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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 Blowin' Users Group

Thanks Richard, C.H.
yeah, great to have this thread live and kicking. AND not to mention it's a STICKY so probably time to drop the #2 BUBBLE THREAD and go back to this.....

CH: I think anyone in the u/w biz is going to recommend you go aluminum. I'd wouldn't say it has anything to do with welding, but more to do with some basics like heat and aluminums ability to dissipate some of that heat generated in the camera as well as it's weight factor and having to add LESS weight to it vs the pvc housing. Those are probably the two basic or main strengths of going aluminum.

But of course cost vs. actual use is a big factor as well. If you use your housing on a regular basis for many hours at a time then aluminum's a no brainer. If you are shooting very little underwater and not for any great length of time or multiple dives and mostly in a pool or controlled environement, then pvc is probably just fine.
.....my ten cents.


Beautiful shoot by the way CH
 
Gillete - Sharks - Shot on RED Commercial x 2

Gillete - Sharks - Shot on RED Commercial x 2

Here's a recent commercial i shot along with Director Sean Thonson known for some wild car commercials. This was for Gillette Razors and something completely different than what they normally do. There is a teaser; then there is the commercial and finally the BTS.

This was shot in the Bahamas in May with 2 days of shooting to accomplish what we did...entirely lucky we could bag this in that amount of time. I was DP on the project and shot only underwater while Steve Green shot topside and a whole other crack crew wrangled sharks and built cages etc....Commercial is expected to go public soon.

TEASER:

COMMERCIAL:

BEHIND THE SCENES:

....commercial is one thing....i thought they could have done a better job on the underwater grade...but years of experience has taught me that it takes JUST that...years of experience to grade underwater....just because you are a colorist does not mean you have the skill to grade underwater. that said....it only takes some key points to figure out the underwater grading process and about a week with someone that knows it and can teach it.....
 
Nice Johnny, didn't know you had shot that commercial, we see it all the time and I was wondering who had done the shooting.
 
it is a bit sensationalized, and of course targeted at a mass group--not usually divers nor shark lovers that dive with them......But i think all in good fun.

In fact we couldn't get a shark to come in hard at all on that shoot.....had to throw so much bait in the water to get them moving and play with the images to make it "look" like the sharks were all worked up.....
 
Hi Bubble blowers. I am shooting in the keys in September (I know, hurricane season ) Does anyone know where I could rent a housing for my Epic. I will probably be in shallow water doing couples snorkeling and such. thanks

I'd also consider buying one if anyone knows where I can get one. I have a pool and do shoot a lot around water. plus I think I could rent it on occasion
 
Mark Andersen said:
Hi Bubble blowers. I am shooting in the keys in September (I know, hurricane season ) Does anyone know where I could rent a housing for my Epic. I will probably be in shallow water doing couples snorkeling and such. thanks

I'd also consider buying one if anyone knows where I can get one. I have a pool and do shoot a lot around water. plus I think I could rent it on occasion
Click to expand...

The EPIC housing from GATES is simply an amazing functional work of art and I strongly recommend you purchase this system hands down.
It with the EPIC will reset the bar in professional underwater cinematography.

In the interim, I have an EPIC housing available for rent today.
Rate is $550/day 4 day week.

Pretty much takes any lens from the 8R to the Nikon 105mm macro

Includes:

8" Acrylic Dome Port and Flat Port
Dual Battery Power supply (Requires RED legacy power cable adapter)
Two Adjustable Precision Lens Gears for Iris and Focus or Zoom
Manual On/Off and Rec controls
External monitor housing for 5" RED LCD
Nikon Lens Rings available on request

Proven rig with "50 missions" reputation.

Based in LA and Ships in 2 pelican cases (70lb + 50 lb)

Sharky
ken@digital3dproductions.com
 

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Update:
.....stopped by Gates Underwater Products yesterday. Saw new CAD drawings of Deep Epic as well as some new bits and Pieces that will be incorporated into the new and improved design. So for those of you/us that are waiting on the Deep Epic this is what i got a look at and what was most impressive. Gates had put out a call to Deep Red users and asked for suggestions on WHAT to improve or what they would LIKE to see improved on the Deep Epic. Top of the list was improved lens control. If you have seen the gear controls for iris/focus/zoom on the deep red you know they are a work of art already. A lot of design and work went into those gears. But if you want to make a better widget....just ask your widget customers.

....Gates has now implemented ball bearings into the new Gear design that are just butter smooth. and the shaft/gear mechanisms seem to be much much tighter with the end result for users meaning much more precise iris/focus control. That for me was the BEST ingredient of the new mix of improvements.

