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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 :)

Underwater Bubble Blowers User Group Thread NEW

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Rudi Herbert said:
This is actually good, I have finally been convinced to stay away from this thread and Reduser for while...
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Rudi, if a shark bit you would you stop diving? Stick around man, we love ya. :thumbsup:
 
Will Keir said:
Rudi, if a shark bit you would you stop diving? Stick around man, we love ya. :thumbsup:
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If it bit Rudi's head off i think he'd have to...but if it bit his ass off.....he'd just give the shark his ass.....Hey, Rudi's a pretty smart guy---i wouldn't discount anything he has to say...
 
Tom,

When I was shooting with antiquated dome ports I used to do a precise conversion table for particular dome/lens combination so that I could dial in the exact focus on the virtual image. It is not flat, it has depth: a very compressed one so that the DOF is actually thinner. It is also non-linear. But, it is also curved, and the curvature changes with distance, which complicates things a fair bit. If you have some basic arthmetic skills, you can make one to suit your system. I have one in Excel. I would expect it should be in the housing manual for the particular dome that your manufacturer provided, have you checked? LOL

If focusing by eye doesn't work, I find focusing with focus marks pretty good most of the time...particularily Nikonos 15mm on DeepX is spot on :laugh:
 
I hope this is of interest - I just received it back from Bob Cranston with his blessing :)


PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release: 21 June 2012


World-renowned American cinematographer gives Aussie invention the thumbs up


Something of a revolution is about to happen in the world of underwater films. In an arena pioneered by the French diver and film-maker Jacques Cousteau, who played a key role in inventing modern diving gear as well as introducing millions to the world’s oceans and their conservation, it’s never been possible to get pictures anywhere near as sharp as on land. Until now.

Aussie inventor and film-maker, Pawel Achtel, has just produced his first batch of a new type of underwater housing, the “DeepX”, that does away with most of the usual paraphernalia associated with filming underwater.

“The design is wonderfully simple,” said world-renowned underwater cinematographer Bob Cranston when trying out the first ever DeepX off the coast of Catalina earlier this month. “It is very small and easy to travel with … and uses great Nikon optics. And it offers the best close-up capabilities I’ve seen so far.”

High praise from a cameraman who’s tried out most of the gear previously on the market and worked on some of the biggest underwater films ever made, from the IMAX films “Deep Sea 3D” and “Island of the Sharks” to the BBC’s hugely popular “Blue Planet”.

What makes the DeepX different to anything previously available is that whereas previous systems have an image quality that deteriorates rapidly away from the very centre, this new underwater housing system uses Nikonos lenses designed expressly for underwater use, with no extra plastic or glass in front of them. As a result it’s the first camera system that produces underwater images truly sharp enough for the biggest cinema screens in the world.

Even on a screen the size of an iPad, the images are so much crisper than anything shot with conventional underwater gear, that the underwater world truly comes to life in your hands.

DeepX makes use of “Red” cameras, made by the US company that has itself led a revolution in the world of film-making over the past decade and adopted by such film-makers as “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson for his upcoming “Hobbit” movie.

In the underwater world, there’s nothing quite like it. “For my next feature,” said Bob Cranston, “it’s at the top of my shopping list!”
 
Pawel Achtel said:
Tom,
snip:

I would expect it should be in the housing manual for the particular dome that your manufacturer provided, have you checked? LOL
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Actually, he was given a very precise (to the hundredths of an inch) and easy to use chart relating the actual distance to the virtual image. As you say, the conversion scale is logarithmic and this was taken from the original Gomer T. McNeil graphs and verified empirically. It makes it very easy to find focus presets for whatever hyper focal setting you prefer.


BTW I notice your Cranston PR doesn't mention wide angle performance - which in the original material he said was not wide enough for his liking.



Looking back, I wasn't able to find my original post about using Nikonos on Red (there were several threads going at a time) but I found this reference in the original bubble blowers thread from 2/21/2007 - post number 60 about 10 days after the thread was started and 7 or 8 months before any Red cameras were delivered.

http://www.reduser.net/forum/showthread.php?552-Underwater-Bubble-Blowin-Users-Group/page33

Michael Hastings said:
02-21-2007, 10:18 AM

Just a couple of comments:

snip: (you can read the full post about wide lenses, ivanoff and fathom correctors as well as domes, wide converters, etc.)

...

I also mentioned in an earlier post the possibility of actually making the front of the housing the front plate of the RED and incorporating a Nikonos mount which would allow use of the Nikonos 15 and also other Nikons with an adapter.
...
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So, I will make this offer: For anyone that buys an AquaVideo housing for Epic, I will make a front plate to allow mounting of the Epic or Scarlet and use of the Nikonos lenses - for $9,995 - delivery within 60 days or less ARO - which combined with our housing is still several thousand dollars cheaper than the DeepX and has the advantage of allowing use of regular SLR and cinema lenses, multiple port options, battery options, etc. I did drawings and prep work for this idea long ago, so it wouldn't take that much to update it for epic.

