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Old 12-16-2017, 06:10 AM
-JR- -JR- is offline
 
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Default Best under water Camera

I have the first Generation Aqua-Vu under water camera .
Seems like they have come a long way now.

The screen on mine is 4 inch ,views in black and white and seems like I can only see fish 3 feet away.

So what are the new ones like.
Which is the best one to buy?
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Old 12-16-2017, 07:08 AM
calgarygringo calgarygringo is offline
 
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Go have a look at their new 10" HD model. The picture is like being there. Only thing is it will set you back around $1200 or so.

I always ask when we go out is how good a picture do you really need. My $400 Aqua Vue worked just fine in 30 ft of water last weekend and could see all I needed to see. If I had unlimited funds or just was one of those I want the best there are a few good ones out there.
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Old 12-16-2017, 09:40 AM
Walleyedude Walleyedude is offline
 
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Does your AquaVu have an RCA video out cable?

If so you can hook it up to any Lowrance HDS unit with an adapter cable and take advantage of that screen size and quality to view the camera. I spent a lot of time with mine last summer and the main reason was the image quality on the HDS Carbon screen is amazing, it's like HDTV. I'm using an older Marcum camera, and I'm guessing my image quality could be even better with a newer camera system.

That may or may not help you with your ice fishing lol, but something to keep in mind when you're shopping for a new camera is to make sure it has the video out port.
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Old 12-16-2017, 09:53 AM
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PlayDoh PlayDoh is offline
 
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Default Best under water Camera

I’ve been into photography for a bit, and always been a techno geek of sorts, yet I agree with Gringo. How good is good enough? What good would seeing fish 6’-9’-15’ away do? Maybe notice if their attracted from that far? Yet how would that actually help you catch?
Then there’s the matter of value. Those $150 ebay cameras have CMOS sensors which I’d be willing to bet are the exact same ones you’ll find in any camera. I mean Marcum doesn’t hand craft sensors. There mass produced and found in your point and shoot, security camera, backup, phone, etc.
IR light from my understanding doesn’t travel far at all in water, and the only difference between a good underwater camera and a bad one would be the lens. Next would be details like panning, appearance, and portability.
I’ve used my GoPro, with great picture on a 9” ipad. Yet the water and lighting is the biggest factor. Low light and water that isn’t crystal clear will render any cameras HD, large display, no better than your 4” BW.
In fact large screens can work against you at times. Think of SD 480 video on a 70” 1080p TV. You start to see blocks.
Personally I find cameras more of a distraction most times. After you see your presentation and what things look like on the bottom, a flasher is all you need to know a fish is around.
I’ve gotten to the point where after setting up over a $1000 in gear, and find myself staring at a screen like some digital junkie, I’ve lost the point of being out there all together.
A bucket, rod and a tackle box is all you need, and enjoying yourself, your company and your surroundings is way more important than all the rest. It’s a kin to how we feel the need to photograph everything now a days. It’s makes pictures much less valuable and removes yourself from the moment. I often wonder how my kids will think about pictures of themselves years from now, vs how we did with the ole photo album and ‘precious’ few moments.


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Old 12-16-2017, 11:34 AM
-JR- -JR- is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walleyedude View Post
Does your AquaVu have an RCA video out cable?

If so you can hook it up to any Lowrance HDS unit with an adapter cable and take advantage of that screen size and quality to view the camera. I spent a lot of time with mine last summer and the main reason was the image quality on the HDS Carbon screen is amazing, it's like HDTV. I'm using an older Marcum camera, and I'm guessing my image quality could be even better with a newer camera system.

That may or may not help you with your ice fishing lol, but something to keep in mind when you're shopping for a new camera is to make sure it has the video out port.

Yes it does have a RCA video out .I just don,t have a Lowrance HDs unit.
I do have a Macum LX7, do not think i can do anything with that.

How much are one of these Lowrance HDS units.
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Old 12-16-2017, 11:42 AM
Walleyedude Walleyedude is offline
 
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Originally Posted by -JR- View Post
How much are one of these Lowrance HDS units.
It has to be Gen 2 Touch or newer I believe.

The adapter cable is about $50.

It's a camera and sonar unit, so you'd just need the one unit and you be able to use both the camera and 2D sonar on the screen either separately or both at the same time.

You can probably find a used HDS 7 or even a 9 for $500-600. Or you can buy the new Carbon 16" version for about $5000!
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Old 12-16-2017, 12:43 PM
huntsfurfish huntsfurfish is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Walleyedude View Post
It has to be Gen 2 Touch or newer I believe.

The adapter cable is about $50.

