

When I picked up my dropped VX2000 from a very high place, I found the ND filters... it is a physical lens over the inner lens system.

Oh my I will do my best not to look for mine in quite the same way

Thanks for the info.

Drew's review and field test has been posted on the Wetpixel front page.

Now everybody say:

Thank you Uncle Matt!

Great report Drew, interesting that you have confirmed about the lowlight of the V1. Would you say that the performance is closer to the Z1 than the A1?

It will be interesting to see how the Canon XH A1 compares when it finally gets a housing to take it underwater.

thanks for such a detailed report.

Well done Drew, lots of work there writing all that up.

Agree with the glare on the monitor problem.

Those Sanyo NiMH are what we got... they are very good.

Have yet to scratch my 94 degree port.

That whale grab pic, is that from raw m2t or FCP intermediate codec?

Have found with both Canopus HQ and Aspect HD 8 bit codecs to use the fine or higher setting when sucking in open blue water shots.

Have you any video clips shot with it?

A very detailed review Drew, but it would be very nice to see some underwater example clips for consideration - nothing fancy or complicated - just the good, the bad and the downright ugly

Also the underwater frame grab of the whale - was the water really that blue, or did you do any colour correction?

Cheers, Simon

Great review Drew,

Regarding the ND filter. On any of your shallow bright dives did you try setting the ND to 1 or 2 BEFORE the dive? I know you would not be able to cancel it, but if you know the dive will be bright and shallow....

I took mine (HD with 94 degree) in my friends pool yesterday. Very bright and VERY (2m) shallow, filmed the ubiquitous silk daffodils. Very difficult to see the monitor, and lots of reflection, but as soon as the sun went in it was clear and a good view.

Interesting that you only had two weights in place. Mine came with the full 6 (FX7 with NPF-770 battery). It was just a little negative in the freshwater pool, so I assumed it would be neutral in saltwater. Plenty available to remove if I add lights etc.

BTW, I have #6 production and there are still no labels on the buttons except for the three on the back plate. Also one of the feet flipped off, I have super glued it back, but I suspect the others will follow suite.

The 94 degree lens is lovely, a stray beetle on the bottom made a good medium macro subject, and a view across the pool was clear and undistorted.

The histogram was excellent for checking exposure and although small it is clear to see and did not intrude.

My only real problem is my prescription mask lenses, I have "D's" in my mask for close up, but the monitor distance seems to be somewhere between my near and far lenses. Hey ho. I might have to get it tweaked! The problems of getting older - still at least work doesn't get in the way of diving

Thanks again.

Cheers

Roger

Great report Drew, interesting that you have confirmed about the lowlight of the V1. Would you say that the performance is closer to the Z1 than the A1?

As tested, I'd say within a stop of the Z1. It's not perfect but workable. But the Z1 isn't exactly noise free either. I think you'll find the Canon about the same as the Z1, perhaps a tad better. The underwater photo grab was actually shot at 6db. I'd accidently pressed the gain button looking for the shutter button and it locked at 6db for the day. Couldn't see it in the monitor at such shallow depths. Opps

That whale grab pic, is that from raw m2t or FCP intermediate codec?

Direct from M2t, just processed in PS for jpg.

A very detailed review Drew, but it would be very nice to see some underwater example clips for consideration - nothing fancy or complicated - just the good, the bad and the downright ugly

 

Also the underwater frame grab of the whale - was the water really that blue, or did you do any colour correction?

Hosting mt2 clips would be a big strain on our servers. We are supplying framegrabs for now. I'll discuss it with Eric when we get back from our respective trips.

To get the blue, just wb on your hand with the filter down then flip it up. But the water was very blue that day, accentuated by EWB. I was also shooting with CINEGAMMA 2 and Blacks compressed. If I were shooting for myself, I would normally shoot with Black Stretched and normal tone and do everything in post.

Regarding the ND filter. On any of your shallow bright dives did you try setting the ND to 1 or 2 BEFORE the dive? I know you would not be able to cancel it, but if you know the dive will be bright and shallow....

The histogram was excellent for checking exposure and although small it is clear to see and did not intrude.

That would mean opening the housing on the boat numerous times. Impractical and a recipe for flooding the camera. Also if I wanted to shoot anything deeper, I'd be stuck with ND1. Flexibility counts. Since you have the FX7, it doesn't affect you as much as you won't be shooting 25P.

I will also try to include more frame grabs in 1440x1080 resolution once I return.

The report is being amended as I found my final draft in a .doc but copying into the report section I sent the 3rd draft. Only minor information was added and also an error in the settings menu.

Drew I have heaps of bandwidth / server space for a m2t clip or three until you guys get sorted.

Interesting that you only had two weights in place. Mine came with the full 6 (FX7 with NPF-770 battery).

Actually I had 4 in place and it was just barely negative with the F970 battery.

BTW, I have #6 production and there are still no labels on the buttons except for the three on the back plate. Also one of the feet flipped off, I have super glued it back, but I suspect the others will follow suite.

That is interesting. It must be a new thing as my older Amphibico housings had labels. I'll clarify with Amphibico on this. I thought it was just a prototype issue.

The 94 degree lens is lovely, a stray beetle on the bottom made a good medium macro subject, and a view across the pool was clear and undistorted.

Interesting. Try using a brick wall to look for barrel distortion. I saw a very small distortion in my tests. Negligible but it's there.

My only real problem is my prescription mask lenses, I have "D's" in my mask for close up, but the monitor distance seems to be somewhere between my near and far lenses. Hey ho. I might have to get it tweaked! The problems of getting older - still at least work doesn't get in the way of diving

If I were you, I'd adjust the near so I can get my face as close to the monitor as possible. That and the new hood that Amphibico is working on should alleviate the shallow water issue.

Drew I have heaps of bandwidth / server space for a m2t clip or three until you guys get sorted.

Thanks mate but that'll have to wait until I get back home. Tapes are there plus my internet connection is too slow for the few clips I have with me.

Hey Drew,

Good report. Whats the MO for using the HVR-DR60 on the Z1?

Cheers,

Mark.

Mark

You need to run a tape when recording. Otherwise it's pretty much the same for all iLinked cameras.

uhhhhh, so there's zero to gain by using this for time lapse photography with a Z1 then? What happens when you have to swap out the tape? Do you have to suspend writing to the unit?

Cheers,

Mark.

Mark you can also record an ilink signal without control from the camera. But it's record on/off only and the drive can take only 270mins of HDV. Not much of a time lapse.

With the V1, which the DR60 was really designed to work with, it's easy to get even days of timelapse with d/c power. And you save your tape head with the V1 as it can shoot direct to the DR60 without using a tape.

Thanks for the info. What are the incremental selection options for "interval record" on the V1?

Mark.

EDIT: Don't worry about answering that one, just downloaded the user manual.