Last September, I purchased a Sony V1U camcorder and an Amphibico Endeavor underwater video housing.  The V1U can shoot 60i as well as 24p/30p video and records in HDV format on Mini-DV sized tapes.  My Endeavor Housing has a dome port that covers 94° with full zoom through focus capability.  It allows control of camera functions including white balance, gain, shutter speed, iris and manual focus.  It also has a 3.5" Standard Definition LCD rear viewfinder.  The V1U allows up to six different picture-tonal settings to be saved and recalled as picture profile data and the Endeavor housing allows me to select these profiles underwater.  In my different profiles, I have different settings for knee point so that I change my setting depending upon the conditions of where I am shooting - such as low knee for situations where highlights need to be contained, such as close to the surface, near white-wash or splashing animals.  I use settings similar to those used by Drew Wong during his review of the Endeavor housing for Wetpixel.

I customized my housing for my video lights and went on a three day dive trip with Truth Aquatics to Catalina Island and Santa Cruz Island off California during September 20-22, 07.  Though there was a large swell rolling past, we had pretty clear visibility.  At Catalina, I shot amazing kelp forest video with teeming schools of blacksmith perch, anchovie and others.  At Santa Cruz Island, I captured an electric ray, a harbor seal, and a rock pile located in a marine reserve that was full of rock fish.  I was amazed at the number of fish in the marine reserve that I don't think would have been there if fishing was allowed.  The following images are reduced size frame grabs from my HDV 30p video.


Blacksmith perch at Ship Rock, Catalina Island.


Blacksmith perch at Rock Quarry, Catalina Island.


Spiny Lobster at Catalina Island.


Anchovy in kelp at Catalina Island.


Anchovy close-up at Catalina Island.


Anchovy at Catalina Island.


Electric ray at Santa Cruz Island


Moon jelly at Santa Cruz Island.


A cave full of rockfish & sheephead in a marine preserve at Santa Cruz Island.


Harbor seal at Santa Cruz Island.


My Amphibico Endeavor Housing with my Sony V1U HDV 30p camera.  I added the ABS tubing for buoyancy to counteract the weight of my lead cell battery.  A machinist made my base from black Delron plastic.  The camera is just slightly negative underwater.