Marcum OVS 500 underwater camera

[spinach]

I just purchased an ovs 500 camera and used it for the 1st time sunday on very murky water at night. (Unbelievable) I could see pretty good with the infared lights on, I was very skeptical on buying a new camera because of the negative reports on using the camera at night but mine worked great, has anyone else had similar results. please post your results good or bad. when I switched to multi color lights I could still see but better with infared. I can't wait to use it on a clear lake.

[Guest]

How did the auto 360 degree work for you?

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[spinach]

DJ, The auto direction was very nice and accurate but kind of a pain to set up over the hole the first time. I actually dropped the small clip in the hole reached down to my elbow and caught it just in time. I think I'll tie it to something in the future, but when it was setup I was very impressed how I could just push a button and rotate the camera , they just have to come up with a better arm and clip. has anyone else modified the clip in any way to make it easier to use and not lose down the hole? Where can I order extra clips I checked the HSOforum and didn't see anything?

[This message has been edited by spinach (edited 02-24-2003).]

[iffwalleyes]

I talked with some guys and they drilled a small hole in the clip and put a zip tie loosely on the cord so that if you drop it it will only slide down to the camera. I don't have a OVS but some of the guys i talk with did that.

[G_man]

I curious to know why you chose to purchase the Marcum camera over the Aqua-Vu. I'm just keeping tabs for myself as I might be interested in purchasing a camera in the future.

[Guest]

Whats the difference in the OVS 400 than the OVS 500? Is it just the auto direction feature?
If that is the only difference I would probly consider buying the OVS 400 w/ the 100' cable. Just because that is cheaper.
The only thing i wish was different with the OVS is that they came in a 120' cable like Aqua Vu. I fish a lake that goes to 105' and it would be nice to see whats down there. I don't think I could quite see the bottom with the cord only 100'long? Maybe i dunno.
If had had to choose between OVS and Aqua Vu id go with OVS just b/c i have heard better things about them so far.

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[This message has been edited by BIGFISHhunter (edited 02-25-2003).]

[Scott Steil]

Wow, I have the OVS 500 with 60 ft of cable and I really don't want anymore. That is a lot of cable to take with you. As for the directional control, it is a great feature. It is easy to set up after you do it once or twice. I never do it over the whole, I set it up over my lap. I am glad I went with the directional cotrol system. I have heard of guys drilling a whole in the top of the cable clip and then zip tieing it to the cable. It is very nice feature when you are set up and not going to be moving around.

I too have been impressed with how good the IR feature works. Even in real dirty lakes at low light I have been able to see. However, I really haven't needed the lights much. I am very impressed with this unit and I really like the carrying case. Very durable! I think MarCum did a nice job packaging this unit.

[G_man]

Scott, from any past experiences, are you able to compare the OVS to an Aqua-Vu?

[Scott Steil]

Yes, what you do want to know? I have owned an Aqua View Camera in the past. I got rid of it because it was bulkier then todays compact units. I got to use two of the newer models this year and they were nice and worked fine under good light conditions, but I didn't like the fact that the cable stuck out the side and the connectors were plastic. There was nothing to protect the wire from breaking off. I am hard on my equipment and I need something that is going to hold up for the long run.

When looking at purchasing a new camera, I did a lot of checking with people using all different brands. I like the fact that the new Aqua View DT series tells you how deep your camera is, although I prefer to use my Flasher to position the camera. What really was a turn off is how the cable plugs into the side of the unit. I heard several complaints from guys that use Aqua View cameras religiously. That was enough reason for me to start looking at the OVS 500.

After looking at the package the OVS 500 offers it didn't take long to know that this is the camera for me. I didn't think I would use the electric rotating base a lot but I find myself using it all the time now. It is a great unit and I am glad I went the route I did.