Sony A7R III 4K Underwater Video

Check out our full review of the Sony A7R III here! 

(http://www.uwphotographyguide.com/sony-a7r-iii-camera-review)

Sony placed itself at the forefront of photographic technology with the introduction of the A7, A7R, and A7s series featuring full frame, 35 mm sensor mirrorless cameras. The release of the Sony A7R III 4K has made new strides in the realm of videography as well. The A7RII boasts 4K video (3840x2160 pixels) with multiple frame rates up to 30 fps and a bitrate of up to 100 mbps. Full HD can be shot up to 120 fps. Upgraded from the A7R II, the A7R III also features a hybrid log gamma profile, 15-stops of dynamic range, and 2.2x the battery life of the A7R II. Without a doubt, underwater videographers, whether professional or amateur, will not be disappointed!

 

For best results change the Youtube video quality settings to 4K (2160p)!

Story Behind the Video

During most California winters, California market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens) congregate on the shallow continental shelf in numbers reaching millions in order to mate, lay eggs, and die. It is a spectacular event to witness where mating squid become so thick in the water column, you can’t see two feet in front of you. Then, after a few wild nights, all that’s left is a desolate moonscape of incubating eggs. Although, I missed the initial squid run this year, a small secondary run occurred at Redondo Beach in the middle of January, 2018. I took the opportunity to film the squid with the new Sony A7R III and Sony 28 mm lens in a Nauticam housing. I also simultaneously tested the Kraken Hydra 2500 macro video light, the Kraken KRL-01 wet wide-angle lens. No color adjustments were made in post-production in order to showcase the white balance of the A7R III and the color of the Kraken Hydra 2500 video light. Overall this combination of equipment is an excellent choice for anyone wishing to shoot wide-angle and close-focus wide-angle underwater video.

The opening shot of the video features a pair of mating squid. The male sees the female, chases it, and latches on. Then, in a brief moment, the male places a sperm sack into the female’s mantel. Due to the speed of the mating process, I had to slow down the video to 50% in post-production. The squid appear out of focus as they get close to the lens only because I didn’t have enough time to adjust my focal point and refocus. The video also depicts a juvenile horn shark, a juvenile bat ray, and a female squid laying its egg sack and promptly passing away.

Underwater Video Gear Used

Nauticam Housing for the Sony A7R III

The Nauticam A7R III housing is ergonomic, safe, and astutely designed for the Sony A7R III. Video is very simple. Pushing the bottom right lever easily turns the video function on and off. Adjusting aperture and shutter speed is the same as when shooting photographs – there are two rotating dials placed within finger distance from the grips. The auto focus point can be moved and refocused when shooting video. The housing includes a moisture alarm and can be modified to include a vacuum seal as double insurance against a flood.

Kraken Hydra 2500 Macro Video Light

Although touted for being a macro video light, the Kraken Hydra 2500 is very versatile. The beam angle of 100 degrees was wide enough for my wide-angle video shot with a single light. The color temperature of this light ranges from 5000-5500 K. At full power, I found the color of the white light to be very accurate. The light also features red and blue light options and a strobe mode for underwater photographers. The Kraken 2500 is rated to 100 m/330 ft with 55 minutes of burn time at 2500 lumens. Check out my review of the Kraken 2500 for more information.

Kraken KRL-01 Wet Wide-Angle Lens

The Kraken KRL-01 is an ultrawide wet conversion lens that is screwed onto the front of housings with a 67 mm thread. It is perfect for compact and mirrorless videographers wishing to produce high-quality, detailed video of wide-angle and close-focus wide-angle scenes. The lens is made with high-quality optical glass and coated with multi-layer BBAR coating for anti-reflection and optical clarity. Combined with the Sony 28 mm lens, I was able to take excellent video with almost no minimum focusing distance and a 118.6 degree field of view. The field of view can increase even further if used with a recommended 24 mm lens.