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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Epic Underwater Housing

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Mario Contini

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Looking to rent an Epic housing for a shoot in early February in Costa Rica. We shoot for 4 days but need the housing only for one. I don't know the demands of the shoot or if we could by with just a splash bag but producer asked for a housing. My experience under water ends with the Aquatica. I guess for now I'm interested in seeing what people are doing with the Epics under da sea.

Thanks.
 
Hmm. A Gates dealer told me DEEP EPIC orders placed now are aiming for march delivery so maybe people with existing orders will get them earlier? If not, I think there are a few homebrew units available.
 
Mario Contini said:
Looking to rent an Epic housing for a shoot in early February in Costa Rica. We shoot for 4 days but need the housing only for one. I don't know the demands of the shoot or if we could by with just a splash bag but producer asked for a housing. My experience under water ends with the Aquatica. I guess for now I'm interested in seeing what people are doing with the Epics under da sea.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Mario:

My company makes, sells and rents housings for the epic/scarlet. Made the first housings for Redone back in 2007 and the first for Epic in Feb 2011.Here's the press release:

http://www.aquavideo.com/press/AquaVideoEpicUnderwaterPrRelease.pdf

Feel free to contact me for more information.
 
Looks pretty simple. How are the focus and iris rings adjusted? Do you use the redmote in it's own underwater housing device or in the box as well? Or is someone on the surface doing all this? Some more feature descriptions before investing $6k plus please.

Anyone here have experience with this housing? If the housing leaks water resulting in camera damage, is there coverage on this event? Is the housing guaranteed?

These are not just FYI questions here, I will with 100% certainty be purchasing a underwater housing for the epic. May the best housing win.

Michael Hastings said:
Mario:

My company makes, sells and rents housings for the epic/scarlet. Made the first housings for Redone back in 2007 and the first for Epic in Feb 2011.Here's the press release:

http://www.aquavideo.com/press/AquaVideoEpicUnderwaterPrRelease.pdf

Feel free to contact me for more information.
Click to expand...
 
Will Keir said:
Looks pretty simple. How are the focus and iris rings adjusted? Do you use the redmote in it's own underwater housing device or in the box as well? Or is someone on the surface doing all this? Some more feature descriptions before investing $6k plus please.

Anyone here have experience with this housing? If the housing leaks water resulting in camera damage, is there coverage on this event? Is the housing guaranteed?

These are not just FYI questions here, I will with 100% certainty be purchasing a underwater housing for the epic. May the best housing win.
Click to expand...


Will, thanks for your interest.

The included controls for iris, and focus utilize a shaft with a .9" to 1.3" disc on the end, with a thick o-ring inset, which presses against the gear or ring on the lens (can work with cinema gears or SLR lenses) and as you rotate it turns the gear or ring. This actually works quite well - we have used them for PL style Ultra Primes, Duclos 11-16, the 14-24 Ruby lens (great lens) and it's Nikon equivalent with the Optitek Nikon mount and many other SLR lenses. Since they are pretty compact and fairly easily to take on and off (empty hole can be sealed with a small plug - 3/8"-20 - same as a regulator plug. So we can accommodate extra controls for different lenses.


You can get actual gears at about $2K per gear, and we have had customers set up Heden motors inside as well.

And mounts that allow electronic control of SLR lenses are in the works from a couple manufacturers (this worked very well with the Birger mount on the RedOne via a serial control circuit board that we make)

We have had an external underwater case for Redmote for several months, however the initial release of the Redmote was very low power (just a few feet range even abovewater - where the planned range was to be up to 100 feet, this was announced by Red and that there would be a power increase in later firmware) so it wasn't working reliably with the housing. I just got my Epic-X back yesterday, so hadn't had a chance to try with the big power inrease from the last firmware update a few weeks ago. We will be testing that tomorrow.

I like the idea of the external case because besides added flexibility, there is also reduced risk. The Redmote has at least 23 buttons, so that's 23 seals and even though the seals we all use are pretty reliable I would prefer those buttons be in a separate case (where you are only risking the relatively low cost Redmote, rather than the camera) rather than in the backplate as on the Gates. If the wireless still does not work reliably then we can easily make the Redmote backplate since the CNC program for all of the buttons is the same. We also have a way to make it wired to the external case but that may require approval from Red for the custom cable. Although we have an external LCD option, I like the ability to have the LCD in the back of the housing which keeps it very compact - which is important for a lot of open water shooting. You can't do that if the Redmote is on the backplate. Since our backplate is clear and removable we can easily accommodate either and we will offer a lower cost acrylic version for relatively shallow work (75-100 depth rating) and a higher priced Aluminum version for deeper work.

As far as leaks, both AquaVideo and Gates (the 2 main manufacturers of U/W housings for Red cameras) use the same technology for sealing control shafts based on designs that have been proven since the '60s. I like and promote the X-ring double seals that we use on our main seals but truthfully it is hard to be sure that they are significantly more reliable than the regular o-rings.

I have been doing this for over 25 years (I started very very young :-) ) and have made housings for approx 20 different full-sized pro cameras (Betacams, Varicams, Red, etc.); dozens of prosumers cams; and over 300 conumer cameras; plus specialized underwater pan and tilt for the Olympic training center; 7 underwater cams for the NASA Neutral Bouyancy lab; special cases for the Seal Teams; a couple hundred OEM housings for Panasonic camcorders that were sold under the Panasonic brand by their dealers: as well as using these systems as a camera op for every major broadcast network, ESPN, Discovery, Nat Geo, BBC, numerous island Tourism Ministries, commercials, feature films, etc. so lots of hands-on experience as well.

