I have just completed an evaluation of your ISN5000 Super Nova Underwater light and would like to comment on the results:
The Super Nova Underwater light is, by far, one of the best lights on the market today for both professional and recreational use. It’s light weight, portability and long burn time make it all around winner in underwater lighting. Intova’s R&D staff and Sales group have put a lot of time, thought and effort into the development of a crown jewel of underwater lighting.
We have put the light through its paces in just about every kind of underwater environment you could think of to include turbid and dark water, enclosed environments, open ocean, cavern and cave, rivers, lakes and streams, fresh and salt water, 84+*F to 41*F and the Super Nova passed our tests for durability, reliability, illumination and ease of use in each of these situation.
Intova provided three iterations of the light as it has evolved from a non-removable battery rechargeable to a removable battery rechargeable and then to the current version which is a removable battery rechargeable with an external charging port. We found that the latest version (removable battery rechargeable) with the external charging port was the most adaptable and versatile and have elected to include that version in our Dive Locker as the standard issue primary underwater light to our divers.
Features of the Super Nova that make it particularly well-suited include:
A variable illumination (2 settings) that allow the diver to minimize “bounce back” in turbid water conditions
Its light weight and portability make it easily carried and secured.
The ability to change batteries during extended operations gives it almost 8 hours of burn time at maximum output with a battery change out.
The strobe flash as a signaling feature is a great way to attract attention above and under water.
The on/off/strobe switch worked flawlessly through many operations, with both gloved and non-gloved handling.
For those accustomed to a lantern-style handle grip the ergonomics were great and divers experienced no grip fatigue during operations.
Thank you for your assistance in providing our Rescue Diver group with what I consider to be one of the best underwater lights available on the market today.
Richard L. Gainey, L. E. Specialist/Divemaster
U. S. Department of Homeland Security
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center
—————————————————————————————————
The guys loved the ICOM for its compact size and durability. The helicopter pilots said they could see them all underwater during their night dives.
COAST GUARD
Rescue swimmers Stand Team
—————————————————————————————————-
“Over the past year we’ve purchased about 120 of their NOVA wide dive lights. The price is about what we used to spend on an inefficient (brand deleted) light and the NOVA’s performance is comparable to a good waterproof (brand deleted) (it’s rated to 400ft).”
NAVY DIVING & SALVAGE
—————————————————————————————————–
In August 2010 I contacted Intova at the request of Dora, co-owner of Rocio Del Mar Live aboard dive boat, to acquire 6 of their dive lights for an upcoming trip to the Sea of Cortez. On one of the ensuing dives, Dora lost her light and we were unable to find it even though we searched thoroughly.
Jump forward 6 months to December in Cabo San Lucas. We spent 12 days diving as we headed south from Puerto Penasco. On one of the first dives in the Northern part of the Sea of Cortez, one of the other divers excitedly thought he had found something from an old Spanish Galleon wreck. It was an encrusted cylindrical object buried in the sand. When they brought it up to the boat and inspected more closely, Dora immediately exclaimed, “That’s my light”!!! Lost 5 months earlier at around 40’ the light was heavily encrusted and would not turn on. After cleaning the switch mechanism however, the light immediately came on, bright as ever, with the same batteries!!!
I couldn’t stop laughing when on a later dive I saw Lolo, co-owner/captain, using the recovered light. He said that even though it was thoroughly encrusted it was still the best light he ever used. Lolo used that light on every dive after that and I had to work hard to get it back from him to send to Intova.
The moral of the story is, they stay ready to go!! No matter where you LEAVE them! It was still working great when I sent it to Intova 3 months later.
Wayne D. Ayer, Divemaster/Platinum Pro 5000
- on the IFL 660 waterproof torch
——————————————————————————————————–
“The new SL1 search light is amazing for diving. Super bright at a great price! Thanks for building a bright light I can afford!”
Jacob Hazellief
posted on Intova’s Facebook Wall.
——————————————————————————————————–
Wanted to give you some feedback on your flashlights. They are very well made. Haven’t had any problems with them. Been using the utility light a lot on our ocean rescues. Has been holding up really well. Still looks good but I fresh water rinse it after every mission.
Mr. Schwan
——————————————————————————————————–
This was my first use with the Intova IC14 and as you can see it takes great pictures. It is very easy to use and I was able to quickly figure out all the buttons just by exploring the camera. One thing I like most about the Intova IC14 is that it switches from picture mode to Video mode very easily with a single button push. The pictures of a nudibranch and scorpion fish seen here were taken with the IC14 and the built in flash, which coming with the underwater housing included, is priced very reasonably.
