Cell phone pics?

[Mason Gierke]

Does anyone use a cell phone in a Kraken waterproof case for pics when diving. How do the pictures look? Do you use lights? Filters? Add on lenses? I dont want to get into photography, more just want to snap pics of the cool stuff underwater, maybe print some to hang on the wall or just show someone. Before I spend $300 on a case just wondering what kind of results everyone has had.

 

[kelemvor]

There's a review with a couple sample pics here. I'm sure results will vary greatly depending on which phone you have and of course user skill level. Kraken review and photos: Underwater Photography Forum: Digital Photography Review

This guy's pics look really good.

I went with a sealife because I thought it might get a little buggy trying to use my cell phone underwater. You can't touch the screen when it's in the case so what if something closes the camera app or some such? Maybe it's a non-issue but that worry is what's kept me away from the kraken.

If you've got a modern phone, (galaxy s9 or newer, iphone xX or newer) then the phone will already be waterproof. Not depth proof, but being waterproof eliminates any concern about getting the phone wet on a dive boat before/after the dive.

 

[dhaas]

Cell phones for UW shooting is in state of flux. While the latest crop of Samsung, Apple and Pixel phones produce great images above water using them UW even in the best of housing choices (Kraken, Watershot plus another brand I can't recall) introduce challenges.

Most require an App installed then protocols for start up, changing settings, etc. Battery life is usually challenged too.
No one uses external flash as you can't synch your phone's flash plus this would suck your phone's battery even faster. A fixed LED video light up to 3000 lumens is the most commonly used choice.

I am an ardent advocate for compact cameras especially the latest 1" models from Sony and Canon for UW shooting (Full disclosure I'm a Fantasea and Ikelite dealer PLUS actual user of both brands for years.)

Ease of travel with lower cost, size and great capability make these winners. Compact cameras like my Canon G7X II in a Fantasea housing with Inon strobes is all I've used for 3 years after decades of hauling SLRs around the world. It's been wonderful

I'm seeing less and less people bring a SLR or mirrorless ILC (Interchangeable lens) camera o my trips these days too. For example I'm taking 25 people to La Paz Baja next week. Two have full sized SLR housings and 14 have a compact camera with maybe one small strobe.

That said my iPhone Xr and next generation camera phones will be where I think the market eventually goes.

There are now printing services on all manner of materials including aluminum and coffee table trip memory books that look great with DECENT exposed and focused cell phone or compact camera pictures. Printing has evolved rapidly with lower cost and better quality each year.

This will also continue to improve with technology including AI and Apps in cell phones and compact cameras too.

I haven't housed my iPhone YET but truly believe this as the norm is coming. For UW photography and travel imaging in general it'll be more popular than people snapping up GoPros which has waned a bit. They're still great for video but for stills a good 1" sensor compact has it beat, NOW.....

Just one old guy's opinion after diving for 50 in 2020!

David Haas
Haas Photography Inc.

 

[dhaas]

PS - Right now I use the Wifi capability of my Canon G7X II camera to send a few pics to my iPhone Xr when traveling.

60 seconds of editing in Snapseed (FREE App now) makes the images shine then easily upload to any social media platform sharing travel pics with friends and family.

I've done this on lots of trip both diving and non-diving if not taking my light small 11" MacBook Air.

Just another thought.

DH

 

[kelemvor]

I did some reading on kraken's website. There's 2 versions of the kraken housing. One has depth/temp sensors and the other does not. They support the Dive+ app, so you could get the housing with sensors and also use the phone as a dive computer. I'm not sure if the app uses the depth sensor to provide input for color correction or not. The sensor version has a $100 higher msrp.

Unfortunately, they specifically say it won't fit the note9. That's odd because I could have sworn I put my note9 into one at my LDS. They do say it will fit all available iphones and all samsung galaxy S and note (except note9). Pretty sure s9+ and s10+ are the same size as note9 though...

 

[MRGL]

Im using a Sea Frogs housing very similar to the Vals Tech housing and haven't looked back. It's phone specific , but hands down the best piece of gear i've bought to date, and i've bought just about every piece of dive gear multiple times over!

I've got full use of the phone and use the native camera app with all its functionality, i can also hibernate the phone (not sure if that's the correct term) and switch the display to save battery life as well as switching it back on too. Just make sure you have disabled your pin code/touch ID.

I've delayed getting a new phone because i enjoy using my iphone 7 so much , I'll prob upgrade when the new iphone is announced and get another Sea Frogs housing too.

 

[dhaas]

The Valstech is the other housing I couldn't recall the name. Designed by legendary UW housing designer Val Renetkins who created video housings in the early days it is a well thought piece of work.

The fast you can use the screen and native camera App through conductive swipe pads in hte housing is key to that housing and I think pretty cool. The housings are pretty specific to a cell phone model though.

DH

 

[kelemvor]

I've got full use of the phone

Do you mean that the touch screen somehow works underwater when in the case? I've not heard of this housing, I thought the kraken (and the chinese copy) were the first of their kind... Obviously I was wrong!

Edit: I see why I didn't know about it. It's iphone only and I'm an Android kind of guy. Still, I'm curious to know if they have a solution for the touch features.

and.. ugh! USPTO granted them a patent for distortion correction....on an iphone! Just because you do something that's common but on an iphone doesn't make it novel. Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.

 

[MRGL]

Do you mean that the touch screen somehow works underwater when in the case? I've not heard of this housing, I thought the kraken (and the chinese copy) were the first of their kind... Obviously I was wrong!

Edit: I see why I didn't know about it. It's iphone only and I'm an Android kind of guy. Still, I'm curious to know if they have a solution for the touch features.

and.. ugh! USPTO granted them a patent for distortion correction....on an iphone! Just because you do something that's common but on an iphone doesn't make it novel. Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.

Cool huh ???

 

[gr8jab]

I don't know how some people could dream of using a phone as a camera while diving. It may work fine, but I wouldn't risk it. Maybe a spare phone (last year's leftover).

I've seen and heard of enough camera housings that flood that I won't risk my phone. Yes, it is partly the cost of the phone. Replacing it in a timely fashion, especially in a foreign country, is not possible. It is also the huge problem associated with having no phone. I use it to communicate with family, send pictures, post messages, call UBER, airline boarding pass, navigation, and a whole slew of other things. I would NEVER risk my phone in this manner, especially while on vacation.

If you want to snap a few pictures while diving, buy a GoPro... plenty of used ones for sale on eBay. You don't need the 2020 model. Get something circa 2018 for less than $150.