2009 Underwater Equipment Year in Review

2009 is coming to a close and as it closes out, I thought we'd review how photography has changed in the last 12 months.

APS-C small body cameras hit 18 megapixels with the Canon 7D and dual memory cards with D300s. Video capability expanded with 1080/24/25/29.97p and 720/50/60p for Canon's 7D and 1D Mark IV. The 1D Mark IV hit 102400ISO sensitivity with Nikon's D3s. The Panasonic GH1 is the first ViDSLR with AF in video mode WHILE shooting.

This was the year ViDSLR hit the water paddling with 3 cameras with housings and another 6 cameras shipping with housings next year. The great news for 1D Mark III owners is that the Mark IV series will fit their housings with a few modifications for new buttons for HD video. As does Nikon's D3s for D3/D3x owners (with more major mods) However, the D300s gives no love to D300 owners.

Housings wise, we're seeing new manufacturers like Nauticam join in the market.

My vote for the single most important development is the Canon 5D Mark II's impact on underwater shooting. Just a year ago, the 5DMark II brought out 21 megapixels and 1080p video in a consumer body, turning the web/news world upside down with its capabilities and expanding film/tv shooters choice of equipment. For underwater shooters, it allowed top quality stills to be taken and camcorder quality video as well, but with a sexy FF shallow DOF and low light ISO ability twist that rivaled and beat the venerable VX2100 in low noise capture. So popular was the camera that there was even a frenzied race by manufacturers to produce housings for it. It is the only ViDSLR with 1080p ability with a shipping housing, which is why I chose it above all the others.

With cameras like the 1D Mark IV leading the ViDSLR charge, it looks like 2010 will be the year of the hybrids. Hopefully manufacturers will listen and incorporate design changes to allow better video shooting.

What's your vote for the most important piece of equipment released in 2009 for underwater imaging? Happy 2010!

Though not really a video guy...yet, I have to agree VDSLR is the most significant intro. Even though accompanied by the D90 and D300s, the 5DMKII was definitely the top offering until the 7D.

For underwater though I vote for the 7D as the most significant camera introduced in 2009, I think as an overall underwater and action camera it surpasses the 5D in every aspect except the high ISO and MP margin.

At least from the specs I would argue the following for the 7D:

Arguably cropped sensor has a number of advantages with 10-17 and longer reach with macro lenses.

Built in flash allowing fibre optic flash firing

Better action camera due to better auto focus and faster fps

Better weather sealing than 5D for outdoor use, some reports of 5D malfunction in severe weather.

Additional video features, with some loss of shallow DOF, which to some may be an advantage.

Have a great 2010 everybody!

...... will fit their housings with a few modifications for new buttons for HD video. As does Nikon's D3s for D3/D3x owners.

Unfortunately this is not so. The buttons on the left side of the chimping screen have been moved on the D3s relative to the preceding D3 models. Nikon has thrown another curve ball at UW photographers like with the D300s. Ironically, the MkIV body is more like the MkIII body but gets a new body type designation whereas Nikon is still called a D3 generation body.

Hard to say what the most important equipment intro in 2009 was. The vidDSLR wave started in 2008 with the D90 and has been improved in subsequent new vidDSLR models from Canon and Nikon. Also super high ISO came out with the D3, then D700 now also improved by a stop or stop and a half with 2009 models. The major piece of new gear for me is the Seaflash150D, which was intro'd in 08.

It might be easier to pick out the most significant discontinuance of 2009, Kodachrome. RIP!

I vote for the Canons too, got my 7D ordered.

I think the housings should be redesigned too now for both video and still use.

Housings for DSLR's are good for taking pics.

Video housings for video are good for taking video.

Combine the both and come up with a Vidpix housing

It's got to be the 5D.

While the 7D and the 1D have followed fairly quickly after, it was the 5D that really launched it all.

Can't wait to see where this VidSLR development goes...

Happy 2010 to All!!

- Mary Lynn

It's got to be the 5D.

 

While the 7D and the 1D have followed fairly quickly after, it was the 5D that really launched it all.

 

Can't wait to see where this VidSLR development goes...

 

Happy 2010 to All!!

 

- Mary Lynn

Actually the D90 preceded the 5DMkII and both were launched in 2008

Too bad Nikon's offering this year is much less exciting although I think D3X is disqualified by less than a month

Just hope that Nikon will give something interesting next year.

If I switch camp (Drew, don't hold your breath ), I think I am more excited about 7D rather than 5Dmk II.

Boi, I don't really care which brand you have so long as you buy dinner next time I'm in town. There are a few new restos to try

The reason I chose the 5D2 is because there were housings for it which were introduced in 2009. The camera itself started shipping in Dec 08. The 7D, 1D Mark IV, D3s, D300s all don't have fully functioning housings that are being shipped right now, only the 5D2,XTi, D90 and GH1. The XTi and D90 I don't consider as they are primarily 720p (Xti does 1080 but at 20fps, which sort of makes it useless). The entire Nikon series doesn't even offer manual exposure control for the 720/24p 5 min limited video, which puts it in the dog house, IMHO. GH1 has housings and a real contender, but with minimal lens choice that works fully with video mode, it too had its wings clipped.