....next up is the redmote control that is mounted to the housing. From what i can tell....(ask Gates about this) is that it now looks like an option....there-fore a lower cost housing for those that are trying to squeeze it into their budgets. Do you need the REDMOTE? well....i'd say it certainly is not a game breaker for me....but i do enjoy having the ability to switch settings underwater for a new shot that happens to swim into view. That said, the redmote design--i believe drawings are posted on one of the Bubble threads--is another beautiful piece of kit. A LOT of thought and design went into it.....I believe Gates had one of their engineers (Jason) working full time on that for months.....he's a really smart guy.....and thought out a lot of little things that make life easier underwater now.

I believe another option on the Deep Epic will be mechanical or motrorized zoom control according to what i saw yesterday as well....so again, making this housing more affordable if you go the Deluxe vs Luxury route.

ETA: ? won't be next week......Better call Gates. I've run out of room asking that question. If i were to guess....looks like they might be on track for end of September......but that's merely a guess.

....those waiting for the Deep Epic housing will NOT be let down...another amazing piece of design that makes our jobs far easier working underwater.
 
I wanted to share this project that I found on Vimeo:
http://vimeo.com/29314623
http://www.theunderwaterrealm.com/

They are planning on doing 5 short films, I believe all underwater. They have been posting updated every week, and it looks like a great project. They are looking for an Epic with underwater housing, so I wanted to throw it out there for them. I am not affiliated with the project in any way, but thought they could use a post on here.
 
Johnny Friday said:
.....stopped by Gates Underwater Products yesterday. ...those waiting for the Deep Epic housing will NOT be let down...another amazing piece of design that makes our jobs far easier working underwater.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update, Johnny. Sounds interesting indeed. Any improvements in optical quality?
 
Pawel Achtel said:
Thanks for the update, Johnny. Sounds interesting indeed. Any improvements in optical quality?
Click to expand...

No Optical solutions...same old glass. But i thought you were contacting all the housing manufacturers to begin offering your special dome port? I as well as many others were waiting to see this new solution. I spoke to Gates and they have yet to hear from you about this offering.

Will you be contacting them or any other housing manufacturers to offer your special dome solution?
 
thanks Jonny,

The CinePort has been available for 4 years now. To my knowledge it is the only wide angle dome port resolving 4k underwater. It is expensive but, considering cost of cinema lenses, not outrageously so. It is available as glass only and with a standard SeaCam bayonet mount. It provides the highest contrast images of any type of underwater optics that I'm aware of. It can be incorporated in most 3rd party housings now.

The new optical solution, which I intend to reveal about December, is not a traditional dome port. It resolves 5k, it provides wider angles of view, and results in flat image with no field curvature (unlike all domes) and chromatic aberrations are almost entirely eliminated. It is also suitable for side-by-side 3D. Any manufacturer willing to sign an NDA can contact me directly to discuss possibility of incorporating it in their housings.

I will also be offering single camera and 3D all titanium housing in due course.

I am also thankfull to a respected Reduser, Mike Seymour, for letting me play with his Epic-M allowing me to fine tune the new optics. Yes, he has seen it and he is very excited about it!
 
Pawel,
you have touted this port for many years. Recently you said you were contacting the housing manufacturers in this forum to discuss the opportunities of them adding your port as an option. To date none have been contacted that i am aware of. Is it your intention to actually offer your port for third party sales? Are you going to actually reveal this port ? It has been shrouded in mere conversation for all these years....please allow the world to see this port and then if it really is what you say it is...you'll likely have a line of clients waiting with baited breath to get their hands on it......going into the housing business sounds like a lot of work: Customer support being top that i can think of. Will you have dealers ? Where will you manufacture? I assume this means you are going full time into the machine business then and leaving the shooting behind since it sounds like a LOT of work starting a machining business and setting up dealers, selling housings & i guess going to shows and showing off your new products.......Good luck--now lets see this Cineport that resloves 4k or 5k....hearing about it all these years makes one wonder if it really exists. Lastly....what does this mean for television production vs. standard glass port? What major benefits will we as viewers see using Cineport vs. Glass port?
 
you are making the comparison you and RED ? in 4 years they did a lot....i'm not calling you or your glass a scam. I REALLY want to see it. RED has been in development. you have had your glass completed and working....if you are going to make such comparisons, then just bring the glass out....you might find i'll hand you some $$$ for it...if you really are going to sell it that is.....4 years of hearing about it is a long time....RED put out a lot of cameras in 4 years...i'm just sayin Pawel. Your words not mine....please do make your glass available to Gates; A.V. and others so we can all make nice pictures and to the quality of your work.
 
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