 Home : Video course : Module 1: Camcorders : Underwater Video Cameras
There is no such thing as an underwater video
camera! The only way to shoot video underwater is to put a camcorder into a
housing. But, there are so many camcorders on the market. Which is the one
to choose?
 If you already
have a camcorder then it may be tempting to find a housing for it but this
is not always the best route. You should always judge the merits of the
system - not just on the camcorder or housing alone. There are good
camcorders with bad housings (and visa versa).
The market for underwater photography is limited and
does not support a wide range of choice. Most housing manufacturers have
concentrated on the Sony and Canon ranges of camcorders. Indeed, you will be
hard pushed to find a housing for any other make. This can be frustrating if
you have a Panasonic, or JVC model. Although these are all good camcorders
sometimes the only way to house them is to have a custom housing made.
check housing availability
Technology moves forward so quickly and the manufacturers bring
new camcorder models out on a six monthly cycle, often making what was
'hot stuff' yesterday obsolete today! This doesn't exactly inspire
consumer confidence, especially when you consider that you will not be able
to replace your existing model when it breaks (or is stolen) in a couple of
years time and, with most video housings, this means the housing is obsolete
too!
The other problem is that, if you buy the latest
model, there may not be a housing for it! It takes six months or so for the
housing manufacturers to catch up and adapt housings for the latest model.
However, you have
to jump in some time and probably the good advice is to select a model that
is about to be superseded if you want a good deal - the new generation model
is unlikely to be appreciably better (but a lot more expensive).
Next >> Choosing a Camcorder
|