Close-Up Lens for X2, HD2 and Dub
Coloured Lens Port Rings for Sport HD
Neutral Density Filter for Sport HD
Red Filter for X2, HD2 and Dub
Intova in South Africa
Intova is a waterproof camera company, and its range covers action and compact cameras along with the mounts, filters and lighting around them. In the shop it's the accessory side: the mounts, filters and lighting that get more out of an Intova camera. Several of the mounts also fit any camera with a standard tripod thread or a GoPro-style base, so check the fit named on each product.
Check the camera model first
Fit is the first thing to check, so start with the camera's model name. The red filter and the close-up lens are made for the Intova X2, HD2 and DUB. The other three filters suit the Sport HD only. The coloured lens port rings fit the Sport HD and Sport HD II, and the body board mount is listed for the Sport HD, Sport HD II and Edge. The fibre optic cable links a PX-21 to the Edge X, and the sports mount suits the SS-1000 only. The suction cup, bar and pole, chest strap and helmet mounts use the standard tripod mount found on most cameras, so they aren't limited to Intova models.
Filters, lenses and lighting
Water strips out red light first, and Intova notes red only carries about 4.5 to 6 m, so footage below that turns blue and green. The red filter puts it back in the sea. The magenta filter does the same job in fresh water, where footage tends to go green, which makes it the one for dam and quarry dives. A neutral density filter cuts two stops of light for bright shallows and white sand, and a UV filter protects the lens port. Check the camera before buying: the magenta, ND and UV filters are 52 mm slip-ons for the Sport HD, while the 42 mm red filter and the +12 close-up lens are made for the X2, HD2 and DUB. See lenses and filters.
A built-in flash lights up every particle between the camera and the subject. The PX-21 is a slave strobe that fires off the camera's flash from one side, with a fibre optic cable for the Edge X, in flash and lighting accessories. The Sport HD base tray takes a light alongside the camera, and the Stay Slim extra arm turns a single Stay Slim mount into a two-light system, see trays and handles.
Close-up and strobe details
The close-up lens is a +12 element in K9 optical glass with an anodised aluminium body. Underwater it focuses from about 15 cm to 1 m, and on land from about 3 cm to 15 cm, and a lanyard keeps it on the camera or wrist when it's off the lens. The red filter is acrylic in an aluminium ring with a silicone o-ring, weighs 20 g and comes with a lanyard too.
The PX-21 triggers through a flash sync sensor and has an automatic light sensor with three output levels, plus three pre-flash settings for cameras that fire a pre-flash. Intova gives a guide number of 40 at ISO 100, a recycle time of roughly 0.5 to 8 seconds and roughly 80 to 200 flashes on a set of alkaline AAA batteries. A diffuser holder with three diffusers softens the light for close subjects. The Sport HD base tray is anodised aluminium with a foam-cushioned handle and an adapter for flex arm or ball arm systems.
Mounts and care
Topside, the mounts put the camera where hands can't hold it: helmet mounts 2 and 3, a chest strap, a body board mount, a surf plug mount for FCS fin boxes, a bar and pole mount for tubes up to 3.17 cm, a suction cup for glass and an adhesive kit for helmets and boards. The SS-1000 sports mount gives that camera a standard tripod mount. Underwater, a hand strap keeps the camera on the hand rather than on the sea floor. Find them in mounts and adaptors.
Hair, sand or a dry o-ring can flood a housing. The camera care kit, with silicone grease, an o-ring tool, a blower brush and lens cleaner, belongs in the camera bag; see camera accessories. Coloured lens port rings are made for the Sport HD. Browse the whole category in underwater photography.
Mount details
The bar and pole mount uses Intova's Secure Lok system with stainless steel screws, a rubber damper for vibration and a swivel head for vertical or horizontal shots. Helmet Mount 3 has nylon straps for vented helmets and large and small curved adhesive pads for smooth ones, while Helmet Mount 2 pairs straps with flat and curved adhesive bases. The adhesive mount kit is polycarbonate, stainless steel and brass, and weighs 56.7 g. The surf plug mount fits FCS fin boxes only, so check the board first. Most of the mounts use a quick release, so the camera comes off while the base stays put.
Hands-free on the water
Not every shot is taken underwater. The chest strap has multi-adjustable straps and a quick release base, so the camera rides at chest height while both hands stay on a kayak paddle. The suction cup mount fixes to a car windscreen or a boat's cabin window, with several pivot points to aim it after the cup is set. The body board mount is aluminium and stainless steel, weighs 68 g and clamps to the front of the board with an adjustable pivot. On the bar and pole mount, a paddle shaft or a kayak rail up to 3.17 cm across becomes a steady platform. The hand strap is neoprene and nylon with a quick release shoe, so the camera clicks out onto a tripod without unthreading anything.
A housing routine before every dive
A few minutes at the kitting table before the dive is worth it. Open the housing in a dry spot, lift the main o-ring with the care kit's removal tool, wipe the groove with a swab and check the ring for hair, sand or nicks. Grease it lightly, seat it evenly and close the housing. Intova's care kit includes silica gel packs to drop inside on humid days and help keep the port clear. After the dive, soak the closed housing in fresh water and press each button a few times to flush salt out, then dry it before opening. The kit's blower brush clears grit from the seal grooves and buttons. Clean the port with the kit's lens cloth and cleaner rather than a T-shirt, which tends to leave lint and fine scratches.
What to pair it with
A camera wants a lanyard or a coil to stay attached to the diver, and a mask that seals well, since a diver fiddling with a leak isn't framing a shot. Coil lanyards are in lanyards and retractors, and padded bags and cases in camera bags and cases. Keep spare batteries for the strobe in the same bag as the care kit.
Questions we get asked
Where can I buy Intova in South Africa?
Scuba Evolution stocks Intova camera mounts, filters, close-up lenses, trays, strobes and camera care kits online and at Shop U44, Glenvista Shopping Centre, Johannesburg. Delivery is fast and tracked anywhere in South Africa, next business day in Gauteng.
Will Intova mounts fit my GoPro?
Some will. The adhesive mount kit takes either a GoPro-style base or a tripod thread, and the hand strap screws into a 1/4 inch tripod socket. The filters, port rings and SS-1000 mount are made for specific Intova cameras, so check the model named on each product.
Which Intova filter do I need for freshwater dives?
The magenta filter. Fresh water tends to turn footage green and magenta counters it, while the red filter is made for blue ocean water. The magenta filter is a 52 mm slip-on for the Intova Sport HD.
Does the Intova PX-21 strobe work with any camera?
It's built to. Intova calls the PX-21 a universal slave strobe for digital or film cameras: it fires when its sensor sees the camera's own flash, and a pre-flash setting stops it firing early on cameras that flash twice. It runs on two AAA batteries, and a fibre optic cable is available for the Intova Edge X.
Can the Intova close-up lens be used out of the water?
Yes. On land it focuses from about 3 cm to 15 cm, against about 15 cm to 1 m underwater. It's a slip-on +12 lens made for the Intova X2, HD2 and DUB.
What's in the Intova camera care kit?
Silicone grease, silica gel packs, lens cleaner solution, a lens cloth, an o-ring removal tool, a blower brush, grease applicators and cleaning swabs, all in a translucent case.