It's a camera and sonar unit, so you'd just need the one unit and you be able to use both the camera and 2D sonar on the screen either separately or both at the same time.

You can probably find a used HDS 7 or even a 9 for $500-600. Or you can buy the new Carbon 16" version for about $5000!
Also, I believe it has to be HDS 9 and 12 or the 16.
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Old 12-16-2017, 12:58 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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If I was buying a camera I would probably get the Marcum 485 or the Aqua Vu HD7i. The new pro versions might have nicer screens but hard to spend that much more for them.
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Old 12-16-2017, 01:31 PM
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sns2 sns2 is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RavYak View Post
If I was buying a camera I would probably get the Marcum 485 or the Aqua Vu HD7i. The new pro versions might have nicer screens but hard to spend that much more for them.
I agree. You can spend as much as you want, but the Marcum VS485c is a dang good color camera. It is like watching a tv. Great camera and great value.
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Old 12-16-2017, 01:52 PM
bobalong bobalong is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PlayDoh View Post
Personally I find cameras more of a distraction most times. After you see your presentation and what things look like on the bottom, a flasher is all I need to know a fish is around.
I’ve gotten to the point where after setting up over a $1000 in gear, and find myself staring at a screen like some digital junkie, I’ve lost the point of being out there all together.
A bucket, rod and a tackle box is all I need, and enjoying myself, my company and my surroundings is way more important than all the rest.

I fixed it for you, everyone has different "likes" just be happy with yours


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  #11  
Old 12-16-2017, 02:18 PM
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RavYak RavYak is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PlayDoh View Post
Personally I find cameras more of a distraction most times. After you see your presentation and what things look like on the bottom, a flasher is all you need to know a fish is around.
I’ve gotten to the point where after setting up over a $1000 in gear, and find myself staring at a screen like some digital junkie, I’ve lost the point of being out there all together.
A flasher might be all you need to know if a fish is around but they don't really tell you how to catch said fish.

A camera taught me far more about catching fish then a flasher ever would have. Being able to see how the fish interact with different baits, lures and presentations makes a camera an extremely powerful piece of equipment. Not only does it allow you to know fish are around but it also allows you to read the attitudes of the fish and know how to catch them.

Camera's are also by far the best piece of equipment to have around if you are taking people out that aren't hardcore fishermen(everyone loves to watch fish on the screen).

As a more hardcore fisherman I would probably buy a flasher before a camera especially since cameras don't work in all situations(deep water, suspended fish etc) but I have always enjoyed using one more then a flasher in the right situations.
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Old 12-16-2017, 03:28 PM
Walleyedude Walleyedude is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huntsfurfish View Post
Also, I believe it has to be HDS 9 and 12 or the 16.
Yeah, you're right, it does have to be a 9, 12 or 16. I forgot about that.

Probably not the most cost effective way to go about getting an underwater camera system, but if you've already got one, that setup does work great.
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Old 12-16-2017, 05:03 PM
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PlayDoh PlayDoh is offline
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bobalong View Post
.


“In English grammar and in particular in casual English, generic you, impersonal you, or indefinite you is the pronoun you in its use in referring to an unspecified person, as opposed to its use as the second person pronoun.”

I was sharing my opinion, which doesn’t need any ‘fixing’ via your opinion. The OP asked for opinions on camera systems and I gave mine. You or I don’t NEED a camera, regardless of what our ‘likes’. Unless you like to spend hundreds for the slightest bit of gain in display, IMO it’s a waste.

However if your frequent waters are ideal for a camera, I understand. Yet with that said I doubt anyone ever said “if it wasn’t for that HD colour display vs a B&W I wouldn’t have learned something specific, or become a better angler”.

I think we’re all adults and can suit ourselves.
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Old 12-17-2017, 12:09 PM
muzzy muzzy is offline
 
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Well I was born in Scotland and the Scots have a reputation for being frugal so I settled for a chinese camera Boblov 7 inch HD color screen So far its crystal clear has great range and at $152 all costs/shipping in it fits the needs of Scots everywhere. Figured Im $600 ahead from the Marcum gang so will have more funds for a good bottle of scotch which means you know who has the happy icefishing shack !!
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Old 12-17-2017, 01:17 PM
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Well I was born in Scotland and the Scots have a reputation for being frugal so I settled for a chinese camera Boblov 7 inch HD color screen So far its crystal clear has great range and at $152 all costs/shipping in it fits the needs of Scots everywhere. Figured Im $600 ahead from the Marcum gang so will have more funds for a good bottle of scotch which means you know who has the happy icefishing shack !!
was that on e bay or amazon
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Old 12-18-2017, 01:11 PM
muzzy muzzy is offline
 
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