Underwater housing for Sony Camcorder

[DBKK]

Has anyone used an underwater housing for a camcorder? If so, what did you like/dislike about it. I have a Sony HD camcorder and at sony.com the underwater housing itself is $249. Is it worth buying?

[rsldonk]

As long as you maintain the seals per manufacture's instructions, should be fine. One good tip is to get some of those drying agent packs like you find in beef jerky bags and stick that in the housing before you dive. That helps prevent the housing from fogging up. My dad has a similar housing for his and lost about 1/2 an hour of diving with manta rays in fiji because his housing fogged.

[herownsociety]

Look on a website like www. bhphotovideo .com They usually have the best prices and Ikelite might actually make one as well, they are better quality and probably water proof to a deeper depth.

[crule]

If you're handy, there are some plans for a DIY camcorder housing for scuba divers on the web.

 

Basically, it's a PVC tube with lexan on both ends - but with the proper PVC rating, and proper construction, the thing is rated well below 100'.

 

I've got a Sony DCR-SR45HD that I may make a home-made housing for it. Put some magic-filters over the lexan, and I've got an underwater solution.

[DBKK]

Thanks everyone. My hubbie is handy and that might have to go on the honey-do list. good idea.

[ibdiver]

Sorry, but there's no way I'd take my cameras - digital still or video - on a dive in a homemade housing. First, I can't see how you'd operate the camera's controls once it's sealed inside the housing. Spend a few bucks on one that's made professionally, specifically for your make and model camera. The above referral to B&H is probably the best way to go, although there are other reputable sources on the net, or for a few more bucks, check with your local dive shop and speak to someone who can answer your questions at the same time.

[crule]

Regarding the DIY housing - it all depends on what you're after. Are you trying make a Jacques Cousteau documentary, or are you just trying to capture a few pictures of the pretty fishes?

 

If you're a professional (or a serious amateur) photographer/videographer, then yeah - go get an Ikelite.

 

But, if you only get wet once a year as a cruise-diver, and you want to have the gimmick of filming underwater, then build the PVC tube.

 

The idea behind the DIY housing is that just before you gear up, put the camera in the tube, hit record, and seal it up. You edit your video later.

 

You're only out $70 or less anyway. A good Ikelite will cost you many times more than that.

 

Amateur video, amateur housing.

[crule]

One more thing - check the rating on the Sony housing. It's only good for 17' or something like that.

 

This is the PVC housing I wrote about earlier:

 

http://www.instructables.com/id/Underwater-Housing-for-miniDV/

[rsldonk]

and how much did you spend on a camcorder? Do you really want to trust that to a cheap housing? This is just simple insanity. If you had a cheap camcorder you didn't mind ruining (and if your DIY housing doesn't work, the salt water that gets inside WILL ruin your camcorder), then go for it. Otherwise, spend the money, get a good housing you can trust.

 

Being a bit "handy" is a lot different than being able to construct something that's going to keep salt water from destroying something that cost a few hundred dollars. If you are really concerned, there are plenty of cheap underwater cameras on the market also, if a good housing is out of your price range. If you want to play with the DIY stuff, at least use a camcorder you can afford to have destroyed, don't use your nice one.

 

I'm not saying that this isn't possible to build a good quality housing, i'm just saying that with something from a reputable company, you are going to at the very least have liability coverage in case it does leak and you ruin your nice camcorder, with DIY, you are self-insured.

[DBKK]

I think I would rather spend the extra on the Sony product or the Ikelite. I would hate to ruin the camcorder with a homemade gadget although that did sound intriguing in the beginning.