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Guerilla Subterranean Videography: Caving Video for the Daring

Mike Stoll
May 2008

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When you combine the darkness with irregular terrain, exposure to water and hard rocks, trying to shoot good video can be a challenge. Some caving systems can be rather large, and you may find yourself underground for 6 to 12 hours. I've been involved with caving for over 15 years and have enjoyed shooting video for more than 6 years. Based on my experience, I will try to explain and recommend some techniques and equipment to help you capture good footage. The equipment and techniques described below can be used in other low-light shooting conditions, such as downtown city shots at night, tunnels or dark hallways, building basements, nighttime outdoor shots (woods), auditoriums and receptions.

Before I start talking about video equipment and lighting, I first want to mention a few things about the proper gear to wear to help ensure you make it out of a cave unharmed. The temperature in a cave runs in the mid 50s, so you want to dress appropriately to stay warm.

Typical Caving Gear Includes:

• Helmet - Protects the head (sample)
• Headlamp - Produces light and allows your hands to be free for climbing (sample)
• Gloves - Protects hands from sharp rocks (i.e. leather gloves)
• Kneepads - Protects knees when crawling over rocks
• Hiking Boots - Foot gear that has a tread/cleat
• Warm Clothes - Typical cave temperatures are in the mid 50's
• Two other sources of lights - You don't want to get stuck in a cave without lighting...you'll never get out (i.e. two spare flashlights)
• Misc - Fanny Pack or Back Pack, snacks, water, cave map, 1st Aide Kit

Based on how much time you plan to be in the cave plus a certain safety factor, plan accordingly, so you do not run out of light. For more information on caving gear, you can contact a local caving club in your area by visiting www.caves.org.

Cavers and hikers have a lot in common. When packing gear, both try to minimize bulk (size) and weight. Cave exploration is just like hiking - but underground. You want to pack the correct gear, yet keep it as light and compact as possible.

Camcorders are good for capturing video when you are moving over flat terrain or are in a stationary position. They also perform better in low-light conditions than helmet cameras (see below). There are two important criteria for selecting a camcorder for underground videography: low-light performance and size. Since most camcorders today ($400-$700 range) have pretty decent video quality, that's one fewer thing to worry about. To find a camera that does well in low light, I would suggest using Google to search out camcorder reviews.

The deciding factor of a camcorder's low-light performance boils down to the size of its CCD imager (the larger the better). I would recommend at least a 1/3" imager, or better yet a 1/2" imager. While you're evaluating low-light performance, you may also want to evaluate the actual camcorder size. The smaller the unit, the easier it is to pack around in a cave. Of the newer small camcorders (as of this posting) the Canon received a very good review regarding low-light performance, and it uses a 1/2" CMOS imager. Canon just recently announced the next generation HV30 (some minor improvements). I would also recommend a Sony DCR-HC96. It is a little older, but it uses a 1/3" CCD imager and is very portable. I am currently packing this model and have been happy with its performance. There is also a waterproof housing (Sony SPK-HCB) that will protect the DCR-HC96 down to 17 feet. This might be handy to have in those very wet caves. (Note: The DCR-HC96 will not fit in the SPK case with the wide-angle lens attached.)

Once you find a camcorder, you may want to consider using a wide-angle lens. I personally like a range of .6x-.7x. I don't like to go below .6x, since I am not a fan of the fish-eye effect. I have found using a wide-angle lens underground creates a better-looking shot in most cases. The Sony DCR-HC96 has the VCL-0630X wide-angle lens (0.6x) available, which works pretty well. When buying a wide-angle lens, you should be concerned about distortion and whether you can zoom in and out though the lens (be careful about the lesser-quality lenses). When using a lesser-quality lens, you might see the outline of the lens barrel, which detracts from the quality of the shot.

Camcorders are good for stationary shots or when you are moving over level ground. Helmet cameras are great when you want to capture footage while moving over uneven terrain, squeezing through a tight place or climbing (hands-free videography).

There are two technologies being used by helmet camera manufacturers today: Super HAD and Sony Ex-View. The Super HAD helmet cameras do better in low-light conditions, but you sacrifice a little on the color performance (minimal impact in a cave). Ex-View helmet cameras are better for capturing outdoor footage, where low light is less of an issue and color rendition is more important. Some of the better helmet camera manufacturers are Xtreme Recall and V.I.O. (VioSport).

One last thing about helmet cameras is that they tend to accentuate the "hot spot" generated by a light source. Based on this, I strongly recommend using a diffuser of some type to remove a light's hot spot and to smooth out the light pattern.

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