Chris Persico
Chris PC: At Home Computer Care
cpersico@bellsouth.net
561.386.3793
——————————————————————————————————–
A month or so ago I sent an email requesting help with my dive torch. What I received was more than I could have hoped for! I received an email from a Mr. Kevin Lackey, telling me not how to fix my problem, but to send the torch to him and he will fix it for me!! I have been a long time supporter of Intova gear and after the amazing customer service I received I will remain a life long customer. I have done all I can to tell all my dive buddies and fellow Marines what incredible products your company has and to make your products their first stop for safe reliable gear that is backed up 100% by the company. As I advance in to the technical world of scuba you can be assured that I plan on equiping myself with more Intova products! Again thank you very much! I only regret that I could not write sooner to express my gratitude!
Very Gratefully,
Barry Schmitt
420 University Pl
San Diego, Ca 92103
——————————————————————————————————–
These guys are awesome! I had a leaking strobe and they replaced it no problem. I would highly recommend them for strobes and will continue being a supporter of Intova products! Way to go on Kevin on exceptional customer service!
Scott Dietz on Intova’s customer service.
——————————————————————————————————–
Hi Phil and Kevin,
I can honestly say that you guys at Intova have the best communication and customer service of any of the dealers and manufacturers I work with. Keep up the good work!
Justin
——————————————————————————————————–
I would just like to say how truly grateful I am to a couple of your staff members…Phil Crowe & Kevin Lackey.
I bought an Intova CP9 camera & housing unit last September from a dealer in the UK. I am now living in NZ. I took it for it’s first trip underwater and during the dive I noticed there was water inside the housing. The camera worked for most of the dive but towards the end the screen started to play up (streaks of light flashed up across the screen). When I got back to the boat, there was water inside the housing and the camera wouldn’t turn on. I left the camera for 24 hours to see if it would dry out & work again, but it still didn’t turn on. I got the images off the memory card ok. I looked at the housing & noticed a nick in the o-ring. I thought this would probably be the cause of the leak. The camera still didn’t turn on 4 days later, so I contacted the dealer who said I could send it back as it was under warranty…which I did. Eventually (after several months) they told me that they wouldn’t replace the camera as the o-ring wasn’t greased before it’s first outing. I tried to find a copy of the housing manual online with no luck to check & see if this is what is advised. I emailed through the Intova website & asked if somebody could confirm whether to o-ring needed to be greased on it’s first use and I got so much more than an answer! Phil has been awesome – I got a reply straight away and he checked with the guys back in the UK. He confirmed that they thought it should have been greased but said Intova didn’t believe that would have been the cause….and they wanted me to be happy with the product so he would send me a replacement! I am very impressed with the service I received and especially Phil. He is a great credit to your company. He has been professional & friendly and has kept in constant communication with me throughout. I received my new camera on Wednesday & emailed both Phil & Kevin to thank them. Again I got friendly responses. I am a divemaster and help out at my local club…next time somebody is thinking about a camera I won’t hesitate to recommend your products!
Well done on hiring such amazing people!
Thanks,
Nadine Brown
——————————————————————————————————–
The location where I do most of the weld and Mag-Particle inspection (Oil field in Cook Inlet, Alaska) has zero visibility. The welds are seen by pressing a small plastic bag full of clear water against the weld, and the faceplate of the helmet against the bag. Since the weld is less than 6″ from the faceplate and from the flashlight, maximum beam spread helps a lot. The beam on the IMINI is the best that I have seen for the application, wide, and very even. I also like the switch, which is much better than a twist-head (which tends to leak) or a toggle switch. It seems like the perfect flashlight.
Regards,
Leif D. Simcox
Global Offshore Divers
Anchorage, Alaska
- on the IMINI torch
——————————————————————————————————–
I have purchase IC10 and IC 12 at two different times and I must say “I won’t think about buying a camera from anybody else”. The service, warranty, and especially Kevin are great. Where I thought I would have problems getting service or questions answered their is no doubt that Kevin is on top of things.
Posted by CTX120 March 2011 on ScubaBoard
——————————————————————————————————
“When I had an unexpected problem with my new IC12 camera, the support team at Intova acted very quickly. Within 3 days I had a replacement camera from a distributor in southern Thailand! That’s support! I didn’t have a day of diving without a camera.”
