Category Archives: Photography

Vor dem Tauchgang Testbild schiessen!

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Test-shot

Leere oder sogar gar keine Batterien im Blitzt oder in der Kamera, keine Speicherkarte in der Kamera, den Hot-Schuh nicht richtig angeschlossen, Gahäuseknöpfe sind nicht in der richtigen Position, Objektivdeckel auf dem Objektiv – Jedes einzelne kleine Problem kann zur völligen Frustration unter Wasser führen, weil wir das Problem nicht beheben können ohne aufzutauchen und das Gehäuse zu öffnen. Wenn du ein Testbild machst bevor du deinen Tauchgang beginnst, kannst du Dir sicher sein das alles funktioniert. Gewöhne Dir an ein Testbild des Objektivdeckels zu machen nachdem du deine Kamera eingebaut hast und du siehst sofort ob alles in Ordnung ist. Falls nicht, hast du noch die Möglichkeit den Fehler an Land zu beheben.

Benutze ein STATIV

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Natürlich ist es sehr hilfreich gute Tarierung zu haben, aber das einzigste Rezept für verwacklungsfreie Aufnahmen ist, ein Stativ zu benutzen.

tripod

Es gibt sehr viele verschieden Hersteller für Stative, vom kleinen Gorillapod zu größeren stabileren Aluminium-Stativen. Ich selbst benutze ein Stativ der Marke “Eigenbau”, aus LocLine Elementen.

Das ermöglicht mir so tief wie möglich mit meiner Kamera zu gehen, und somit einen interessanten Winkel für meine Aufnahmen zu bekommen.

Don’t make your audience seasick!

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tripod

I often get asked how I get such steady footage on my videos – Having good buoyancy skills helps, but the only recipe for steady macro video is using a tripod! I use this cheap and easy DIY setup (made out of Locline elements) but there are many different options for tripods out there to choose from.

 

 

 

Kamera Notfallkit

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Wenn Ich mich auf eine Tauchreise begebe, habe ich immer ein Notfall-Reparatur Kit mit dabei. Das hat mir schon sehr viele Probleme erspart. Oftmals war Ich so in der Lage kleine Reparaturen vor Ort selbst zu erledigen oder auch Mitreisenden aushelfen die nicht so gut vorbereiten waren.

Emergency-Toolkit700

In meinem Notfall-Kit ist enthalten:

  • Kabelbinder
  • Sekundenkleber
  • Schraubendreher-Set
  • kleiner Seitenschneider
  • Spitzrundzange
  • Stahlbürste
  • Batterie-prüfgerät
  • Muünze
  • Silikonfett
  • Wattestäbchen
  • starkes Klebeband wie z.B. Gorilla-tape
  • Schweizer Messer oder Leatherman tool
  • Luftdusche mit Anschluss an den Niederdruckinflator

Das alles passt hervorragend in z.B. eine leere Maskenbox

Review: i-Torch Video Pro7 Light

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The new i-Torch Video Pro7 light packs serious functionality into a very compact double O-ring sealed aluminum body. At the time of writing, it is the smallest and lightest 5,000-lumen LED underwater light on the market. There are five power settings for white light (100%, 80%, 60%, 40%, and 20%) as well as two power settings for red light (100% and 50%)—ideal for shooting shy subjects. There’s also an SOS mode.

A single mode button caters to the light’s various functions. Holding the button down for one second powers the light on at the default 100% white light. By pressing the button again, you can cycle through the following modes: 80% white, 60% white, 40% white, 20% white, 100% red, 50% red, and back to 100% white. Pressing the button for two seconds turns the light off. Holding the button down for three seconds (when the light is turned off) activates the SOS mode. Press it again and you’re back to 100% white. At 5,000 lumens, the Video Pro7’s maximum output rating is impressive, and it boasts a very even 120-degree beam angle (with no hotspots at all), which is excellent for shooting video.

Power comes from a supplied 50Whr rechargeable lithium battery. To charge the Video Pro7, you simply open the unit and connect the charger. The green light on the charger switches to red, indicating that charging is in progress; the indicator light switches back to green once the battery is fully charged. A completely empty battery takes about two-and-a-half hours to charge. Obviously, it’s a good idea to buy a spare battery (MSRP $270), so that you’re able to switch batteries between dives.

You can get a good idea of the amount of juice left in your battery from the indicator light ring that surrounds the mode button. This indicator glows green when the battery level is between 70% and 100%, yellow from 40% to 70%, red between 15% and 40%, and flashing red when the level is 15% and below.
Specifications

  • LED: 8x XML2, 2x XPG red
  • Brightness: 5,000 lumens
  • Beam angle: 120 degrees
  • Modes: Eight (5 levels of white, 2 levels of red, SOS)
  • Switch: Push button with battery indicator
  • Construction: Aluminum body and head 
  • Burn time: 60 minutes at highest setting
  • Size: 60mm diameter x 127mm length 
  • Weight: 506g (including battery) 
  • What’s included: 50Whr battery, battery charger, YS mount
  • MSRP: $1050

Preparing the Video Pro7

Getting the Video Pro7 ready for action is very easy. Firstly, charge the battery before using it for the first time by unscrewing the back of the aluminum body and plugging in the charger cable. When it’s fully charged (charger light goes green), check the O-rings for dirt and hairs and screw the light back together. For my test dives, I used two lights, adding ball mounts to each of the YS mounts and attaching the lights to my camera.

The Video Pro7 in Use

Switching on for the first time underwater, I found that the Video Pro7 gave a very even light well-suited for shooting video as well as still images. The color of the light is a little cooler than that from a Sola, but it’s not too cold. The impressive output of the light was immediately noticeable. In fact, when shooting macro I sometimes found myself using a smaller aperture because it was brighter than I needed!

Great for shooting video, the light also proved to be very good for shooting still images. Below are a few of the stills I took while diving with the Video Pro7.

Flamboyant cuttlefish (Metasepia pfefferi) male (about 3cm). Canon 7D, Canon 60mm Macro USM, SubSee+10, 2x i-Torch Video Pro7. f/5.6, 1/640s, ISO160

Flamboyant cuttlefish just hatched (about 7mm). Canon 7D, Canon 60mm Macro USM, SubSee+10, 2x i-Torch Video Pro7. f/11, 1/160s, ISO160

Ornate ghost pipefish (Solenostomus paradoxus) (about 12cm). Canon 7D, Canon 60mm Macro USM, 2x i-Torch Video Pro7. f/5.6, 1/800s, ISO160

Phyllodesmium magnum (about 7cm). Canon 7D, Canon 60mm Macro USM, 2x i-Torch Video Pro7. f/5.6, 1/1000s, ISO160

Mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus) (mantle length about 10cm). Canon 7D, Canon 60mm Macro USM, 2x i-Torch Video Pro7. f/11, 1/125s, ISO160
As well as testing the Video Pro7’s prowess in capturing macro video, I also put the light through its paces with a fisheye lens and shooting wide-angle—and even here I was very pleased with the results.

The video below contains some sample footage shot with a Canon 7D with a Canon 60mm macro lens and 1x SubSee+10, and with a Tokina 10–17mm zoom fisheye and a 1.4x teleconverter, in a Subal housing and dual i-Torch Pro7.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/95641103

Final Thoughts

The Video Pro7 is an exceptionally small and powerful video light that performs very well for a light in this price range. If you’re in the market for a compact and affordable photo/video light equipped with a hefty output, I would highly recommend the i-Torch Video Pro7.

 

For more information about the i-Torch Video Pro7 and related products, visit www.i-divesite.com.

This review was originally posted on DivePhotoGuide