Waterproof cases for digital cameras

[karen_g]

Ok, not to sound like a total newbie (which I AM), but... how do these work? If you get a waterproof case and put it on your camera, do you have to leave it on all the time (ie, for the whole vacation)? Or does it not hurt anything to put it on, take it off, put it on again? Wondering about how it seals...

[zackiedawg]

Much depends on the camera, and the case you are referring to. However, as a basic rule: if you are dealing with full marine packs, waterproof to several atmospheres, you probably wouldn't want to be taking the camera in and out all the time. The seal on these types of cases is usually screw-locked and rubber-gasketed. A grease is often applied to the rubber gasket to keep it in shape and ensure no debris gets between the rubber and the closure seal which might compromise the watertightness of the case. Plus...they often aren't real easy to swap the camera in and out of...not something you'd do on the fly certainly. If you were considering having the camera out of the case most of the time, then putting it in the case for one day of diving and use, then taking it back out for the rest of the trip - that would be fine. But taking it in and out of the case several times a day would be very labor-intensive, not convenient, and unless you followed the procedure of cleaning and lubing the seal every time, you may compromise the seal when you need it.

 

Now some compact cameras on the market offer light-duty waterproof cases. These are mostly designed for splashing, snorkeling (less than 10 feet of depth), beach use, rainy days, etc. They can withstand up to 6-9 feet of depth, but aren't meant to be kept down there for more than 1/2 a minute or so before coming back to the surface. These cases also use a rubber gasket...but it is much smaller, and they generally have an easy-to-use clamp seal which make the camera easily accessible for taking out of the case. These would generally follow the same rule as the marine case, in that the seal should be checked each time for debris/dust/sand/etc to make sure it seals properly, and the gasket should still be lubed fairly regularly to keep the rubber in shape and help the seal. But because of the simplicity of opening and closing, and the fact that these cases are usually much smaller and lighter than the full Marine cases, they make it convenient to take the camera in and out fo the case as needed.

 

Note: you can always shoot on dry land with the camera in the waterproof case. The full marine packs aren't necessarily convenient to lug around because they can be quite bulky...but the camera will still work fine. The light-duty cases are much more convenient, and usually still allow the camera to be reasonably compact...and if you think there is a chance of getting caught in the rain, it may be convenient to just put the camera in the case and go. However, always remember with cameras the basic logic: the more glass you put in front of the sensor/film, the more you can compromise the picture quality. No...the waterproof case isn't going to create unusable photos. But you may get a little more flare, a little less contrast, maybe slightly softer corner focus...there is always a small effect. This isn't going to kill your 4x6 shots, but if you are trying to get 8x10s out of a 3-4MP camera, you may get some noticeable degeneration when shooting through the waterproof case. So if the shot is important...it may be worth taking the camera out of the case.

 

If you are not intending to use your camera for scuba excursions, you probably don't need more than a light-duty waterproof case/sport case for your camera. They are much cheaper, thinner, lighter, and more convenient to use for everyday use, and will still provide protection from waves, rain, splashes, and snorkeling. You can climb the Dunn's River Falls, stick them underwater at Stingray City, play on the beach in Cayman, or canoe/kayak/jetski with them. And if you want...you can leave the camera in or take it out easily!

[karen_g]

Wow, thank you ** so much ** for taking the time to provide such a detailled explanation. I really do appreciate it. I have a Nikon Coolpix 4600 (compact) digital camera and Nikon does make a waterproof case specifically for it. However, now I'm thinking that for the limited amount of time that I would actually use it, I might just buy an underwater disposeable camera for use on water-based excursions. Seems like a lot less trouble. Thanks again!

[zackiedawg]

I think that's a good decision. Unless you really think you are going to use it fairly regularly...it is fairly expensive, does require a bit of maintenance, and still has that element of risk if it fails...better to lose a cheap disposable than ruin your $200+ digital camera!

 

I did buy a 'Sport Pack' waterproof case for my Sony L1, which is my pocketable compact I bring alongside my larger cameras. I have mainly used it 4 or 5 days which were raining or threatened rain...once at the beach in the waves, and once in the pool to test it. I really haven't used it very often at all. Only because Sony happens to make a fairly inexpensive light-duty waterproof case did I think it would be worth it - I got the case for $70 when I bought the camera. I still find that I take 95% of the pictures with that camera with no case.

 

The disposables actually do a pretty good job...nothing advanced, and you can't do the deep water stuff with them, but for your average snorkeling and shallow scuba, you only take a handful of shots while doing that anyway!

[MSU2TSU]

Off subject:

Where did you get that font you use on your signature? It's great!

Dawn

[Stranger1]

Karen, if you change your mind I can recommend the Fantasea brand of underwater housings. I think the CP-6 is the one that fits the coolpix 4600 and it runs about half (I think about $139) of what Nikon would charge. The only difference is all of the controls are not accessable but the main ones are. I use one for my 4300 when snorkeling and love it. In fact, I just bought one to go with my 7900. They are good to about 130ft. As far as taking the camera in and out, once in the housing, you can take it out but I wouldn't recommend a constant taking it in and out just because some moisture might drip in while it's open. It does allow for great pictures on dry land as well, but it's probably bulkier than you want to carry arround if you don't need to. As far as the seal...it's very good. I've also used a underwater disposable and they take good pictures especially if you don't plan on blowing them up past 3x5. The colors aren't as good, but that can be fixed with a good software program on your computer.

[zackiedawg]

Off subject:

Where did you get that font you use on your signature? It's great!

Dawn

 

I can't recall the exact site I found them on...but I think you could find them very easily if you did a search on google for 'disney fonts'. The font of my ship list is called 'waltograph', because it resembles Walt Disney's writing, which is used extensively throughout Disney, including the word 'disney' in the corporate logo...and the font I used for my name and city is called 'Started by a Mouse' because it is the Magic Kingdom font.

 

There are a few sites with the fonts...the one I found had 10 or 12 different Disney fonts, including Haunted House, Tomorrowland, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc. Neat stuff!