Dustin from USA
Thailand, March 2011
————————————————————————————————-
I recently bought the IC-12 and have not stopped bragging about it. My dive shop suggested I write you and let you know how wonderful this camera performs. I have very good photography skills but am a new diver and found that underwater photography is VERY different….but very do-able with some practice and patience. While not all my photos were print worthy – not the camera’s fault! There are so many that I will not only print but blow up for wall art. Thank you for such an awesome product!
Wanda Poteet - on the IC12 Digital camera with waterproof housing
—————————————————————————–
I recently obtained an Intova Ultra Nova. My primary reason for this particular light was to use as a primary light for travel vacations. I choose it because of its light output, physical size, and battery size. On my first trip to Bonaire, this light was fantastic. After the first night dive, many of the other divers wanted to see what I was using for illumination. This light is light weight and feels good in your hands. I don’t have big hands but also do not like a small housing. The size of the Ultra Nova was perfect. It even fit nicely in my wet suit thigh pocket. I was able to travel without the weight of the batteries, then easily obtain them once I arrived on location. The light output is great, medium power for just cruising and high power if I really needed to see something or for a picture. I obtained very good use time of the batteries, easily doing 4 long dives without any fade. In short, this light will fill the needs of anyone who wants a light weight, bright, comfortable light that is easy to transport.
Gary LaMunion on the ULTRA NOVA torch
——————————————————————————–
I tried the camera today in the pool and I would like to say that I’m falling in love with that camera, I tried the fluorescent WB 1 and 2 and they did not make a big difference with the blue photos, but when I tried the manual white balance setting using the white board, it was like magic. The camera calibrated itself and finally I could get colourful images underwater . It is as if life came to those pics.
Thank you intova for the great camera and thanks for the great support.
Nomro on the IC12 digital camera with waterproof housing
———————————————————————
This is my first digital U/W camera and for the reviews I have read so far, I got one of the best in the price/specs range. My wife liked it so much that I had to buy her one too, so now we are a 2 IC-12 household. Thank you Intova for making a quality product and I hope you will become as big as other companies that sell their cameras for double or triple the price while yours have the diver in mind. Thanks again.
Carlos & Wanda Rodriguez
Isabela, Puerto Rico
————————————————————————————–
All of these photos where taken using Intova IC-12 with Red filter & Wide angle lens @ 50 ft. Location: El Natural Reef, Aguadilla, PR Date: 10-16-2010 10:30 am. This reef is about 150 feet from the shore and is a very popular spot for local divers on the west coast of the island. On a good weekend it could be in excess of 30 divers on the reef. This is one of the best U/W cameras I had so far, thank you Intova. Keep up the good work, waiting to see what you make next.
Carlos Rodriguez on the IC12 digital camera with waterproof housing
—————————————————————————-
As the Diving Safety Officer for the New England Aquarium, I’ve been on the quest for a good light at a reasonable price point for my divers – and I’ve tried many different brands and styles. We conduct over 4,000 dives every year – both in-house and out in the field.
Your excellent Nova Wide Angle light has definitely risen above all others as the ideal light for me (i.e. – the New England Aquarium) and I’ve purchased about a dozen of them so far (I need many more, but as a not-for-profit institution I have to work with very limited resources). As a matter of fact during a recent dive expedition on the Shedd Aquarium research vessel R/V Coral Reef II, I donated one of the lights to the captain because he liked it so much.
We actually use your lights in our largest exhibit – the Giant Ocean Tank, which has several million visitors every year.
Regards,
John Hanzl
Diving Safety Officer
New England Aquarium
617.226.2228
———————————————————————–
I came upon your Intova SP8 second hand after my (other brand camera) got moisture in it and died (It was a lemon to start with, unfortunately). I just wanted to let you know that this is a really fun camera. I take pictures every day, mostly underwater (I am a Divemaster living and working on Bonaire). The shots I get are mostly macro, some snorkeling, but mostly diving, and I take topside shots as well (my dinner last night included here!) Thanks for a great little camera, easy to handle, fun to get into the little spots, no external flash needed, Take in your purse and have a good time! I am researching my next “big” camera and housing, but I am truly enjoying this in the interim.
Thanks-good job for a small piece of equipment.
