Underwater Camera Recommendations or Criticisms?

Hi All,

I picked up a Marcum Recon 5+ camera two years back and even though the image quality is just so-so and the screen is horrendously reflective, I’ve found that I really like to be able to drop down the camera and check what the weeds look like, am I on a break line, what kind of rock am I near, etc.

So, now that I know that I like using it, I’d like to buy a nicer one that has a little better image quality and hopefully an easier to see screen while outside of the shack.

Short of buying the $2,000 dollar Aqua Vu, what recommendations do people have? I was looking at the Marcum Pursuit HD L or maybe the Quest HD L. I definitely don’t mind having one of the more bulkier models if the quality is worth it!

Would love to hear anyone’s experiences with different cameras or recommendations they have!

Thanks

I won the same exact camera you have currently in some raffle that I completely forgot about.

I used it twice and decided it wasn’t worth the hassle given that I predominantly fish the river and clarity is minimal. I also didn’t need one more thing to mess with and slow me down while fishing. I gave it to my nephew to watch panfish with in the local marina when he fishes.

If I was a Mille Lacs wheelhouse guy or someone who fished Green Bay through the ice with water clarity, I could see wanting one to mess with.

Just to add my 2 cents Bucky…I think you would be surprise at how many tourney’s were won in the fall and spring by “prefishing” with a camera…or so I’ve been told.

True, I’ve used them in July and the camera needs to bump into a fish to see it. Jan/Feb a person can see up to 20 feet on the river, if that’s what your looking for.

I have one of the 4 inch Scouts (I think that’s what it’s called) from aqua vu. I had one of the older Marcums and I hated lugging that thing around and setting it up. I’m not using a camera to see fish eat my lure. I just want to see what the bottom compisition is and what the weeds are like. With the AquaVu I have it fits in my pocket and I can drop it down, spin it around, and wind it up in a matter of a minute and know exactly what is beneath me.

Keep in mind unless you’re fishing fairly clear water you won’t see a whole lot.

Definitely agree with you Mahtofire. I’ll be using it 80% of the time for seeing things my flasher or rod can’t tell me and definitely understand that when you see vids online, they are in lakes with 20ft viz conditions.

That being said, sounds like your vote is for the more mobile of the two options?

I’ve owned every model of Marcum camera except the Recons…the Quest HD is their best camera imo…the screen clarity is unreal and it has an HDMI output. They are around $600 new but you can find them for around 1/2 that lightly used…

mahtofire14 wrote:

I have one of the 4 inch Scouts (I think that’s what it’s called) from aqua vu. I had one of the older Marcums and I hated lugging that thing around and setting it up. I’m not using a camera to see fish eat my lure. I just want to see what the bottom compisition is and what the weeds are like. With the AquaVu I have it fits in my pocket and I can drop it down, spin it around, and wind it up in a matter of a minute and know exactly what is beneath me.

Keep in mind unless you’re fishing fairly clear water you won’t see a whole lot.

This…^^^^I am not a sit and watch type of guy. Quick drop and look and put away in a pocket.

Bought a recon 5+. Some or the features never worked such as water temp ext. After half a season of use the camera stopped working. Marcum replaced it for free. Out of thr box the new one had the same problems, temp didn’t work. 2 years into owning that one it also stopped working. Total crap. I’m don’t with marcum. Actually researching a vex Flasher now as I also own an LX5, which I like but they also had to replace that unit cause it broke

I just bought a eyoyo camera. Haven’t used it yet as I just got it 2 weeks ago but they get good reviews and are so cheap I figure if it only works a few years can’t go wrong

I have the Aqua Vu 715c, I wish I would have gotten the HDMI model. You can ram mount those screens. I use mine a lot in open water when I am scouting the bottom and looking for certain type of rocks or bottom contour. Winter time it is nice for scouting for weeds and you can actually see mood of the fish.

Dogfish wrote:

That being said, sounds like your vote is for the more mobile of the two options?

That’s what I would say. But that’s also how I fish, not necessarily how you fish. I can say it’s very fun to have a nice big screened camera down while you’re on Mille Lacs in a permanent waiting for the rattle reels to get hit. But I don’t do that enough to warrant spending the money on that. I have gone to speed and efficiency with my ice fishing the last couple years, so I really like having the ability to still see what’s down there, yet not having to haul anything bigger than a 4 inch compact camera that fits right in my pocket.

Small, with a cord reel is what I like-glare and problems in weather close to zero has been an issue. Here in the metro we have lots of lakes with good sized crappies but also swarms of stunted sunnies, so in that situation the camera can save you some time. Fishing for pike, finding green weeds with a camera can be a game changer. All that said I probably use mine 1 out of 10trips

Benefits:
*Verify the species cruising through instead of wasting time on undesired species.
*Visually learn the mood and behaviors of fish reacting to presentations.
*Verify the structure nearby.
*See fish outside a flasher cone.

Cons:
*Useless in muddy water
*Camera rotates off your baits and camera panners break easily.
*One more thing to charge in your way, cord tangles on pike, and tips over alot.

Trying one in an ice castle this year with a monitor.