So I have a pretty good idea of what it takes to make a reliable housing - but sh*t happens and no manufacturer covers damage for high end cameras, and that has always been clearly stated in all of our warranty documents. You HAVE to get insurance, but all of the good, all risk production equipment policies cover water damage (although it is a good idea to specify that you will be using it underwater to make it clear). YOu have to realize that the risk of flooding a camera in an underwater housing is much less than the risk of water damage from falling into the ocean, lake, pool etc when shooting near them or from a boat, etc. so the insurance companies aren't as spooked as you might think. I think we pay about $1000 a year for $40K+ of scheduled equipment and $25K or rental equipment coverage.
 
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Is there a story front in Los Angeles to checkout the gear first hand?
 
Will Keir said:
Thanks for the thoughtful reply. Is there a story front in Los Angeles to checkout the gear first hand?
Click to expand...

Nope, everything is direct from here in Ft. Lauderdale.
 
Mario, give me a call to discuss the Epic underwater housing. I just returned from Bali as I shot epic underwater at 240fps. I can steer you in the right direction if you choose. Plus the company is located in L.A. So you can take a look at all the items you need.
 
Mario Contini said:
Looking to rent an Epic housing for a shoot in early February in Costa Rica. We shoot for 4 days but need the housing only for one. I don't know the demands of the shoot or if we could by with just a splash bag but producer asked for a housing. My experience under water ends with the Aquatica. I guess for now I'm interested in seeing what people are doing with the Epics under da sea.

Thanks.
Click to expand...


Hey Mario,

if you are looking for an amateur type of rigs to take your camera under water then there are a few out there, which also don't cost an arm an a leg,
just be extremely careful while choosing so you don't flood your EPIC!!

If you are looking for PRO solutions, not many at all, right now there is only one fully loaded with controls, a bit costly but its a true PRO solution,
and that is what we have, the new "GATES Deep Epic" UWH ready to go, but unfortunately we are fully booked and honestly could not come
to do a one day shoot that far, just the same make sure you choose your UWH well if you want your shoot to end well... ;)
 
(Update 1/17/2012) Red put out a new firmware release for the Redmote a few weeks ago that increased the power/range significantly.

Finally got my camera back to test it and the Redmote in our small external waterproof housing is now working fine through the backplate and even through the aluminum body of the housing, so I'm pretty confident the external redmote is going to be the way to go - see my comments in the post below on why I think it is much better to have it external)
 
Mario Contini said:
Looking to rent an Epic housing for a shoot in early February in Costa Rica. We shoot for 4 days but need the housing only for one. I don't know the demands of the shoot or if we could by with just a splash bag but producer asked for a housing. My experience under water ends with the Aquatica. I guess for now I'm interested in seeing what people are doing with the Epics under da sea.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Mario, If you choose to go in a different direction than our fellow Reduser Michael Hastings. I will suggest wait until last minute. Today I was told by a Nat Geo underwater photographer that Amphibico is coming with an underwater housing solution for Epic and Scarlet, for sure will be more expensive than Michaels but less expensive than Gates.So maybe will be out before you shoot.
 
I haven't had time to read through all these wonderful posts yet, not often I get to view these forums! I thought there was nothing available but I seem to have been mistaken! Glad to see that people are already building rigs, I will see which serves our purposes best. Thanks guys for your fast replies!
 
My single camera housing is in full production and waiting only for the patents to be finalised.

It is the only housing allowing 4k and 5k resolution underwater. To my knowledge no other housing, including big IMAX housings, can claim this...
To put it in perspective...I can achieve comparable sharpness in the corners of a wide angle lens as Master Prime lenses achieve on land...simply breathtaking and never before experienced in underwater cinematography.

The housing is engineered with amazing precision using the best materials (such as titanium).
It is also the only housing that meets carry on luggage restriction....fully loaded ready to dive!
It is also modular with just about infinite number of configurations.

I'm dying to post pictures of it....the wait is killing me..:)

....oh, and very affordable too....
 
Pawel Achtel said:
My single camera housing is in full production and waiting only for the patents to be finalised.

It is the only housing allowing 4k and 5k resolution underwater. To my knowledge no other housing, including big IMAX housings, can claim this...
To put it in perspective...I can achieve comparable sharpness in the corners of a wide angle lens as Master Prime lenses achieve on land...simply breathtaking and never before experienced in underwater cinematography.

The housing is engineered with amazing precision using the best materials (such as titanium).
It is also the only housing that meets carry on luggage restriction....fully loaded ready to dive!
It is also modular with just about infinite number of configurations.

I'm dying to post pictures of it....the wait is killing me..:)

....oh, and very affordable too....
Click to expand...

can you mention who is building your housing? i am interested in some more info? Thanks
 
James Killion said:
can you mention who is building your housing? i am interested in some more info? Thanks
Click to expand...

James, welcome to Reduser.

Sorry, I can not name our manufacturing facility. It is a medium size business mainly focused on defence projects, such as components for helicopters, missiles, satellites, torpedos, etc... They have several 5-axis machines, verification and measurement department, etc. I've been working with them on other large and small projects for over a decade. Arguably the most capable engineering facility on this hemisphere...I'm convinced it will set a new standard in this industry.

now waiting only for the patent attorney...the first dozen single-camera housings are being assembled. Also five 3D housings are being built after a brakthrough in removing the side SSD recording module and placing it away from the camera, thus allowing close inter-axial distance.

Private demonstarations (with real housing) can be arranged now after signing an NDA.
 
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