BSAC TRAVEL CLUB PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION - Camera test

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By Darren Wilson

Camera: Sony TRV130 Digital 8 video camera
Housing: SeaPro SP5 (with optional Optilite Lens and colour correction filter)

Total Cost: Camera: £595; Housing: £995 (Summer 2001 prices)

During a diving holiday in Tenerife back in March 2001, a videographer joined us in the hope of selling copies back at the dive centre. After viewing the tape, I decided to purchase it as a nice memento and show others the delights of scuba diving. This got me hooked on videography. There are many models of video camera on the market and it really depends on your budget as to which model you purchase. High end, 3 chip cameras give superb video quality and colour reproduction but good single chip cameras can give pleasing results. In the summer of 2001, the digital format was really taking hold so I plunged for the Sony TRV130, a single chip (CCD) camera recording in Sony's Digital 8 format costing £595. This is the same format as modern mini-dv but records on standard 8mm tapes. The camera has a 20x optical zoom lens, is simple to use and gives good video quality (520 lines of horizontal resolution). The camera is compact enough for taking on any trip. Recording in the digital format allows the video footage to be transferred to any PC for easy editing via standard firewire connections. Having got the camera, it was a question of finding a suitable housing.

There are several housings to choose from, especially for Sony and other large named camera manufactures. I set myself a budget of £1000 and a set of criteria; depth rating, sealing, controls, weight, lens and most importantly, balance when in the water. Having considered various housings, I come to the conclusion that you get what you pay for. Some of the cheaper housings, while perfectly up to the job, compromised on balance and lens quality, some only having standard clear front plates and no lens. This is when I stumbled across Greenaway Marine / SeaPro. SeaPro housings have a reputation for quality. The housings, manufactured from aircraft grade aluminium alloy, a standard depth rating of 85m, are custom built for any model of camera. After contacting Gerald Greenaway to discussing my requirements, I wrote my cheque and sent him my camera so he could custom build the housing for me. The specification for the housing was simple, standard 7 inch housing tube with a clear back plate, Optilite lens, 3 controls and camera mounted colour correction filter. Total custom build cost of £995.

Seven days later, the housing arrived ready for use. Loading the camera is simple, remove the back plate, extend the control rods, slide the camera in on the tray then replace the back plate with 'O' ring and align the controls. This takes a matter of seconds. I opted for 3 controls; camera on/off, record/stop, and zoom. I also opted for the Optilite lens which although quite an expensive upgrade from the standard housing, gives a wide field of view counteracting any loss due to refraction. The lens gives perfect focus both above and below water and also allows focusing from as little as 1mm to infinity. In fact, it is possible to achieve a half in / half out shot in perfect focus. It really is a superb lens and well worth the extra £300.

The camera weights in at just under 7kg in air which can be a bit of a problem when travelling. I've taken the camera to many different countries and so far haven't encountered a problem with airlines. Providing they are consulted in advance, they are happy for the housing to be taken on board aircraft as hand luggage, although it has to be stowed under the seat in front because it is over 5kg (the maximum hand luggage weight).

Once in the water, the quality and custom build comes in to its own. The camera is perfectly balanced. It has very slight negative buoyancy that is perfect for holding the camera as still as possible, even while finning or in a current. There is no tendency for the camera to list to one side or pitch up or down, any weight imbalance has been ironed out during the build. The controls are of the manual pushrod type, which are simple to use. The advantage of these is they don't rely on any electronic components, which can be a bit tempo mental. The colour correction filter gives a colour cast until it gets to its working depth, normally from around 10m until 25m where is produces rich, natural colours. I opted for a camera mounted filter rather than externally mounted. The advantage of this is it cannot be lost during a dive and there is no fiddling about while underwater as it can be difficult to replace whilst using gloves in cooler water for example. The disadvantage is it isn't recommended for dives less than 10m or a deep dive beyond 25m. In shallow water, the colour cast gives everything an unnatural look and the extra light the filter consumes during deeper dives can cause focus and low light problems. In any case, the filter does not work in water deeper than 25m. A decision has to be made during the dive planning as to what depth the dive will be at and what the average depth will be so you can decide whether to use the filter or not. Although the zoom facility isn't used very often, you can get close to most subjects underwater by just swimming towards them, the zoom control allows a limited amount of zoom for trickier subjects or close-ups of shy fish. A simple turn of the control allows a zoom of approximately 5x before the camera loses focus.

Overall, having taken the housing around several countries and logging over 70 dives, the camera and housing have performed flawlessly. The housing has never allowed even so much as a drop of water in during a dive and has produced some amazing results. Providing the housing is maintained as per the manufactures recommendation, I can't ever see the need for another video housing unless I decide to upgrade the camera. The biggest disadvantage with this housing is its custom built for a particular camera; the housing cannot accommodate any other camera. Even if I do upgrade, the camera will be housed in another SeaPro.

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