Diving into the Incredible Underwater Universe at Donsol
About the Author
Driven by his love for videography and pursuit of creativity, Cedric Choo is a Singapore-based filmmaker who is on a mission to capture the world in all its forms. In the moments between, he finds joy in the little moments, which could come from cooking or travelling.
Jules Verne describes the sea in his book as “an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides”. My first foray into this wonderful, unusual world began when I started diving in the military. It was astounding how quiet the world felt below the surface; and yet home to an immense diversity of life, every part of the ocean had so much beauty to showcase. This sparked my interest in ocean documentaries and inspired me to explore underwater videography.
To capture my encounters with the gentle marine creatures during my trip to Donsol, I paired the Alpha 7S III with the FE 12-24mm F4 G and FE 35mm F1.4 GM, the perfect set-up for underwater exploration. Read on to find out why.
Clarity and flexibility under pressure
As I travelled deeper on the dive, the dual native ISO feature of the Alpha 7S III helped retain superior image quality. Shooting at ISO 640 near the surface and ISO 12800 at a depth of 30m kept the footage clean without any grain. Furthermore, its 4K 120fps recording allowed me to slow down the shots, letting viewers soak in every aspect of the moment.
The sharpness and fast autofocus of the FE 35mm F1.4 GM prime lens meant that I could capture minute details, like bubbles, even when shooting close-ups of the sea creatures and talents. Reliability of the autofocus was a huge advantage underwater since I had no access to the touchscreen.
On the other hand, the FE 12-24mm F4 G lens with its ultra-wide angle enabled me to photograph all the highlights during the dive without missing a shot. Wildlife is unpredictable, so every moment is important and the ability to toggle between two focal lengths was helpful in dealing with various subjects. I had housed this in a 6” Acrylic Dome V.10, and while the cover increased the depth of field slightly, there were no sort of quality drop near the edges.
Peace of mind underwater
Each dive session spanned 40 minutes on average, so overheating of the camera is a concern especially as it is placed within a housing. However, the design of the Alpha 7S III includes a unique structure that allows it to dissipate heat more effectively, giving me the confidence to shoot non-stop without the fear of it turning off.
Access to control buttons on my underwater cage from Sea Frogs also made it possible for me to turn the camera on/off during dive stops to conserve battery and kept opening of the housing to a minimum, preventing fogging and leaks.
Dive into a new world
Visiting the ocean and meeting the amazing creatures under the surface is truly an unforgettable experience, and I hope you’ll join me and witness it for yourself.
