deanb

Forum username: deanb Posts: 2,947 Active years: 2005–2013 Primary forums: Video Gear and Technique, General Chat, Shooting Technique/Workflow Specialization: Underwater video production, Sony professional camcorders, Gates housings

Community Role

deanb was a prominent underwater videographer in the Wetpixel community during the HD video revolution of the mid-to-late 2000s. With 1,074 posts in Video Gear and Technique and 517 in Shooting Technique/Workflow, they were one of the forum’s leading voices on professional underwater video equipment and production techniques.

Their expertise centered on Sony’s professional camcorder line — from the HDR-FX7 through the PMW-EX1 to the NEX-FS700 — housed in Gates underwater housings. They also engaged actively in broader community discussions, with 659 posts in General Chat and 335 in Photo/Video Showcase. Peak activity was 2007 (731 posts), during the peak of the HD camcorder era for underwater video.

Notable Contributions

• Major contributor to the Sony HDR-FX7/HVR-V1 thread (42 posts), providing in-depth comparative analysis of Sony’s HDV camcorder lineup
• Central voice in the Sony PMW-EX1 official thread (34 posts), covering the transition from tape-based to solid-state recording
• Active in Sony NEX-FS700 discussion (20 posts) and Red Scarlet-X thread (20 posts), tracking the evolution toward large-sensor video
• Contributed extensively to Gates PMW-EX1 housing discussion (19 posts)
• Documented the Gates EX1 housing flooding incident (16 posts), an important reliability discussion
• Active participant in the Antibes at Marineland Dolphinarium thread (16 posts)
• Contributed to the Sony HVR-Z7 official thread (15 posts)
• Engaged with conservation topics (108 posts), including the Sea Shepherds/Ady Gil collision thread (17 posts) and the Wildlife Photographer of the Year judging controversy (16 posts)

Activity Profile

• Peak year: 2007 (731 posts)
• Forum focus: 36% Video Gear and Technique, 22% General Chat, 18% Shooting Technique/Workflow, 11% Photo/Video Showcase
• Top threads: Sony HDR-FX7/HVR-V1 (42 posts), Sony PMW-EX1 (34 posts), Sony NEX-FS700 (20 posts), Red Scarlet-X (20 posts), Gates EX1 housing (19 posts)

References

• Forum posts: 2,947 across 1,462 threads
• Source: person_matrix.json, forum database