New To Videography - Any Advice?

Hello all,

My name's Phil and I'm an MSDT with an aspiration to get into videography full time in the next two years. Just back from a four month stint in Borneo (Sipadan, Mabul, Kapalai) and an wholeheartedly recommend the area to any current video buffs as the wealth of life both macro and huge is astounding........

So, to my questions: I'm in the midst of a whole bunch of research into the best HDV Camera and housing to purchase as a relative beginner to the video realm and so quality with ease of use is a factor, obviously. This has led me to the Sony HDR-HC7 and the Amphibico EVO Housing. Looks like top end consumer end stuff - am I on the right track? It's certainly not pro end but then to buy anything better at the moment is a false economy, right?

Also, can anyone out there point me in the direction of some great literature with regards to technique, kit, lighting etc to gorge on as I develop things? As I'm thinking of starting out with instructing / holiday DVD production I'm thinking of great yet affordable and easy use kit to start with.

There's a lot of very knowledgable heads out there so hit me with it guys and girls!

"Take nothing but memories leave nothing but bubbles" Aristotle (PADI Course Director, Ancient Greece)

Light and Motion have some good tutorial stuff on their site.

I'd take a close look at gates too.

I think you mentioned that you're going to be in the UK for a bit? If so, maybe buy a cheapo DV setup (eBay) to practice with in the UK, and wait until teh last minute to buy your housing and good camera, you never know what's going to come out.

Some food for thought - Unless you're going to buy a laptop with blu-ray burner etc, you aren't going to sell a HD product. For the average diving tourist a second hand TRV950 or VX2000 (sony) will do more than enough, and be easy on your wallet.

If you want to shoot for stock then go HD, but whilst guiding you don't often get stock worthy clips.

I am kind of in the middle experience wise. Not a pro like most on this board, but not a total beginner either.

One thing that made a big improvement in my videos was using manual white balance. The standard filter that comes with most housings does wonders for colors, but manual white balance took it a step further.

The Sony HC7 has it's manual white balance control on the touch screen. This has presented a problem for housing manufacturers and some housings don't have access to it.

I believe Gates and Light & Motion offer it, not sure about Amphibico.

Phil,

Other than the usual tips - go diving.

Get your camera wet , experiment with the various settings on your camera.

Have some purpose - make a plan and carry it through.

Learn when to use your flip filter and when to use the lights.

Read a book - watch a DVD.

Check this DVD out VIDEO COACH.

If your thinking about shooting daily's - get basic storyline worked out and then develop it.

On which camera to start with - the HC7 is great - on which housing is good - they all are.

Make list of which features are important for you and then check what fits your budget

I highly suggest this book http://www.hammerheadpress.com/pages/UWDV_MadeEasy.html it goes into everything from camera and housing selection to techniques and travel. The 3 cinematographers that authored the book have lots of credits on very large professional productions. I know 2 of them worked on the Blue Planet series and I think Planet Earth as well. I read it on a few plane rides and loved it, it's got some great advice for beginners and pros.

Billy

That's excellent - thanks for the advice.

Phil,

Other than the usual tips - go diving.

Get your camera wet , experiment with the various settings on your camera.

Have some purpose - make a plan and carry it through.

 

Learn when to use your flip filter and when to use the lights.

Read a book - watch a DVD.

 

Check this DVD out VIDEO COACH.

 

If your thinking about shooting daily's - get basic storyline worked out and then develop it.

 

On which camera to start with - the HC7 is great - on which housing is good - they all are.

 

Make list of which features are important for you and then check what fits your budget

Ron,

Much appreciated. Great to have some heads up!

Phil

I am kind of in the middle experience wise. Not a pro like most on this board, but not a total beginner either.

 

One thing that made a big improvement in my videos was using manual white balance. The standard filter that comes with most housings does wonders for colors, but manual white balance took it a step further.

 

The Sony HC7 has it's manual white balance control on the touch screen. This has presented a problem for housing manufacturers and some housings don't have access to it.

 

I believe Gates and Light & Motion offer it, not sure about Amphibico.

Welcome Phil.

And when you get a setup come over here (Ningaloo) and do Whale Shark dailies if you are interested.

Don't go to Cairns, Peter M (scubapix) has enough helpers over there

Welcome Phil.

 

And when you get a setup come over here (Ningaloo) and do Whale Shark dailies if you are interested.

Don't go to Cairns, Peter M (scubapix) has enough helpers over there

That's good advice if you only want to work part-time

Where's my bleeding job offer...

Dive safe

DeanB

Hi there Phil.

My name is also Phil and I also happen to be an MSDT based in Thailand and Philippines. I just came back from Bodu Hithi island in North Male, Maldives where I worked full-time as an UW Videographer & Instructor filming daily divers at Dive Ocean. In a span of 10 weeks I filmed on about 70 dives and burned a total of 90 DVDs .

I used a Sony PC330 miniDV HACD with a FotoLeone electronic housing custom-bulit in Italy. As an advise, I recommend you start with a mini-DV (same with Scuba SI's suggestion) because it's easier for post-production for daily divers.

What are the advantages of using a mini-DV? Firstly, for a 20 minute AVI footage, it's only about 4 gigabytes of file which means you don't need a monster of a laptop or a PC for importing, editing, compressing and burning, whereas Hi-Def (HC7) would yield you 5 times of that size.

But for sure, HC-7's native 1080 frame size is more quality-oriented but since it's just daily divers that you plan of shooting, the miniDV would be fine. Secondly, it's more cost-effective. Also, learn to walk before you can run. I'm sure that as an MSDT, you have a great buoyancy control already but in filming we use a different approach especially when there's bad vis and a strong ocean current.

Unless you want to films big projects then the HC7 is the one.

Anyway, enough said. I hope this helps in some way. To see some of my videos, please visit my site

www.diversthailand.com

and please let me know what you think.

Good luck to you and by the way, go for an electronic housing (amphibico or light and motion). For the manual housing, I would put a good bet on a Gates. Ikelite really is for short-termers as I've experienced a flooding once with it- fortunately it was only to pressure test a second-hand rig that somebody wants to sell me while in the Maldives. Don't forget a good wide angle lens and a red-correction filter.

The best thing to do is to dive, dive and dive with your rig. That's the best teacher.

Eduardo "Philip" Habacon

PADI MSDT 479226

philip@diversthailand.com

Where's my bleeding job offer...

 

Dive safe

 

DeanB

Dean if you want we can to find you work no problems over here. But you have to get use to not wearing things like jeans and jumpers and even shoes...

Actually HDV (m2t) uses the same amount of space as normal DV does that is they are both 25mbps.

60 mins of DV fits on a 60 DV tape and so does 60 mins of HDV. Once both formats are imported to the computer is about 15 GIGS per hour of footage.

You can shoot in HDV and down convert in realtime to normal DV as it firewires into the computer as well so any normal old computer that can edit DV can edit down converted HDV no problems and you then have an archive in HDV for later on.

The other great thing about HDV is that it's 16.9 not 4.3.

shoes? who the hell wears shoes?

Yea, that is what i do with dailies, shoot in HDV and downconvert out of camera, archive in HDV

And I bet you don't wear any undies over there too mike.

And I bet you don't wear any undies over there too mike.

You're married.. stop hittin on me... :)