No guarantees on warranty effect with RED (which we still have not heard about regarding DeepX), and if there is any question about violating patents (as has been brought up to me in some PMs - what's the patent number?) I will be happy to defend it in a US court as I believe copying the Nikonos mount and bolting the camera body to the inside of the plate with four sealed screws, is easily defensible as being both obvious and covered by multiple examples of prior art. Having been in the business for over 25 years I have been involved in a few lawsuits in both directions, and like Jim Jannard, I've never lost either.
 
Installed the new Antenna upgrade yesterday and it worked beautifully to control my Epuc outside, through the wall, start stop, etc.

I put my camera in the housing and then tried to control the camera simple record stop start with the backplate off and it wouldnt work. Has anyone else tried the new Antenna upgrade in their housing with Redmote? The old antenna shot right thru the backplate but the new one at least on mine wouldn't.
 
Am testing it in the next couple of days Frazier, will let you know. Although, I'm guessing I'll get the same results. How to proceed from there?
 
Tom Hamilton said:
Am testing it in the next couple of days Frazier, will let you know. Although, I'm guessing I'll get the same results. How to proceed from there?

In any event, don't try to start a conversation about u/w optics here, seems the US & Oz patent lawyers are circling around each other in an ominously childish way. If I wanted to see Dancing With the Stars, I'd watch TV.

(Feckin pussies, both a yer)
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I'm going to test it further tomorrow Tom, don't know if the stonger antenna is somehow being interfered with due to just the aluminum housing. Hope not, was hoping to install the REDMOTE in the backplate this week and be able to use the REDMOTE for control. Actually when I hit record it locked up my camera and I had to do a hard shut down.
 
Frazier Nivens said:
I'm going to test it further tomorrow Tom, don't know if the stonger antenna is somehow being interfered with due to just the aluminum housing. Hope not, was hoping to install the REDMOTE in the backplate this week and be able to use the REDMOTE for control. Actually when I hit record it locked up my camera and I had to do a hard shut down.
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I have the PVC housing, that might make a difference as far as reception is concerned. The camera lock-up though, is likely a different issue, do you have the latest firmware installed?
 
Tom Hamilton said:
I have the PVC housing, that might make a difference as far as reception is concerned. The camera lock-up though, is likely a different issue, do you have the latest firmware installed?
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Good Morning Tom, hoping it was just a glitch, latest firmware, camera and REDMOTE. Camera rarely locked up on me. Only after installation of the new antenna and it works fine out of housing. Testing more shortly here and will troubleshoot a bit more.

Mike, coming up to see you if you have some time this week.

Tom, PVC housing may not have this issue at all, hoping it's just something I'm doing wrong.

Frazier
 
Tom Hamilton said:
I have the PVC housing, that might make a difference as far as reception is concerned. The camera lock-up though, is likely a different issue, do you have the latest firmware installed?
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Looks like you may be right Tom, still testing but it may be the Firmware which I've never had a problem with. But when I hit record now AFTER installing the Antenna upgrade I get the yellow dot of death on my EPIC. Then I have to do a hard shutdown. Don't really want to go back from 3.2.16 but may have to. Only happens to me though when it's in the housing.

Go figure, on a release build.

Best to all,
Frazier Nivens, Ocean Imaging
 
Frazier Nivens said:
Looks like you may be right Tom, still testing but it may be the Firmware which I've never had a problem with. But when I hit record now AFTER installing the Antenna upgrade I get the yellow dot of death on my EPIC. Then I have to do a hard shutdown. Don't really want to go back from 3.2.16 but may have to. Only happens to me though when it's in the housing.

Go figure, on a release build.

Best to all,
Frazier Nivens, Ocean Imaging
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Thanks Frazier, turns out the new antenna parts aren't in yet, probably a good idea to delay installation until the problem can be identified and fixed. Did you try reinstalling the old antenna? Did you submit a ticket to Red, or does a housing-related Epic problem fall out of their bailiwick?
 
Footage and Stills from DeepX

Footage and Stills from DeepX

This is the first ever 5k footage of a sea dragon, filmed with no distortionand with high resolution from corner to corner, thanks to specialised Nikonos underwater optics that do not require underwater ports.
It looks different ... because it is!

For the first time, we can now film underwater without the distortions, chromatic aberrations, image plane curvature and fuzziness at the edges that we've come to tolerate throughout the history of underwater filming.


and 5k still frame grabs:

http://achtel.com/DeepX/images.htm
 
Nice work, great image of the sea turtle, no imagination required I can see him in full detail. Nice framing Ron.

How are you liking the gates? What settings did you use for this shot?

Ron Lagerlof said:
New footage of Green Turtle in Little Cayman. RED Epic, Gates Deep Epic, Tokina 10-17.


Thanks for watching!
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Ron Lagerlof said:
New footage of Green Turtle in Little Cayman. RED Epic, Gates Deep Epic, Tokina 10-17.


Thanks for watching!
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WOW that looks so crisp and sharp! Gorgeous images Ron!!! :hurray:
 
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