With Magic Lantern, the 5D2 had zebra for exposure control and even rack focus. It was the camera that everyone focused attention on, despite being on 1080/30p. Customer demands were so strong that Canon buckled and developed 24,25fps and manual exposure control just to appease them. That would be a first for Canon, which like most manufacturers would normally just push those functions to the next model update. The 5D2 brought sexy appeal back to DSLR and for a 1st generation ViDSLR, captured the imagination of shooters, both still and video alike.

On the video front, Red's Scarlet was a no show. The video improvements were incremental as standards like AVCHD hit their limit at 24mbps. Thus there was no game changing product for video.

Sorry I disagree,

I know you personally didn't like the two Drewster going from your past comments... But RED was a major step in the video world and also the EX1/EX3's caused a it of a stir amongst filmmakers ...

I am waiting for the 3rd or 4th generation VidSLR's before I decide ...

Dive safe

DeanB

2009, well rather disappointing in terms of new gadgets (unless your a Canon owner...). It seems to have been the year of the consonant tagged onto everything. Small tweaks and speed increases, rough corners rounded. Camera models getting firmware updates to do what they should have done at their launch (congratulations to Canon 5DMkII owners, that has to have been a first). Other upgraded (but in new bodies) include the SonyEX1R, Nikon D300s, D3s, even the iPhone got an 's'. Macbooks may now be aluminium and thus able to actually survive travel, but they lost their firewire, Macbookpro's seem to have been on the edge of a decent graphics upgrade but it never happened either.

Its been a year of treading water.

For Nikon owners who are interested in video its been particularly depressing. The disappointment of D300s (yes it was an improvement but still far short of what was required) then the build up to the D3s ('it must have 1080p surely, its a D3!') and then like a small bombshell 720p mJPEG raises its head again! Nikon may have been the first with the D90 but its video sucks and Canon has run riot on them them whilst still producing very good stills cameras.

Still to be fair, Nikon has produced sensors with incredible low light performance, D700 and D3s are stunning in this respect.

So all I want to do is look forward to 2010! Nikon's that can do manual 1080p video with a decent codec with their lovely sensors not to mention a huge back catalog of lens suitable for video (breathing aside) would be a lovely thing.

Red is also coming of age, though they added to 2009's lack luster feeling by announcing a delayed production schedule of at least a year. However new work-flows, colour science and new codecs are all just as important as their cameras are for them to be used widely in productions and get the most from the images. These are now in-place or are being launched. When Scarlet and Epic do finally hit the shelves they should be a mature product with the required post work-flow in place. Given that they can do stills and video in RAW (or compressed RAW) this could be a truly exciting camera.

So my vote is the great Canon 5DMkII, despite the fact I dont own one and I really hope never to have too. (Nikon, it may now be a bandwagon, but please get on it properly, better yet grab the wheel).

Happy New Year, 2010 should be a good one!

Hugh

, I think I am more excited about 7D rather than 5Dmk II.

You may want to wait for the 3D:

http://photorumors.com/2009/12/29/canon-eo...toRumors.com%29

Thinking it over some since yesterday and looking over the 2009 'new' list posted today on the Nikon Rumors site, the 10-24 DX Nikkor might be the most significant bit. At least for Nikon DX users which I presently am. As I do not have the lens this is only a tentative nomination!

Reports suggest the 10-24 is optimized for the short end of the focal length range rather than the long end as the 12-24 is possibly making the new lens a better choice for UWP.

My vote for the single most important development is the Canon 5D Mark II's impact on underwater shooting.

I'll second this. I have used a 5D2 to shoot virtually an entire 1 hour tv program this year. It is a far from perfect underwater video set-up BUT it undoubtedly changed the way both manufacturers and users viewed the dSLR. I think that the ramifications of this will be felt for a very long time indeed, although I equally suspect that 'traditional' video shooters will view dSLR video cameras in much the same way as we film shooters viewed digital stills when it first appeared - perhaps they should be aware that revolutions happen quickly these days. The next couple of years should be very interesting.

Well if we're going to talk about vaporware.... I'd put the Scarlet / Epic as the winner in that category.

Having shot commercial jobs with the 5dmk2 and 7D respectively, they each have their places. For ultimate IQ, the 5Dmk2 still wins, but for flexibility, speed and AF as well as awesome on camera remote speedlight control the 7D is it. That's why I'm planning on modifying my A7D (when I get it) to work with the 5dmk2)!

But to stay on the thread, the 7D is the news maker for the year.

Stu

PopPhoto has declared the Nikon D3X as Camera of the Year, "the model that best refined or redefined photography in 2009".

My vote goes for the finally delivered Inon endoscope lens that I have waiting for a long time. Now, I just need it to work finally with nikon or get a canon 7D...