Epic underwater housings

[Ferenz Kallos]

Tom, the 14mm Master Prime (just) covers the Epic sensor. I am hearing that 12mm MP and Tokina 11-16mm also cover the Epic sensor. The Arri Zeis 8R may not cover the entire sensor, but if you crop to 2.39 : 1 aspect ratio, it will cover it fine.

Hello !

I saw this thread by chance, looking for an underwater system.

I just want to say that I own an Epic-M and a Arri Ultra prime 8R, and that I have not noticed any lack of sensor covering. how does it manifest ? how would I know ?

Thank you !
Ferenz

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Ferenz,

Can you post some frame grabs?

 

[Pawel Achtel]

You would find it by vignetting (darkening) of the corners when shooting full frame, particularly at fully open aperture.

You may find lens image circle database helpful, albeit it does not contain the 8R:

http://web.me.com/ducloslenses/DataRef/ImgCir.html

 

[Ferenz Kallos]

Ferenz,

Can you post some frame grabs?

I tried at low light condition, with the Arri 8R, 6am, full aperture, with the white wall on the left, and there is so much vigneting, the whole left side and moreover the upper left are grainy and terrible... I feel so depressed...

I don't know how I did not see. I just got my 8R, tried only once with big light.
...and put so much cash in it. no one told me at the store.
Is there any way to make it work ?

If i need to crop, is there point to have a 8R...?...

I tried with my Arri master prime 18mm, 1.3 at night, and it looks grainy as well...

thanks you for your help
Ferenz

 

[Ferenz Kallos]

You would find it by vignetting (darkening) of the corners when shooting full frame, particularly at fully open aperture.

I tried at low light condition, with the Arri 8R, 6am, full aperture, with the white wall on the left, and there is so much vignetting, the whole left side and moreover the upper left are grainy and terrible... I feel so depressed...

I don't know how I did not see. I just got my 8R, tried only once with big light.
...and put so much cash in it. no one told me at the store.
Is there any way to make it work ?

If i need to crop, is there point to have a 8R...?...

I tried with my Arri master prime 18mm, 1.3 in low light, and it looks grainy as well...

thanks you for your help
Ferenz

 

[Johnny Friday]

looking grainy is one thing and vignetting is another....but i see no point in having the 8r and having to crop everything you shoot in 5k....otherwise you drop down to 4k....but then again, what's the point of having the 8r.....

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Don't know if you got it at B&H, if so, they would certainly take it back.

 

[Johnny Friday]

Tom, that's definitely not something B&H would carry.....and an EXPENSIVE lens....i don't know now what the 8r runs....but 3 or 4 years ago we bought one and it was about as expensive as a toyota tundra.

 

[Ferenz Kallos]

Tom, that's definitely not something B&H would carry.....and an EXPENSIVE lens....i don't know now what the 8r runs....but 3 or 4 years ago we bought one and it was about as expensive as a toyota tundra.

B & H do NOT carry the Arri ultra primes and Master primes. They DID sell Arri compact primes, but not anymore. They do not take back any expensive item, more than a few Ks.

I was wondering, what is your experience with the 8R ? Red One or Epic...?
IS it working at 5.6... 11...?

which master prime works at 1.3 full aperture...?

Thank you !

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Well, as far as I know, 35K-ish, previously thought B&H was a distributor for them.

Inasmuch as I stand corrected Johnny, I would certainly do my homework before buying a Toyota Tundra.

 

[Michael Hastings]

B & H do NOT carry the Arri ultra primes and Master primes. They DID sell Arri compact primes, but not anymore. They do not take back any expensive item, more than a few Ks.

I was wondering, what is your experience with the 8R ? Red One or Epic...?
IS it working at 5.6... 11...?

which master prime works at 1.3 full aperture...?

Thank you !

8r is about $30000 usd and is t2.8 like the tokina 11-16 which covers same angle of view on 5k as an 8.8mm on 4k. Canon version of tokina 11-16 is $649 and duclos Pl mod is about $4000 and sergey sells the Pl converted nikon (reversed iris and focus which isn't a big deal in a housing) for $2800.

8mm is great for a lot of stuff but can be a bit too wide for some shots like people or sharks swimming side to side or out of shot since the perspective makes them look pretty stretched. So it's nice to have some zoom range.

Sigma also sells an 8-16mm which is good too on redone but haven't been able to check it on epic 5k. It's also f4 so not as fast but with epic "native" 800 iso it would actually end up slightly faster than 2.8 on redone.

 

[Roberto Lequeux]

That new Gates housing for the Epic looks like the best answer to my stunt dreams. About $600 for a new dome if it gets scratched. Muhahaha...

 

[Johnny Friday]

That new Gates housing for the Epic looks like the best answer to my stunt dreams. About $600 for a new dome if it gets scratched. Muhahaha...

Yeah....for the plexi dome port....try it in glass....you'll find it resolves a much crisper image and so much better when shooting verticle into the sun....on your plexi port you'll see every scratch you've ever had...on the glass....as long as you haven't scratched it...then you of course see a clear image...plexi scratches so very easily. but, having shot plexi most of the time.....you can find ways to cheat it...but no substitute for a glass dome port....but $$$.

