Not a huge fan of my GoPro

[Chris Ross]

I hope this isn't too much of a hijack. I've always wondered why you use vacuum in a camera housing instead of pressurizing it. Seems a bit counter-intuitive to create a suction in order to keep something out. Inquiring minds and all that.

O-rings need to be loaded to work properly, the pressure from outside pushes the o-ring into groove and provides sealing pressure. The deeper you go the higher the sealing force. If you do the calculations, assuming a vacuum of 200 mBar (same pressure difference as the housing being at a depth of 2m) the force holding a 120mm port in is about 23kg (50 lb). I've seen reports around that 200 mBar is a common vacuum used for these systems. That force helps ensure that a bump can't dislodge a port or break the seal

Unloaded o-rings are easier to dislodge or move to break the seal, this is why cameras will flood in the rinse tank. Having the vacuum on the housing means the port and rear door are being held closed by significant force. You also don't want to pressurize the housing as you would go through a zero pressure differential about 1-3m below the surface - when this happens the o-ring will shift from one side of the groove to the other and if it hangs up it may leak then. Vacuum systems are well proven for leak detection and also for sealing.

 

[Blackcrusader]

I didn't really think about that. I plan to respect the recreational limit, don't think I can hit 45 meters without deco, the lowest I've been is 37. But the G7X hits 60 meters, so maybe this is a factor to consider if everything else is close. Are you a tech diver, or wreck diver or just someone keeping your options open?

Sure you can dive to 45m without deco it's just on air you won't have a lot of time to NDL. Also depends on GF you have in your DC. My GF is 45/95 so at the 95 level I get 7 minutes to NDL at 45m depth but other computers on different settings may get far less. Know you computer and its settings.

I went to 45m to retrieve dropped camera gear from a diver on the previous mornings dive. She knew where she had dropped it so I was able to spot it pretty easily. Finished the dive after 70 mins with 60 bar. 45m is also the max depth for the TG6 housing as well. My Go Pro had a 60m depth rated housing.

 

[bvbellomo]

What you physically can do, what your computer lets you do, what your certifying agency lets you do, and what your operator let you do are all different. My instructors taught us 40 meters is the limit. If the tour operator doesn't want to go deeper, there is no point going off a dark barren cliff while everyone else is looking at the reef on top. My favorite diving so far has been 15-20 meters. If a tour operator suggested taking us to see something really cool and even wanted to take us into light deco even knowing we aren't trained for that, I can't say I wouldn't even be a little tempted.

All these limits are set conservatively. I'd assume a 45 meter housing would be just fine on your 44.8 meter dive, and more than likely would survive a 48.4 meter dive.

 

[sea_ledford]

Keep in mind depth ratings are not necessarily flood depth. With plastic housings they start deforming enough at depth to have buttons no longer line up correctly and you lose functionality. I've taken an Ikelite housing that was rated for 150 to 180. No leaks, but the buttons didn't line up until I went back up to about 160.

There are also the spring rates for each button. At a certain point the ambient pressure is enough to hold buttons in once you press them. Most aluminum housings will have a "deep springs" option to address that. But don't get them unless you need them or have iron fingers for shallow water work .

 

[Degenerate]

What you physically can do, what your computer lets you do, what your certifying agency lets you do, and what your operator let you do are all different. My instructors taught us 40 meters is the limit. If the tour operator doesn't want to go deeper, there is no point going off a dark barren cliff while everyone else is looking at the reef on top. My favorite diving so far has been 15-20 meters. If a tour operator suggested taking us to see something really cool and even wanted to take us into light deco even knowing we aren't trained for that, I can't say I wouldn't even be a little tempted.

All these limits are set conservatively. I'd assume a 45 meter housing would be just fine on your 44.8 meter dive, and more than likely would survive a 48.4 meter dive.

In all fairness, it's not like a housing will implode instantly if it is taken slightly below its rated max depth.
I've had my Ikelite housing rated for 60m down to 70+ a couple times and it's held up alright so far.
I would definitely not bring a 45m rated housing like Olympus own one for the TG6 to those depths, but then again you can get something like the Nauticam housing instead which has a 100m depth rating, I'd be lying if I said I haven't considered it as it's pretty cheap all things considered.

 

[bvbellomo]

Risking temporary camera malfunction on less than 1% of my dives is a non-issue.

 

[Seaweed Doc]

I'll admit to skipping a bunch of posts to add my 2 cents. This may repeat what others have said.

1. I got massive improvement with my GoPro when I added video lights. They're best for closer subject, but they're pretty awesome.
2. I now use a TG-6 with a GoPro mounted to the cold shoe on the housing with two 2,500 lumen lights (5000 lumens total). I'm pretty pleased with it. The GoPro can catch the shark swimming by while I use the TG-6 for ultraclose macro shots.

I'd describe myself as a diver who likes taking underwater photographs, but not a real photographer. I'm happy if the only people my photos impress are my non-diving, non-photographer friends. I've gotten surprisingly good shots with an old GoPro 4 which is all I had in my first foray into underwater digital photography. See below for an example.

My avatar is a shot I think I took with the TG-6.

Good luck!

 

[HKGuns]

As a newer diver, I find the gopro is the perfect setup for under water video. You press a button and point it assuming you have the setting correct.

I would never dream of taking my "real" camera's or lenses diving. I don't take stills, I shoot video with the gopro as it never approaches the quality of my "real" cameras and lenses. All of the extra weight, extreme cost and complexity are not worth it to me. A decent under water housing for my topside camera was around 5 grand last I looked. That doesn't count the lights, mounts etc.........all of which add additional complexity.


For what it is, a point and shoot 4k video device, it does that pretty well. Shoot your video using the flat color profile which provides some additional headroom when post processing.

 

[Chris Ross]

What you physically can do, what your computer lets you do, what your certifying agency lets you do, and what your operator let you do are all different. My instructors taught us 40 meters is the limit. If the tour operator doesn't want to go deeper, there is no point going off a dark barren cliff while everyone else is looking at the reef on top. My favorite diving so far has been 15-20 meters. If a tour operator suggested taking us to see something really cool and even wanted to take us into light deco even knowing we aren't trained for that, I can't say I wouldn't even be a little tempted.

All these limits are set conservatively. I'd assume a 45 meter housing would be just fine on your 44.8 meter dive, and more than likely would survive a 48.4 meter dive.

I would also add if you are diving and get bent and have gone below your trained depths insurance companies won't cover you and will probably ask to download your dive computer for proof. It's in the fine print for DAN insurance. The likelihood of problems is small and actually dropping below your rated depth and not going into deco may or may not increase your risks but I wouldn't be doing it. It may be rare to get DCI but you don't want to be paying for the treatment out of your own pocket particularly if it involves evacuation costs as well.

 

[bvbellomo]

Leaning Olympus PEN E-PL10, but wondering how much more a APS-C with 2xZ330 strobes would really set me back. I realize this is starting to put me into "a photographer who dives" territory, but I haven't read up on all this stuff in years, and am now getting the itch to upgrade my land-based setup.

Based on size and specs, the Canon m6 mark ii seems like a good choice, and it has reasonably priced Ikelite and Seafrogs housings. I haven't read more on the housings, ports or lenses.