Regards from Sunny Bonaire,
Bonnie Watson on the Intova SP8 waterproof camera
——————————————————————————————-
Thanks for the information…I’m going to avoid rechargeables and stick with using your Intova batteries…I am very happy with my Intova underwater torch and your companies’ tech support…Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Aaron Schlinker, P. Eng.
————————————————————————-
We went snorkeling in Waianae on the the island of Oahu in Hawaii. We came across this beautiful sea turtle just relaxing on the bottom of the ocean about 20 feet down on the rocks with NO lighting to help visibility. My husband free dove down with his snorkeling gear and got in front of the friendly turtle and took his picture. The water was murky, at the beach and we were about 200 yards out. The camera does excellent for audio on video as well. This camera has been my best friend for our weekly weekend beach trips. We are actually looking to purchase a second one!!
We currently own the CP9 and in the next day or two will be purchasing the IC 12. I love the housing, the ease of using the camera both out of the water as well as in the water!
Jaime Nasdeo on the Intova CP9 camera
Oahu, Hawaii
————————————————————————–
Dear Sirs,
Thank you for making such an outstanding product. I recently bought two of your Nova Wide Angle Torches and used them extensively last week in Bonaire. I was so impressed that I used one to check out under ledges during the day and as a pair for night diving – and completely left my large primary behind back at the hotel. At 1-15′, your torch performs beyond any expectations. From my perspective this is perfect as depth of penetration with my large primary light is far less useful than the consistency of your wide angle and compact form factor. If I really wanted more light, I found that I could simply “cross the beams” with both lights and voila! More light!
Thank you very much for making such a very fine product, and for a reasonable cost to the end consumer. It has been far too long that manufacturers like UK, Ikelite and Princeton Tec have been taking advantage of the diving community with “mere waterproof flashlights at premium prices”. Most of these lights, with some exceptions, are not especially noteworthy. And some aren’t manufactured particularly well. You’ve changed the game and that’s very exciting.
Thank you, Intova, for creating a $55 light that is an essential tool and small enough to always keep around. And one that is clearly ENGINEERED to very high standards and then MANUFACTURED to be very solid, even “tactical”. THANK YOU!
Best regards,
Jeff
Pennsylvania
—————————————————————————–
I have used several point and shoot cameras in order to show family and friends the underwater world that I like to visit. My current camera is the Intova SP8 which I purchased primarily for the double protection of a case and waterproof camera, having flooded several cameras in the past. I was also aware of the quality of Intova products as I use an Intova wide angle torch. I found the quality and light of the torch to be excellent. I was similarly not disappointed with the camera. I have been pleasantly surprised at the quality of the photos taken with this very affordable camera. My friends have also commented on the significant improvement in my underwater photos that I like to impose on them after each dive. I have attached a few photos taken on my last dive. I have also received excellent customer service from Intova. I recently emailed them with a few questions on the use of my camera and received a very comprehensive reply from a photographer. I was very impressed with this customer service.
David Chidlow
Perth, Australia
————————————————————————————-
I got a mp3 H2O man player for my birthday. I had some problems with it twice. But I have the luck to find a Kevin Lackey on the other side of the net to solve all my problems. I just want to let everybody know the positive disposition and exemplary professionalism that has had with me.
I think it isn’t that easy to find something like that nowadays, taking into account that I live in the other side of the world!!
Thank you very much again, Kevin.
Mary Mendívil on Intova customer service
Pamplona, Spain
————————————————————————-
“In spite of my photographic ineptness, the pictures were outstanding using your camera. I have attached several U/W pictures taken with the Intova IC600 system. For the price, you cannot beat the Intova underwater camera systems.”
Jim Schroeder
Dyer, Indiana
———————————————————————————
Thanks for everything! The camera has worked out to be just great. My pictures are talked about all the time. People ask me what software I am using to fix them up and they are surprised when I tell them “None”. It’s all in the white balance setting. You have done so much for me, and I want to say “THANKS “.
Intova IC10 camera testimonial 7-12-2010
from:
Steven Moss
Delray Beach, Fl
——————————————————————————–
I just wanted to let you know that I tried the H2O Man MP3 player and ………..IT IS FANTASTIC!!!!!! Usually I swim about one hour a day, but this time I did not want to get out of the water. I already have had many people asking about it. Since we live on a very remote island, the people are not used to seeing this kind of device. Anyway, I’m sure that eventually I will order more H2O Man MP3 players. I’m very glad that I found your company’s product, and I wish for you the very best with your business.