For Marcum, can’t beat the Quest HD and Pursuit HD for image quality. Marcum came out with an Explorer HD model this year which is a stripped down Quest…basically it’s just the camera image on the display and no on-screen display of direction, temp, depth. I still have issues with seeing the Pursuit screen out of the shelter on sunny days on max brightness. The Quest at least comes with a hood. You do need clear water and daylight to get any use out of an underwater camera. I sold my Recon 5+ for the Pursuit HD for the upgrade to HD and no silly file conversions needed to get the clips to play on a computer. No QC issues yet…knock on wood. Well, the magnets to close the lid on the Pursuit HD came off, I had to super glue them back on. Minor annoyance.

I added an Aqua-Vu AV822HD to the arsenal. Nice camera as well with a big 8-inch screen. No on-screen display, but it also has DVR recording capabilities like the Pursuit.

Started a YouTube fishing channel last year so I’m playing around with different cameras and seeing what I like best for filming fish and getting different perspectives (bottom of the water column vs. top for reeling in fish).

Pursuit HD has been the biggest disappointment of any piece of gear I own. The camera itself is great, but the display is useless in daylight, and the camera only sees debris in the dark. It’s designed and advertised to be for hole hopping, but since you can’t see the screen in daylight, it is virtually useless for that. It works for fishing in a shelter/house where there is no glare, but then why have a portable unit with a small screen for that? In addition to a poor display, the depth, temp and direction are almost never accurate, even after multiple repeated calibrations, some info will be accurate for a few minutes, but inevitably gives erroneous readings after just a short while.
The one plus is that the camera really is pretty good as long as there is good light penetration. The recorded videos look spectacular when played back on a quality laptop or television screen.
And Marcum’s “customer service” has been nothing short of dismal. I recommend not purchasing their products for the simple reason that they are unlikely to remain in business for much longer under their current business model. Literally, it is the most disappointing fishing gear purchase I’ve ever made.

I have the aqua view 715 too. Love it, screen is good, can see a fairly long way in clearer water. I drill 5 or 6 holes, use the vex to see the depth/ weedline a then drop the camera in the most promising couple to see exactly where I’m at. Really helped teach me about the way fish weeds etc show up on my vex too. I think new they’re around $400 but I love mine.

Hardly work in stained water an are worse in low light, morning and evening, when you really want them to work. Never use mine except for spotting a house.

I have had a MarCum Pursuit HD for about 2 years which I have been generally fairly happy with. My only real complaint is that it is hard to see in the sunlight. Sadly, last weekend my camera started getting condensation in it which means it sprung a leak. It is now pretty much worthless and through discussions with MarCum customer service, they coldly informed me that my warranty is up…here is the response:

Hey,

The warranty on all camera systems is one year. That is the industry standard. Your system is more than two years old. That’s more than twice the warranty period. We are unable to cover this under warranty.

So I would need to purchase a new camera unit replacement and are not giving me any discounts or leeway. I have only used the thing about 10 times total….I expected a $500 camera to last more than 2 years! I am pretty disappointed with their unwillingness to work with me and it basically tells me that they themselves only expect their cameras to last 1 year and do not stand by their products. This was the first MarCum product I ever bought and it looks like it will be my last!

Has anyone tried to take one of these camera heads apart and re-seal it? MarCum says this is impossible, but they had to have assembled it somehow at the factory.

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I have the marcum 485c and its been on par with all other cameras i have used.The water clarity on Devils Lake isnt great for camera use,most of the time being able to see your lure at 2-4ft,and your done using it by sunset.
Well last weekend I won a Vexilar 800IR,took it out sunday evening and the range was about the same,but we could see the lure clearly well after dark,thats something Ive never been able to do with any other camera.

Dang thats crappy service. not surprised. In the past, and I assume still today, aqua vu gives a giant discount if something happens out of warranty.

What is the max depth your camera goes? Guessing the camera had to be pressure sealed to handle the max depth ex- whatever the water pressure is at 50′ down.

birkato wrote:

I have had a MarCum Pursuit HD for about 2 years which I have been generally fairly happy with. My only real complaint is that it is hard to see in the sunlight. Sadly, last weekend my camera started getting condensation in it which means it sprung a leak. It is now pretty much worthless and through discussions with MarCum customer service, they coldly informed me that my warranty is up…here is the response:

Hey,

The warranty on all camera systems is one year. That is the industry standard. Your system is more than two years old. That’s more than twice the warranty period. We are unable to cover this under warranty.

So I would need to purchase a new camera unit replacement and are not giving me any discounts or leeway. I have only used the thing about 10 times total….I expected a $500 camera to last more than 2 years! I am pretty disappointed with their unwillingness to work with me and it basically tells me that they themselves only expect their cameras to last 1 year and do not stand by their products. This was the first MarCum product I ever bought and it looks like it will be my last!

Has anyone tried to take one of these camera heads apart and re-seal it? MarCum says this is impossible, but they had to have assembled it somehow at the factory.

Nothing new with Marcum CS.

I bought an Aquaview Quad cuz I had a bunch of Cabela gift cards from work.
The point is they price matched a Reeds sale price……bought it on 10% off Monday and they gave me an additional 5% off to boot.
Saved around 5 hundy!

When you decide….check it out if you or a buddy have a card.

I ‘ll add- Aqua vu has great sales never buy one full priced. Just today they sent out a 14% off code for being Feb 14th. 20-30% off codes aren’t uncommon. Reconditioned units are usually 50% off and one year warranty.