PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: June 21, 2012
World-renowned American cinematographer gives Aussie invention the thumbs up
Something of a revolution is about to happen in the world of underwater films. In an arena pioneered by the French diver and film-maker Jacques Cousteau, who played a key role in inventing modern diving gear as well as introducing millions to the world’s oceans and their conservation, it’s never been possible to get pictures anywhere near as sharp as on land. Until now…
Aussie inventor and film-maker, Pawel Achtel, has just produced his first batch of a new type of underwater housing, the “DeepX”, that does away with most of the usual paraphernalia associated with filming underwater.
“The design is wonderfully simple,” said world-renowned underwater cinematographer Bob Cranston when trying out the first ever DeepX off the coast of Catalina earlier this month. “It is very small and easy to travel with … and uses great Nikon optics. And it offers the best
close-up capabilities I’ve seen so far.”
High praise from a cameraman who’s tried out most of the gear previously on the market and worked on some of the biggest underwater films ever made, from the IMAX films “Deep Sea 3D” and “Island of the Sharks” to the BBC’s hugely popular “Blue Planet”. What makes the DeepX different to anything previously available is that whereas previous systems have an image quality that deteriorates rapidly away from the very center, this new underwater housing system uses Nikonos lenses designed expressly for underwater use, with no extra plastic or glass in front of them. As a result it’s the first camera system that produces underwater images truly sharp enough for the biggest cinema screens in the world. Even on a screen the size of an iPad, the images are so much crisper than anything shot with conventional underwater gear, that the underwater world truly comes to life in your hands.
DeepX makes use of “Red” cameras, made by the US company that has itself led a revolution in the world of film-making over the past decade and adopted by such filmmakers as “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson for his upcoming “Hobbit” movie.
In the underwater world, there’s nothing quite like it. “For my next feature,” said Bob Cranston, “it’s at the top of my shopping list!”
DeepX is available in the US and Europe from Band Pro.