Canon HF21 with Ikelite housing at DVinfo.net

Dean Sensui · September 13th, 2010, 10:05 PM

I'm going to do more underwater work for our show, Hawaii Goes Fishing. I just got a Canon Vixia HF21 and installed it into an Ikelite 6091 housing, fitted with a WP80 wide angle lens port.

One of the problems was being able to clearly see the LCD screen, which is the viewfinder for this setup. Glare coming through the clear housing, along with my inability to focus on close objects through my mask, made it impossible for me to see what I'm doing.

I found the right lens at Thor Labs and used a hot glue gun to secure a 2" diameter plano-convex lens to the back of the housing. After masking off any areas that might cause unwanted glare onto the LCD screen, I now have a perfectly good eye-level viewfinder!

Here's some test footage, shot as I'm still trying to get used to this setup. It features former AP photographer Craig Fujii, now certified as a master diver.

http://hawaiigoesfishing.com/videos/dive.mov

Scott Brickert · September 22nd, 2010, 12:47 AM

Hey Dean,
I see the potential, and it was good, clean, clear sharp video. I liked the shots toward the end, above the other diver, then down low, moving the camera. I also liked the audio, which gave a sense of being there.

I bet you'll have a lot of fun with the new rig.

September 13th, 2010, 10:05 PM	#1
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	Canon HF21 with Ikelite housing I'm going to do more underwater work for our show, Hawaii Goes Fishing. I just got a Canon Vixia HF21 and installed it into an Ikelite 6091 housing, fitted with a WP80 wide angle lens port. One of the problems was being able to clearly see the LCD screen, which is the viewfinder for this setup. Glare coming through the clear housing, along with my inability to focus on close objects through my mask, made it impossible for me to see what I'm doing. I found the right lens at Thor Labs and used a hot glue gun to secure a 2" diameter plano-convex lens to the back of the housing. After masking off any areas that might cause unwanted glare onto the LCD screen, I now have a perfectly good eye-level viewfinder! Here's some test footage, shot as I'm still trying to get used to this setup. It features former AP photographer Craig Fujii, now certified as a master diver. http://hawaiigoesfishing.com/videos/dive.mov __________________ Dean Sensui Exec Producer, Hawaii Goes Fishing

September 22nd, 2010, 12:47 AM	#2
Scott Brickert Major Player Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Crested Butte, CO Posts: 576	Hey Dean, I see the potential, and it was good, clean, clear sharp video. I liked the shots toward the end, above the other diver, then down low, moving the camera. I also liked the audio, which gave a sense of being there. I bet you'll have a lot of fun with the new rig. __________________ Scott Shot-By-Scott