Your client from the other side of the earth,
Gerard
P.D .Take care of yourself, and Thank You………Aloha!!
Gerard Clocanas
Canary Islands
———————————————————————–
Dear Intova,
Yesterday, I received my new replacement camera (IC12)!!!! I would like to thank all of you once more for that great service!!!!! The minimum that I can do from my side is to “spread the word” about the excellent service of INTOVA to all Greek Diver’s forums that I participate.
Once again thank you very much!
Panagiotis Vamvakas
Attica, Greece
————————————————————————
“I have your H2O man underwater MP3 player and I LOVE it. I have blogged about it and several people who use the same pool as me have purchased them after I told them how great it is. Thanks again for making such a great product!”
Rosie Young
——————————————————————————–
“I am in the process of getting serious with my swimming and I purchased an Intova Snapsight Mp3 player in December. The player is wonderful, uncomplicated and simple to operate with good audio quality. I am in the process of spreading the word about your player in swimming blogs and sites.”
Paul Boccagni
——————————————————————————–
“I just wanted to say thank you for the great service I received from all those I dealt with on the phone. It has been a joy to do business with you.”
Karen Boyd-Vanthoff
——————————————————————————–
TECHNOLOGYTNT: TECHNOLOGY TODAY AND TOMORROW, VOL 4, NO. 5
Intova’s IC 600 Underwater Digital Camera
By David Rich
——————————————————————————–
“I am now swimming almost 50 minutes as opposed to my usual 30 minutes.”
Sue Lyon on the H20man
——————————————————————————–
“I love to swim but its so-o-o boring. I tripled my pool time on Sunday and Monday because I had good tunes to listen to instead of just splashes and bubbles. H2O Man is *better* than sliced bread!”
Mike on H2O Man 256
——————————————————————————–
“Great camera!!!”
Ronald on SS01
——————————————————————————–
“I recently visited Kauai with my family. While there we shopped at Wal-Mart, looking for film I noticed for sale your Waterproof re-usable flash cameras. I purchased (3), in reading the product description I was impressed with the details of use & construction. ”
Richard on SS01
——————————————————————————–
“I LOVE, LOVE, MY NEW CAMERA!”
Cheryl
——————————————————————————–
“YOU ROCK! (and now so will I when swimming laps!!!!!)”
“Thank you for such awesome customer service! I will recommend this to all of my swimming pals!”
Diana on H2O Man
——————————————————————————–
“I look forward to purchasing more of your products (and getting back to beautiful Maui) in the near future.”
David on SS01
——————————————————————————–
“I want to say I love your product. I’ve just ordered my third.”
Fred on H2O Man
——————————————————————————–
“PS great unit, works great…”
Dave on H2O Man
——————————————————————————–
“The pictures came out very well.”
Doug on the SS01
——————————————————————————–
“The pictures I took…turned out quite nicely–just what I had wanted from the camera!”
Dave on the SS02
——————————————————————————–
“I have been very pleased and had taken many pictures with it.”
Jeff on the SS01
——————————————————————————–
“It took wonderful pictures.”
Barbara on the SS01
——————————————————————————–
“Great product…”
Rob on the H2O Man
——————————————————————————–
“I bought H20 man waterproof mp3 not so long ago. I have to tell you it was better than what i ever thought.”
“The credibility of the product is excellent, and so is the compactness. Thank you for a wonderful product …”
Tal on H2O Man waterproof MP3 player
——————————————————————————–
“Great camera ! Used it to log my scuba certification classes and first ocean dives down to 70′ here in Pompano Beach, FL. What is the correct way to process? Thanks for the ability for the memories …”
Cheryll Sepulveda on SnapSights waterproof camera
——————————————————————————–
“First tried your camera in Grand Cayman. What a really great value for the recreational diver on a budget. We’re going to Cozumel and I just ordered 2 more. Just wanted to say thanks.”
Joe and Joey Boccuzzi
Trumbull, CT
——————————————————————————–
“Last year I visited Maui and went diving. I had a $300 underwater point and shoot camera that flooded. It was my first of 4 days of diving. I purchased two of your underwater cameras at a small Food Mart in Kihei. One of the dive masters I was diving with recommended them. She had heard a lot of good things about them. They worked great. I got a lot of good photos. A couple of my friends were going on a cruise to Alaska. I let them use one of your cameras because they were going sea kayaking. (That camera sure has earned a lot of frequent flyer miles.) At the end of last year, I went to the Cayman Islands on another dive trip.”