 

[Pawel Achtel]

As soon as the Epic-X ships in reasonable quantities, my company (Achtel Pty Limited) will be announcing professional grade housing for the Epic. To my belief, the first and only housing allowing wide angle shots to resolve 4k+ underwater corner to corner. Expect a revolutionary optical design.
The housing will be made in Adelaide, Australia by a apecialised machining facility serving military and airspace industries. The body will be machined out of a single piece aluminium alloy (titanium option would be also available at additional cost). All controlls will be made out of titanium for the ultimate reliability. Expected weight ready to dive is below 12kg. I intend to keep the pricing under $20k.
Currently the housing is undergoing extensive testing against traditional solutions. It should be available in ample quantities around November-December.

 

[Johnny Friday]

Pawel,
is this a new business for you or do you make housings already? Anything to see....cad drawings or sketchs to detail what we're in for? For years i've heard of your optics, but only now hearing you are coming to market. Sounds interesting, i'd like to see more and know what you have planned for redmote as well. Is there a place on your site that us interested folks in housings can visit to see what you've manufactured in the past and what is coming?
.....sure sounds interesting at under 12kg.....good luck and keep us on our toes with something to wait....let us see something. Are you still going to make your optics available to other manufacturers as i think mentioned last year?
best of luck on this venture.

 

[Roberto Lequeux]

Yeah....for the plexi dome port....try it in glass....you'll find it resolves a much crisper image and so much better when shooting verticle into the sun....on your plexi port you'll see every scratch you've ever had...on the glass....as long as you haven't scratched it...then you of course see a clear image...plexi scratches so very easily. but, having shot plexi most of the time.....you can find ways to cheat it...but no substitute for a glass dome port....but $$$.

Yes, that is for the plexiglass dome. We will use a glass dome for all other UW shots. However this particular shot is not only a scratch-likely shot, but also one where we'll need the bullet-proof plexi safety, to avoid a full-on camera catastrophe. Fun stuff.

 

[John J Ellerbrock]

Yes, that is for the plexiglass dome. We will use a glass dome for all other UW shots. However this particular shot is not only a scratch-likely shot, but also one where we'll need the bullet-proof plexi safety, to avoid a full-on camera catastrophe. Fun stuff.

Good talking with you today Roberto. Your stunt shot sounds remarkable, and the plexi dome the right choice.

J-

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Mike, will the Tokina 11-16 vignette at 11mm on the 5K sensor?

 

[Pawel Achtel]

Yes, that is for the plexiglass dome. We will use a glass dome for all other UW shots. However this particular shot is not only a scratch-likely shot, but also one where we'll need the bullet-proof plexi safety, to avoid a full-on camera catastrophe. Fun stuff.

Hi Roberto,

I respectfully disagree with John J Ellerbrock's advice. Plexiglass (acrylic) is brittle and easily shatters into sharp pieces. Insted, you should consider optical quality Lexan (polycarbonate) or laminated glass. You would also know that safety glasses are generally made out of polycarbonate, which does not break like acrylic does.

Pawel,
is this a new business for you or do you make housings already? Anything to see....cad drawings or sketchs to detail what we're in for? For years i've heard of your optics, but only now hearing you are coming to market. Sounds interesting, i'd like to see more and know what you have planned for redmote as well. Is there a place on your site that us interested folks in housings can visit to see what you've manufactured in the past and what is coming?
.....sure sounds interesting at under 12kg.....good luck and keep us on our toes with something to wait....let us see something.

Johnny, Thanks for your kind words.
I have master's degree in structural engineering and I have been designing housings, optics and lighting for over 12 years. You can find some information on my website under "Equipment" tab. My titanium movie lights have been sold commercially and went down to 1000m on a sub, for example.

The details and pictures of the new housing design will be released at the time of immediate availablility and after protecting this design with suitable patents and trademarks. There will be two housings: one for 3D and another, smaller for single camera. The new single camera design will be much more affordable than the CinePort solution or the 3D titanium housing.
You may also like to know that the CinePort has been available since 2007. It has not been offered as a mass-market product because it is very expensive to manufacture, but it is available. To my knowledge, when matched with MasterPrime 14mm lens, it is the only piece of wide angle optics that can resolve 4k edge to edge underwater. It will still be offered as the highest contrast optics that I'm aware of. It "cuts" through water particles like no other port and produces very vivid, high-contrast images - for some examples, please refer to the galery on my website.

The single camera housing is "new business" in so far that we are doing it on a large scale and, unlike the CinePort, we can bring the price down and attract to broader market.

... Are you still going to make your optics available to other manufacturers as i think mentioned last year?
best of luck on this venture.

Thanks Jonny. I have invited other underwater housing manufacturers to colaborate on such option and there has been no interest from them as yet. Their cooperation is required in order to adapt either CinePort or the new optical design into their housings.

On the other hand, my housings are entirely modular, they can be used with just about any camera or lens. Controls as well as the optics are interchangable. You can even mount a SeaCam front plate and use any SeaCam port.

 

[Tom Hamilton]

Pawel,

Do you have a dealer-distributorship plan in place that will provide technical support for your equipment outside of Oz?

Cheers,
Tom