Need Some Help - HDR-HC9 w/Gates Housing

So I've done some searching here, and can't find any answers.... If anybody has the same rig as me, I'd love to get some advice on it. I have the HC9 and Gates housing GP25A Wide Angle port, and NR HID20's.

I've used a VX1000 in a Gates housing for years, and decided to go with the HC9 to dabble into HD underwater. On the VX1000 rig, I can pretty much set my focus at 1 meter, and get macro subjects, out to about 10 meters in focus. I always used AWB, and AI, and then set my shutter to 1/160th. I'm trying to find a similar setting for the HC9, and I'm having no luck.

Does anybody have experience with some basic set up for this camera so that until I'm more comfy underwater with it I can just set it and go? I do have the WB control, and I know I can set the roller to focus, but while I'm playing with it and getting used to it, I'd like to be able to set it and forget it, and go diving. Or am I just out of luck with that thought?

Thanks!

Hi There,

There was some discussion which relates to your question in another thread:

http://wetpixel.com/forums/index.php?showt...20200&st=20

towards the end of the thread. I have the HC7 in a Gates, which is a very similar camera. I find you can pretty much select a load of settings before hand and leave it (apart from maybe a manual WB). Best advice is to get used to thumbwheel and little button next to it for toggling between manual and auto setting and shifting from one function to another. I usually put it on autofocus, then lock focus on my fin at the beginning of the dive. I can usually leave the focus alone then for the rest of the dive.

Hope this helps. If you do some forum searches for HC7 and Gates you might come up with some more useful stuff.

Thanks, Ferg. That thread helped a lot. I'm taking it into the pool this weekend, and I've grabbed a bunch of my kid's toys and stuff to see how well it can do macro. I'll try your 'fin' tip as well.

I have a HC7 which is essentially the same camera.. There is a setting somewhere buried (toolbox? in the menu, where you can set in advance the shutter to say 1/60th or whatever is desired..

There is a learning curve to how to control the focus set control and dial, as the other poster recommended. You have to push in the spring loaded control, and it toggles from auto focus, to manually and is locked (at whatever distance it is currently focused.) Once in manual you can leave it.. or rotating the control dials in the manual focus. Another push of the spring control, you are back into auto focus. Pushing this spring control and holding it, opens a menu, that allow you to then switch to controling exposure, or focus, or shutter, or WB shift. I'd stay away from WB shift, and use the method below.

The better White balance controls for the HC9 are located in the touch menu screens In there is a White Bal touch button for setting auto, daylight, or manually balancing to a white source. You may need to have your housing configured with the "optional" white balance control in order to make this accessable. If you dont, i suggest you get this housing option. Its something like an extra $97, and goes on the rear acrylic window. It will partially obscure the touch screen in the lower right corner, but gives you access to the WB menu controls. You may have to reconfigure the layout of the menus on the HC9s screens, (see Sonys instruction book) inorder to get the WB touch screen's button in a location which the MWB control can reach. It takes a little tinkering and initial setup, and a little dry land practice, but once figured out, seems to work good for this rig.

If you are going to do macro, you might want to get the flat port. It's relatively cheap at $115.