Connect with us
background

Photo / Video News & Reviews

S.U.P.E.R. Part 15: Fantasea FG9X Housing

Published

on

FG9X Housing

In our ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Scubaverse.com’s underwater photography editors Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown review new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too. 

For the fifteenth instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline take a look at the FG9X Housing from Fantasea.

brand_Fantasea LineThe Canon G9X in the Fantasea housing is an excellent package at a truly affordable price. This latest addition to the canon range is one of the few cameras on the market with the so-called one-inch super sensor. The sensor is a 20.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, offering an ISO range between 125 and 12800 and your images can be recorded in both JPEG and raw formats. The zoom facility is reasonable, offering a 28 to 84 mm equivalent, which makes it a versatile set up, allowing both macro and wide-angle photography on an underwater outing. The camera also shoots 1080 video, and whilst this is no longer regarded as stunning quality, it is quite hard to see any significant difference when shooting under water.

When paired with the Fantasea housing, the system works really well. The G9X was designed primarily as a touchscreen camera, but all the exposure controls can be operated by a single knurled knob on the front of the housing. This operates a dial on the front of the camera and by continuous cycling of the function button (one of only four buttons on the back of the camera), the aperture, shutter speed and ISO setting are all very easy to change if you are using the camera in manual mode. I like to test all housings with 5mm gloves on, to check out how easy it will be to use in the winter in the UK (even though there was no need to wear gloves on this dive), and found no issues with changing settings and controls. The camera is very light and small, and this, therefore, allows the housing to be small and easy to take away on your foreign dive trips.

The lens on the Fantasea housing has a 67 mm thread which allows it to be able to take wet lenses. When I took it underwater, I had two macro lenses with me, the AOI ULC – 05 +6 close-up lens M67 and the AOI ULC – 06 +12. It is great that so many housings for compact cameras now have this option to add wet lenses whilst underwater to give the user more creative options. There is a huge array of lenses that are compatible with the 67mm screw thread on the front of the housing. I got some nice shots of the Capernwray Sturgeon with the macro lenses removed and despite being regularly bombarded by divers under training, the results from a compact camera under these conditions were very impressive.

els_IMG_0060

The housing is depth rated to 60m, and is clearly marked so that if you are not familiar with the controls, you can still find your way around whilst underwater. It has connections for two fibre optic cables, a cold shoe mount for accessories, moisture detector and alarm. So it is not short of desirable features.

My overall opinion of the Canon 9 GX in the Fantasea housing was that this is a great package at a great price. The cameras are priced at around £350 and the housing runs out at just over £400. This setup is a great way for beginners in underwater photography to get into the water and capture good quality images. With easy access to all the camera’s functions and the ability to add wet lenses, strobes and lights, this really is a terrific starter pack at approx. £750.

www.fantasea.com

Fantasea is distributed in the UK by www.blue-orb.uk.

For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.

News

Nauticam Housing for Sony ZV-E1 available for pre-order

Published

on

Take your underwater videography to new depths with the NA-ZVE1 designed for the Sony ZV-E1 Camera. With its compact size, 12.1 MP Full Frame Back Illuminated sensor, advanced image processing, and AI subject recognition, this housing and camera combination unlocks limitless creative possibilities. It’s the world’s most lightweight and compact full-frame camera with interchangeable lenses. The NA-ZVE1 was built with the image maker in mind making sure all essential camera controls are positioned at your finger tips. ensuring ease of use in challenging environments.

The Sony ZV-E1 is a compact and lightweight camera that packs a punch with its high-end video specifications. It features a 12MP Quad Bayer BSI full frame sensor and an ISO range of 80-102,400, extendable to 40-409,600. The ZV-E1 is capable of recording 4K 60p with no sensor crop and 4K 120p with a small 1.1x crop, offering 10-bit 4:2:2 internal recording with S-Log2, S-Log3, and S-Cinetone. It has a single card slot compatible with SD UHS-II. The camera lacks a viewfinder, instead featuring a rear LCD monitor with advanced touch screen capabilities.

Nauticam is the industry leader in mirrorless interchangeable lens underwater camera support. Nauticam has housed more mirrorless cameras, and more Sony E Mount cameras than any other housing manufacturer. This experience results in the most evolved housing line with broadest range of accessories available today.

Pioneering optical accessories elevate performance to a new level. Magnifying viewfinders, the sharpest super macro accessory lenses ever made, and now the highest quality water contact wide angle lenses (the WWL and WACP family) combine with the NA-ZVE1 housing to form a complete imaging system.

Nauticam is known for ergonomics, and an unmatched experience. Key controls are placed at the photographer’s fingertips. The housing and accessories are light weight, and easy to assemble. The camera drops in without any control presetting, and lens port changes are effortless.

NA-ZVE1 features an integrated handle system. This ergonomic style provides exceptional control access, even with thick gloves, with ideal placement of the shutter release and a thumb-lever to actuate the AF-ON button from the right handle.

For more information or to pre-order please visit:

Nauticam UK

Nauticam Worldwide

Continue Reading

Gear Reviews

Gear Review: SeaLife SportDiver smartphone housing (Watch Video)

Published

on

In a video shot exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman reviews the SeaLife SportDiver smartphone housing.

For more information, visit www.sealife-cameras.com

Continue Reading

E-Newsletter Sign up!

Competitions

Experience the ultimate all-inclusive Curaçao dive vacation at Sunscape Curaçao Resort, where a high-quality dive resort and thrilling diving adventures meet. Enjoy the perfect blend of value and adventure with Curaçao's premier on-site dive shop, Ocean Encounters. Whether you're a seasoned diver or a beginner, we have something for everyone. Click the link to plan your all-inclusive dive vacation to Curaçao today! Sleep and Dive Packages include: 7 nights accommodation of choice, 5 days of 2 tank boat diving (including unlimited shore diving) and round-trip airport transportation.  Pricing will vary depending on room type and preferred travel dates. Contact us for more details. More Less

Instagram Feed

Popular