Underwater/waterproof cameras, cases and housings

[pgowder]

We considered buying an inexpensive waterproof camera for our last trip. But after reading some reviews I stayed with our small point and shoot camera-Canon Powershot.

I bought a waterproof bag for it off eBay. It works great. You can see the black edges of the lens cover in the images. But I've been able to crop that out of almost all my shots.

Here is a shot we got.

 

[Ratpack]

My DD and I are getting certified for SCUBA in February and I would love to take some photos of the certification and then afterwards use it for when we dive and the pool. Anyone have any recommendations? I do prefer digital but cost may push me to film. Too bad my D50 is not waterproof.

 

[bostran1]

Rather than buy a camera for underwater photography I chose to buy a relatively inexpensive underwater housing for my Canon P&S (I'm certainly not bringing my DSLR in the water with me!). I did a search and found something on Amazon that is a glorified ziplock bag. It has space so you can zoom in with the lens too. Switching from photo to video was tough and I couldn't really make any changes to the settings on the camera but it could be a good stop-gap until you figure out what you need your underwater camera to do.

 

[ukcatfan]

Most of the consumer level waterproof ones are not really made for diving. They are only good to around 10-15' so not really appropriate. You are better off finding one that is not waterproof, but offers a waterproof case. The problem is that none of the cases are exactly inexpensive.

 

[Ratpack]

I have a Sony P92 that I could use. Maybe I will search for a case for that.

 

[Ratpack]

Rather than buy a camera for underwater photography I chose to buy a relatively inexpensive underwater housing for my Canon P&S (I'm certainly not bringing my DSLR in the water with me!). I did a search and found something on Amazon that is a glorified ziplock bag. It has space so you can zoom in with the lens too. Switching from photo to video was tough and I couldn't really make any changes to the settings on the camera but it could be a good stop-gap until you figure out what you need your underwater camera to do.

They do have those for my camera. How hard is it to push the shutter button? I don't really care about changing settings much.

 

[ukcatfan]

They do have those for my camera. How hard is it to push the shutter button? I don't really care about changing settings much.

I use an Aquapac for my Nikon S210. It is manageable to use underwater. If you have dive gloves on it would be pretty tough.

 

[Ratpack]

I found a bag for the P92, but it only goes down to 30 feet it says. Anyone know if they really can go deeper or would it be pushing it? I know that is pretty deep, but I would hate to have to surface and drop the camera off to go deeper.

 

[206bones]

I had a Pentax film underwater camera that I loved. Great for use in rainy weather, if nothing else. I'm currently looking for a digital underwater camera and am still leaning towards the Pentax Option W80. No one had mentioned it so I thought I'd throw it out there as an option.

 

[Snappy in OK]

A friend of mine has a Pentax Optio W60 - she took it on a cruise to the Bahamas and it took great pictures both in the water and out. We are looking at a waterproof P&S, and we are looking at the newer model. Her pictures with the Pentax turned out fabulous - better than her regular P&S, and better than most of the pictures her friends took.

 

[My2Girls66]

I have a SeaLife Eco-Shot. I've used it snorkeling and in the pool. Its not super easy to use since there is no viewfinder but I don't know how easy it would be to use a viewfinder thru a dive mask. It takes a decent photo tho.
A few examples.

I don't see it on Amazon anymore but this Vivitar looks exactly like mine only mine is black and this is quite a bit cheaper than I paid.
http://www.amazon.com/Vivitar-ViviC...1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1263353215&sr=8-1
This is what I have.
http://www.sealife-cameras.com/cameras/ecoshot.html

 

[czycropper]

Here's the background - we're going to the Galapagos in 10 weeks for 9 days on a cruise and then to Machu Pichu for 3 days. We will be in/out of inflatable rafts everyday and we're taking the following cameras: Canon DLSR, my Olympus SP-570, and two point & shoot cameras -

can anyone recommend some waterproof camera cases and where to get them?