Ken Andrews
Maple Heights, Ohio
——————————————————————————–
“Thank you for your immediate reply! I look forward to trying the camera on another trip. I am impressed with your company and shall recommend you to others.”
Sincerely,
Lola Hammer
——————————————————————————–
“I bought one of your Snap Sights cameras on a diving trip to St. Thomas over the holiday period. The camera and the developed pictures were wonderful. Before leaving on this trip I had been looking for a camera with many of the features your camera provided. I could not find anything like it anywhere.”
Sincerely,
Bruce Glickson
Buffalo Grove, IL.
——————————————————————————–
“I am interested in purchasing the Snap Sights Waterproof Camera (with flash). I previously used this model approximately 6 months ago and was very satisfied with the results.
Thank you,
Jay Titus
——————————————————————————–
This last month, I was back in Hawaii and purchased two more of your new model cameras good to 85 feet with flash. The reloading directions from your web site work great for both of the new camera.
Thanks,
Mike Williams
——————————————————————————–
“Just thought you would like to know, I used two of your cameras off the coast of North Carolina. They worked very well and took excellent pictures. Both cameras worked extremely well in the 100 to 115 foot range and I will be buying more of them in the future.”
JMC
——————————————————————————–
“Wow, you guys are great. I will certainly continue to show off my new gizmo. Everyone on the plane asked me about it.”
Thanks so much,
Tracey
——————————————————————————–
“I had the opportunity to try one of your disposable/reusable 85′ underwater flash cameras on a recent trip to Grand Cayman. It worked well, and I was wondering if you could let me know of any local retailers who carry your products.”
Walt Palmer
Guelph, Ontario, Canada
——————————————————————————–
“I was recently on vacation in Mexico and was able to purchase a Snap Sights Sports Flash camera prior to a cave dive and a reef snorkel. As a diver with over 600 hours of West Coast diving I have used several underwater camera’s, as such I was very impressed with the quality of the polycarbonate housing and the fact that the camera had a flash, which gave me hope that some color would be present when the film was developed. On receiving my developed film, I was very pleased to see the quality of the pictures.”
Yours sincerely,
Roger J Soar
Kelowna, B.C., Canada
——————————————————————————–
I just returned from a trip to Cozumel. While at the resort I found one of your cameras. At last a camera rated for more than 35 feet (85 ft on the cover). I was even more surprised to learn that it was a product of the U.S. I live in central California (Sacramento area) and have been a scuba diver for over 20 years. If the pictures I took, turn out as good as the camera worked, I will want more of your cameras. They are an inexpensive alternative to the professional rigs.
Xavier Lerch
Rescue, Ca
——————————————————————————–
“Hello, I’m the owner of a dive center in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain, and I’m interested in your Snap Sights Cameras. I saw them last summer while diving in Cozumel Island, Mexico, and thought that we can sell this kind of camera in our shop. We need to know who your European or Spanish distributor is so we can contact him. In case you don’t have a distributor in Spain, perhaps we can study a possible collaboration between us. Please send me the address of your dealer to contact.”
Yours faithfully,
J. Solana
——————————————————————————–
“We are the only Scuba equipment distributor in Vietnam. We are interested in becoming your exclusive importer and distributor in Vietnam. We have brought in over 100 SnapSights cameras from Thailand and have sold them all to our client base. Please contact us soon, so we can have further discussions.”
Regards,
Michael Doyle, Owner
——————————————————————————–
“I have several of these great cameras… I have reloaded it several times with no problems at all.”
Thanks,
Rick Gohl
——————————————————————————–
“A disposable camera with a close-up lens and flash for around 30 bucks”
By Friscuba
Rodale’s Scuba Diving Magazine
September 17,2003
“If you are thinking about underwater photography, but dive infrequently and don’t want to invest a lot of money on a camera, or just want to give taking photos a try first, this little disposable might be worth looking at. I’ve seen lots of people who are curious about trying underwater photography on the heap and there is a camera company, which just may fit the bill for those not looking at a long-term investment. Snap Sights makes a camera that’ll go down to 85′ is the deepest I’ve seen for a disposable yet, however it seems we’re seeing more inexpensive underwater camera that are available for around 18 bucks off Snap Sight’s website, around 25 bucks at most dive shops which carry it. The attachment is about 4 bucks.”
—————————————————————————————-
“I have an H2O and love it, I swim everyday at lunch and lots of people look at it. I recommend it to everybody.”
