Northern Diver HD Video Camera

[Phillipspaul]

Hi first post here, So hello everyone, been reading for years and thanks for all the info.

I've seen on the northern diver site a HD video package for £379,http://www.ndiver.com/site/accessories/camera_video.html, it's basically as far as i can work out a 3 megapixal camcorder with a resolution up to 1280x720 resolution @ 30fps. I was wondering if anyone has used or bought one and would they recommend it. I like the compact size and been able to dump it into a BCD pocket when not needed..

Any advise please.

Thanks

[Phillipspaul]

Come on no replies yet... someone must have used this system...Maybe I'll be there first customer.. :p .Can anyone recommend a compact video camera that they use?

Thanks

[BIGLICKER]

my canon ixus films at 30 fps., its 4 meg. the quality's not too bad but its not too good either, you only get what you pay for, if you want top results dont bother, if you just want an average film it should be ok.
hope this helps,
r O y.

[Paul Oliver]

I've just bought one but have yet to suss it out and use it, however you are not going to get that housing into a BC pocket ;)

[Phillipspaul]

Cheers guys for the replies...

I have an Ixus 75 canon but am not too happy to use it in a housing as the last cannon i owned (Ixus 800) went bang after a few drops of water dripped onto it... and it was only 6 weeks old :( , and canon wouldn't honour the warranty.

Can anyone else recommend a compact for video?

[Kieran]

You're never going to get great video from a compact or a cheap hd camcorder, infact a decent standard definition camcorder would be a better buy if you intend to spend little. You can pick up a decent 2nd hand hd camcorder for around £350-450 but I'm not sure on housings.

[ChristianG]

I have an Ixus 75 canon but am not too happy to use it in a housing as the last cannon i owned (Ixus 800) went bang after a few drops of water dripped onto it... and it was only 6 weeks old :( , and canon wouldn't honour the warranty.
Oh gawd, I can't help myself.

Paul,

With the greatest respect the camera drowned. Show me anywhere in the warranty where it says that drowned cameras are covered by warranty. Show me anywhere where it says in the housing warranty that drowning is covered. It doesn't happen, there are too many idiots out there (not you) who think that clapping a camera into a housing means that it's "waterproof".

Notice something? No device is labelled waterproof nowadays - everyone uses water resistant. There's a reason for that which mostly translates into the cackhanded use of some for these devices and it particularly relates to the digital age where just one drop can blow the whole thing to smithereens.

You could strip things like Nikonos llls and earlier cameras but that was decades ago, pre electronics, and not since nor ever again.

Canon is a good company (IMO), it's not fair to label them as you did. Oh, and I don't have a single Canon product, that I know of, and I'm retired and never worked for them.

[Richard Whitcombe]

My house insurance covered my flooded camera that died in the pool a few years ago.

[ChristianG]

My house insurance covered my flooded camera that died in the pool a few years ago.
Richard,

That's insurance, not warranty. They're very different things and you pay for insurance (one way or the other).

[Richard Whitcombe]

True but cost me no extra on my household for that. Wasnt even aware it was covered until it happened.

[Phillipspaul]

Hi ChristianG

With the greatest respect the camera drowned. Show me anywhere in the warranty where it says that drowned cameras are covered by warranty. Show me anywhere where it says in the housing warranty that drowning is covered.

Well to be honest I was very disappointed with cannon about the way i was treated, I was in fact only using the camera on the beach never underwater and picked it up with towel dried damp hands, took a few pictures then bang screen went blank...and they wouldn't repair due to the bill was more than what a new camera would cost:eek:.. I didn't even suspect water (moisture) damage, I thought it was a faulty battery.

What annoyed me most was that Cannon were promoting, that this Camera with a housing would be ideal for underwater use. I wouldn't recommend that! I think that a camera to be used in water sports should have some basic protection against WATER before being used in a housing. Imaging having to charge or change a card between dives... forget about it!

Anyway I like Cannon products but have learned a lesson and wouldn't bring one within a mile of water.

[Richard Whitcombe]

What annoyed me most was that Cannon were promoting, that this Camera with a housing would be ideal for underwater use. I wouldn't recommend that! I think that a camera to be used in water sports should have some basic protection against WATER before being used in a housing. Imaging having to charge or change a card between dives... forget about it!

I really cant see the issue here. Digital electronics and salt water don't mix. Every single circuit in that camera has to work for the camera to function. Therefore one drop of water can totally destroy it. A bit of rain (fresh water) maybe fine but corrosive and conductive salt water, forget it.

That's why people produce waterproof housings - to PREVENT water getting in. 99.99% of buyers for these camera don't want to use it underwater so they don't need to waste resources making the original case water resistant - that's what the housing is for.

