News

Over the last few days we have covered the latest in still photographic equipment at DEMA. On Wednesday, we checked out all the new compact cameras and housings. Thursday, it was all about the new DSLR equipment.

But today, we are switching gears over to video news. From the super-compact go-pro to the cinema quality RED Epic and everything in between, we bring you all the video news from the DEMA floor.

Backscatter’s GoPro Housing and Accessories:
GoPro made waves in the underwater video with their announcement of the HERO 3—a 4K-capable HD action cam that has lost a little size and weight from its predecessor. At the Backscatter booth, we got another glimpse of their ever-popular housing and filter system for the HERO 2.

But perhaps more excitingly, they also had on display a prototype filter for the new HERO 3. The new filter is set to allow photographers the option to switch between filters (for example, from deep to shallow ones). It is expected to begin shipping in January with a price tag of $49.

Nauticam’s Housing for the RED Epic/Scarlet:
 The top dog video camera on display at the show is the RED system. Almost every video housing manufacturer had a version of the system, and Nauticam even dipped into the video market with their “Digital Cinema Housing.” This prototype housing is fully mechanical, meaning it doesn’t rely on the Redmote, which Nauticam officials say can be problematic.

The housing fits both the RED Epic and RED Scarlet, and features several different monitor options. Photographers can choose to watch their display on the top, back, or outside of the housing on an external monitor.

One innovative mechanical control on the housing is the combination of the focus and zoom on a single knob. You can now zoom and focus with the same hand on the same control.

Gates Housings:
Gates had a number of new housings on display at their booth. Their housing for Canon’s C300 and C500 includes room for the Gemini RAW processor inside and can accommodate up to 30 different lenses by using Gate’s port matrix system. The port comes standard in glass, but acrylic is also available.

Gates also had their own version of a housing for the RED Scarlet and Epic. The Red Pro features access to Redmote and incudes a housing for the monitor as part of the price tag of $20,000. Gates also offers a housing with less controls to match the less featured Scarlet camera. It is available for $15,000.

Finally, Gates also had a prototype housing on display for Sony’s PMW-200. The camera is the next version of the EX1, and the Gates housing is in many ways similar in form to the previous model: It is expected to ship in spring of 2013, and pricing is yet to be confirmed.

Subal VS1:
At the Subal booth, we got the first look at their VSI housing. It’s a Subal-quality video housing that company officials claim fits 80 percent of consumer cameras. It works by using an electronic remote to be customized to the specific camera.

It features an interchangeable port system and a brilliant OLED monitor as standard. It is now available for a retail price of $3500, and is depth rated to over 200 feet.

GoPro Hero 3:
Perhaps the biggest and loudest booth at DEMA is GoPro’s. With daily free give-a-ways of their new HERO 3, the chants of GoPro rang throughout the exhibit hall—literally. GoPro representatives gave us a look at all three versions of the new camera. There’s the white version (5 megapixels), the silver version (11 megapixels) and the black one (12 megapixels).

The black version has the ability to record cinema-quality video at 4K resolution when shot at 12 frames per second. The black version comes with the WiFi built in the box, although this can be an optional accessory added to the others for $80.

We also learned an interesting fact: you can link up to 50 GoPros to record at once.

Equinox Housings:
Over at Equinox, we got a look at their housing for the RED Epic, which is depth rated to 250 feet, being neutrally buoyant at 33 feet. The housing allows for full use of camera controls through the Redmote and can be customized to fit Battery Pack, Hard Drive, or other Accessories. It is now available for $7449.

Another new housing, the HD8, is designed specifically for the popular JVC HMQ10 4000K. The housing is depth rated to 250 feet and offers access to all manual controls. More demanding videographers might be interested in the HD8X version—which includes the same features of the HD8, PLUS a Sony 5” VLM HDMI monitor and bulkhead for HDMI Mini connection.

Amphibico Video Housings:
Amphibico joined the rush to house the RED Scarlet and Epic with their Rouge Epic. The housing looks to make all essential controls accessible from the handle grips. “The beauty of this housing is the controllability,” explained Amphibico’s Joe Bendahan.

The housing features two viewing windows on the top and the back, while the RED system is mounted on a saddle for easy transfer. It is now available for $12,995. Also, the company is working on a housing for the Ninja 2 video monitor and expects it to be available in the spring.

After the Rouge, we took a tour of their HD Wave housing for Sony HDR-CX/PJ710,730,740 & 760 High Definition camcorders. This is an upgraded version that has repositioned the control monitor and uses the camera’s controls. It retails for $2595 and is currently available.

Intova Sport HD Camera:
Looking to compete with the GoPro, the Intova Sport HD is a similar sized action camera that shoots 1080p HD video. It features a 140-degree field of view, a built-in LCD screen and the ability to manually white balance.

It is depth rates to 200 feet and is now available for just $199. Additionally, Intova offers 22 accessories from lenses and filters to customize for underwater use.

That wraps up our coverage of video and photo housing/camera news from DEMA 2012—but it’s not over yet. Tomorrow, we’ll cover all the latest accessories and lighting, as well as share some photos from the epic DPG/Wetpixel cocktail party. Until then…

-Team DPG

When purchasing underwater photography equipment like the product mentioned in this article, please support DPG by supporting our retail partner -- Backscatter.com.