For snorkeling purposes I'll be taking my Olympus waterproof camera and some disposibles but for just the rides to the islands I want to take the good cameras to take photos of the animals.

TIA

 

[Luna01]

Hi, I know an online store who retails waterproof camera cases with good quality, you can check out uxsight.com and search waterproof camera cases, hope this helps!

 

[zackiedawg]

I don't bother with waterproofing my DSLR, because I don't really want to deal with the size and weight if i'm in a situation like canoeing or rafting - I'd personally rather bring a small and convenient P&S that is less of a loss if soemthing were to go wrong.

That said, I got a waterproof case for my Sony T100 ultracompact last month - made by DiCAPac. It's cheap enough that I could just buy another if needed, it doesn't enlarge the size of the camera significantly as do the hard diving cases, and it can easily handle basic waterproof duties like rafting, rain, swimming, surfing, etc. It's even waterproof rated for 10-15 feet or so, but I didn't really even buy it for that purpose - for me, it is a splash protector and rain protector, so i can still shoot in those conditions if need be. Worth a look to see if they've got one that would work with your cameras.

 

[runskyhy]

That said, I got a waterproof case for my Sony T100 ultracompact last month - made by DiCAPac. It's cheap enough that I could just buy another if needed, it doesn't enlarge the size of the camera significantly as do the hard diving cases, and it can easily handle basic waterproof duties like rafting, rain, swimming, surfing, etc. It's even waterproof rated for 10-15 feet or so, but I didn't really even buy it for that purpose - for me, it is a splash protector and rain protector, so i can still shoot in those conditions if need be. Worth a look to see if they've got one that would work with your cameras.

I love my DiCAPac, too. I used it to snorkel with my Canon Powershot P&S.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

Hi, I know an online store who retails waterproof camera cases with good quality, you can check out uxsight.com and search waterproof camera cases, hope this helps!

Wow, your first post here and you are already helping people. That's great. I just did a quick search and it looks like you help people with references to uxsight.com on a lot of forums. It's a good thing I'm not cynical or I'd think that you are just a shill for uxsight.com.

I have to say that I'm leery about ordering from uxisght. They have no track record on resellerratings.com.


As for the original question, I would consider a pelican case. They are extremely durable and very waterproof. They can be a hassle to lug around, but they provide great protection.

Another option would be the Lowepro Dryzone 100. It's a backpack with a waterproof inner liner. I've got the 200 and it works reasonably well. It's a bit of a pain to zip and unzip the waterproof liner.

 

[zackiedawg]

Ooh...Mark's the smart one around here who actually reads. Sorry, I was going on the previous poster and thought waterproof case was referring to "waterproof camera enclosure for taking photos through while in wet conditions" as opposed to "waterproof case in which to safely store cameras from wet conditions". If that is what was intended, then I apologize, and agree that the Pelican is the way to go if you're serious. Otherwise, a waterproof bag should be OK for light duty stuff, and I might be a bit anal myself and stick my cameras and lenses in baggies inside the case with silicone absorbants for something heavy-duty like rafting.

 

[boBQuincy]

Here is what REI has for kayaking and such:
http://www.rei.com/category/4500274

I don't work at or shill for REI (although I do shop there a lot) but they are a really good place and I bet their reseller ratings are very good! I have used the SealLine bags and they are waterproof as claimed.
Come to think of it maybe I do shill for REI, just about everything I wear at WDW is from REI!

 

[czycropper]

Thanks. I'm going to go check out some of the recommended bags.

Yes, I just need something to put the cameras while we get transported from the boat to shore on the pangas. I do have an underwater camera that we'll use for the snorkeling trips.

 

[jtravisl]

What about a Canon Powershot D10? We are going on a Western Caribbean cruise in Feb...I was looking for cases for my professional gear...some up to and over $1000. Did a lot of research, and it was cheaper just to buy a waterproof camera. Canon Powershot D10 has been great so far. I'll post when we get back, but it is working great in test modes.