Although i own canons im sure all brands are the same. Due to my job ive probably removed and used the camera on its housings roughly 600 times and not once has it had a problem in the sea. No problem changing batteries on the boat, changing cards if needed or anything of the sort. A bit of care and maintenance and its fine. The one that died in the pool was entirely my fault - hairs on the O-ring and i didnt check it at all during the 50 minutes i was there so didnt notice it had flooded.

[ChristianG]

Well to be honest I was very disappointed with cannon about the way i was treated, I was in fact only using the camera on the beach never underwater and picked it up with towel dried damp hands, took a few pictures then bang screen went blank...and they wouldn't repair due to the bill was more than what a new camera would cost:eek:.. I didn't even suspect water (moisture) damage, I thought it was a faulty battery.

What annoyed me most was that Cannon were promoting, that this Camera with a housing would be ideal for underwater use. I wouldn't recommend that! I think that a camera to be used in water sports should have some basic protection against WATER before being used in a housing. Imaging having to charge or change a card between dives... forget about it!
Sigh.

Change the name Canon to Nikon, or Olympus or any other camera manufacturer that you want to mention and nothing changes.

Yes, there are cameras out there designed to be water resistant to less than 1.5 atmospheres, mostly toys and then there's the Canon EOS1 series made of magnesium and properly protected by O Rings but no-one in their right minds would take it anywhere near water without serious, and I do mean serious, protection. Looked at the cost of this thing (I lust) lately?

This (http://tinyurl.com/3bmljh), if you could be bothered, may give you an idea of what you're looking at.

I particularly commend the last two sentences to you.

[Phillipspaul]

Thanks Richard and Christian

I take on board what you have said and in general terms regarding maintenance and care to prevent leaks to the housing you are correct, the problem I had with the Canon Ixus 800 in my honest opinion was due to a "design error" , It was related to the camera strap were it attached to the camera was a weak spot for fluid being trapped and entering the camera, It was no more than a few drops. Now I could bore you with details but if your not familiar with this camera model I won't bother, anyway of course Canon wouldn't acknowledge this...But in all there newer models since it has been changed.

Look I'm not here to bash their products it's just my experience with them, I have since bought and used canon's but wouldn't be happy to sneeze on one.

[Richard Whitcombe]

Thats not a design flaw - its not designed to get wet full stop.

[ChristianG]

I take on board what you have said and in general terms regarding maintenance and care to prevent leaks to the housing you are correct, the problem I had with the Canon Ixus 800 in my honest opinion was due to a "design error" , It was related to the camera strap were it attached to the camera was a weak spot for fluid being trapped and entering the camera, It was no more than a few drops.
The plot thickens and you seem to be wriggling around like the proverbial fish on the line. Tell me, didn't you previously say:

I was in fact only using the camera on the beach never underwater and picked it up with towel dried damp hands, took a few pictures then bang screen went blank
I can't see anything about a camera strap there but then I'm only some stupid git who happens to think that he knows a bit, a very little bit, about cameras. It happens that "towel dried damp hands" would seem to me to be singularly incapable of manufacturing drops of water, as in the earlier quote.

I also happen to think that incorrectly accusing a respected company of anything at all needs to be redressed.

Whatever it was that you did to make that camera drown, note how I said that, the fact remains that the instructions issued by pretty well any camera manufacturer include a loud and clear warning to severely keep the camera away from water. You didn't, you had it on the beach, without any protection such as a ewa marine bag (http://www.ewa-marine.com/), you were clearly wet by your own admission and you reaped the consequences. Thus Canon were perfectly correct in refusing to repair, or replace, the camera under warranty given that no warranty includes death by drowning.

My own, four and a bit months old, SLR (not a Canon) has this to say on Page 7 (of 123, IOW right at the beginning) of the Instruction Manual:

Keep the camera away from moisture or water. If you drop your camera in water, please contact the retailer where you purchased the camera, or a service station immediately. If you use the camera with this condition it can cause electric shock or fire.

Prevent water or metallic and other conductive objects from coming into contact with the camera body. This can result in electric shock, overheating and fire.
I am quite certain that the Canon instructions are similar, if not in such fractured "Japlish" as mine.

Edit/: I should point out that I am not a particular fan of ewa marine and similar, especially not for use at greater than, say, 1.5 ata underwater but they do a pretty good job at protecting cameras in harsh conditions such as the beach and are reasonably priced for that. :\Edit

[Phillipspaul]

Yes I did say both those things :rolleyes: . As usual the truth lies somewhere between, I did dry my hands but what I guess happened was while carrying the camera with the strap around my wrist moisture traveled down the camera-strap and into the camera, but to be honest.. The amount of water was minuscule, never even suspected water damage the camera looked dry but from reading what yous were saying and it only takes one drop to make it's way inside, I suppose I'll have to put it down to a hard lesson learned..

But anyway thanks for the replies and it's good to hear your advice... I just expected a bit more of a robust product from Canon but maybe I was wrong.