External SLR monitors

Peter Rowlands · Issue 64, Jan/Feb 2012 · pp. 39–41

Products mentioned: Nauticam monitor housing, Backscatter Sony CLM-C55, Small HD 4.3", Sony CLM-C55, Aquatica HD Wave, Nauticam D7000 housing, Dive and See monitor

External SLR monitors by Peter Rowlands From an underwater photography equipment point of view, the 2011 DEMA Show was the year of the external HD monitor. True, they’ve been around a long while in the video market but this new batch are all designed to be used on SLR housings which have video capability. Most SLR cameras now have the capability of shooting full HD video and with their larger sensors comes the ability to capture good footage at high ISO levels; perfect for underwater photographers. Unfortunately SLRs are ergonomically designed to take stills by looking through an optical or electronic viewfinder and then reviewing the resulting image on the large rear LCD screen. When shooting video on an SLR we view the footage being shot on the same LCD screen but ergonomically it is not ideal. It’s a bit like using a two legged tripod. You have to hold the housing out in front of you …