Epic Pro v1 waterhousing + HPX170?

I purchased one of these used a while back and have used it a few times. I can't confirm that the 170 will fit, but I think it will. I usually use this with a HMC40, but will try to confirm the 170 over the next few days. There are a few things about using this housing you should know:

The start - stop control is a joke. Use your cam wireless remote.

The slide in cam baseplate is pretty light acryilic, 1/8" aluminum plate would be an improvement.

This "can" is really bouyant. This is obvious if you think about it, but it takes some real force to keep it submerged. You will need to strap some ballast on it for any serious work. If you clamped some ballast on it, think about a handle at the same time. I was thinking about a standard video lighting ballast which you could fine tune by adding or removing weight. You might need more than one.

If you use auto-focus, make sure the front lens is really clean or the cam may focus on the lens rather than your subject.

You won't be able to use the VF or flip-out, so wide angle style shooting is pretty much it for this unit. You might be able to add some "gun sights" to your ballast clamps to help.

Despite the drawbacks, the Epic is built like a tank and seems quite secure. Relative to other inexpensive options, like bags, the Epic seems like a decent value if you can live within its limits.

Grant
 
ggrantly

its my understanding that you *arent* supposed to submerge the waterhousing.

good feedback on not being able to see the VF or flip out. that would be a dealbreaker for me.
 
thanks for the info grant! I didnt realize you couldnt use the flip out, that is disappointing :-\

I decided to order it in the end though, was going to make a diy waterhusing but just didnt feel safe putting a pricey piece of equipment into something that I'd make...
 
Keygun,

You aren't supposed to submerge an underwater housing? Huh? The link from BH say 30'. Mine works just fine. I don't dive, but walking around in a river is pretty cool.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/475884-REG/Epic_EPHD001_Pro_HD_Mechanical_Video.html


Ciencin,

You can use the flip out sort of, by folding it back to the cam, though this is pretty sucky, it does work a little looking at it from the side. In the big picture, no pun intended, UW photography is mostly wide angle until you get into some pretty high end stuff, so this isn't as big a deal as it seems. Focus out to the limit of you visibility, use auto exposure, AWB and maybe focus too, turn it on and shoot. To do too much better, you need to spend big bucks.

For about the price of the Epic housing you could get a Panasonic TS2 or a Sanyo Xacti. I got my wife the TS2 for a purse cam, and I get to "borrow it" now and then. It is a little spotty underwater, but if you really worked at it, it would work OK. On land, the video from this cam is surprisingly good unless you throw it a lighting curveball. 720p/30 17Mbs AVCHD!

Any of this underwater stuff has a pretty high learning curve, so expect to practice and allow time at your shoot to get it right.

Grant
 
"The housing is not intended for deep scuba diving. Since the Pro HD housing is lightweight but rugged, it is ideal for photographing surfing and other water sports when you need to be in the water, but at the surface."

I was just looking at this sentence and made that assumption. "... when you need to be in the water, but at the surface"

I'm sure you can understand why I got confused.

thanks for clarifying!
 
I'm no diver....But for snorkling or walking around in 5ft deep water, the Epic has worked for me. Anything in this price range is a compromise. No doubt, for true diving, you need to spend real $$$.

Grant
 
Whitewater rafting shot on a Panasonic HPX170 with an EWA-Marine housing.
Don't know which model, not sure if there's room for the LCD (not my videos).

http://vimeo.com/13623090

and splashing hunting dogs (at 1:48):
http://vimeo.com/14556421

Looks like the front port sheds water really well if you're shooting at the surface level, or coming up from underwater.
 
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