Paul Grata
—————————————————————————————-
Hi,
I bought one of your Intova IC5 00 cameras in June of 2008 at a dive shop I frequent here in Houston, in preparation for our vacation and my dive trip to Puerto Rico with my Wife. It was probably the best thing I bought myself for the trip and I love that it took great pictures and also did a great job with a short video that I’ve put on my website.
Please feel free to share this little video and know that I will gladly tell everyone that the Intova camera is one of the best little investments to make before taking that dive trip – if you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg and still not sacrifice quality.
Here’s the link to my video, enjoy: http://www.tnturner.net/my_web_032.htm
Best Regards,
Tim N. Turner
Katy, TX – PADI Advanced Diver
———————————————————————————
Hi Joe,
Thank you for loaning the pre-production model of the new Intova 8MP Underwater Camera. This provides a summary of the use of the camera, feel free to post or edit this as you require.
FIRST LOOK CAMERA REVIEW
The camera is very compact, about the size of a deck of playing cards and almost no weight. This makes it convenient for carrying in a pocket or along with other gear. Finished in brushed silver with bright orange accents on the side panels, the camera says “sports”. The large 2.5-inch LCD is easy to see above and below water level and the menus are in a point size that is readable during use with a mask. The only visible seal is on the bottom door where the SD memory card and Li-Ion battery are inserted, and this door closed easily and securely every time. By the way, the battery lasted over 150 images without needing a charge, although I always charge batteries before a dive. The camera is rated to 30 foot depth without a housing and I took it down to 15 feet during my snorkeling experiences with no problems. (But you should follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.)
Intova has clearly built-in their underwater experience with this new model. It has 3 underwater scene settings including normal, macro and sports. It also has multiple white balance settings for clear water, blue water and algae water, so any environment can be accommodated. These settings, coupled with your individual preferences for exposure and saturation, should make any diver/photographer satisfied and capable of getting excellent results in a variety of dive environments. The water in Belize and Cozumel, where this test was conducted, was clear with visibility over 50 feet. I chose the Underwater Sports setting to decrease the influence of movement, and I used the Blue Water White Balance for personal preference. Based on experience during the dives, I also used -.3 EV for some photographs. I only used the camera for snorkeling this week, and can’t wait to try it with the housing and separate flash for scuba diving photos.
In use, the camera has multiple scene settings for land photography, including the newest features to recognize faces and even smiles. Although fully-automatic picture-taking is easy and provides great images, those of us that can’t resist some manual over-rides have a good selection of white balance, EV adjustment and saturation. My own preferences, probably influenced by my transparency-shooting history, led me to using a -.3 EV setting and increasing the saturation by one click. This is personal and the photos would be pleasing even without my over-rides.
The photographs range from very good to excellent. The three-times prism zoom lens does a remarkable job of capturing detail with no apparent curvilinear distortion or color fringing (please note this is a user test, not a scientific appraisal.) Color and sharpness are excellent and exposures were consistent. The 8MP sensor handles contrast well and noise is low in the shadows and underexposed areas of the image. Pictures enlarge well and have great detail.
I’m looking forward to a production model with housing and external flash unit, because this product definitely delivers better value for the dollar than any I have seen. And it’s a great camera for everyday use without worries in dust or wet conditions. This model is an excellent choice as a primary or secondary model in your bag.
Best regards,
David Huffman
Artist/Author/Lecturer
———————————————————————————————–
What fantastic customer service you guys have, I expected a typical UK brush off or no response at all!
Charles & Pauline Chanter [cpchanter@talktalk.net]
———————————————————————————
Thank you, I wanted to buy it now. Any dealer in Toronto, Canada area? Excellent customer service,
Best regards,
Bogdan 5star Cottage [5starcottage@gmail.com]
————————————————————————————-
Thank you very much for getting this to me so quickly! I can’t wait to dive with it this weekend!!!
Amy A-2-Z Scuba [a2z.scubadive@gmail.com]
United States Dealers
International Dealers
BUY INTOVA PRODUCTS FROM AUTHORIZED DEALERS ONLY: To ensure proper warranty coverage, make sure Intova products are purchased from legitimate retailers only. Be sure that the dealer has a mailing address and provides a receipt that verifies: Dealer Name and Address. Customer Name and Address. Date of Purchase. Complete Description and Cost of items purchased. Receipt must be presented for warranty service.
