DIY Video Housing a success...
- Thread starter willydiver
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ScubaSarus
Guest
Thats a great invention there
lord1234
Contributor
willy this looks absolutely great....I sent you a pm...
OP
willydiver
Guest
Sorry it took so long and thanks for all of the questions and interest on my project. Here's a list of the materials I ordered form McMaster.com for the project. This list excludes general fasteners like screws, bolts, bolt snaps, etc. I figured those would be pretty simple to figure out. I could be wrong though, so email me if you have any particular questions. No problem.
Once again I put this list together but please review it before you place your order to MC to make sure I didn't leave anything out. That was my disclaimer.....
Here goes:
1 each- P/N 48855K42 (5'x6" Sch80 PVC pipe, grey)
1 each- P/N 8747K118 (12"x12"x1" PVC sheet, grey)
8 each- P/N 1794A43 (stainless internal compression spring draw latch w/ catch)
1 each- P/N 9135K331 (12"x2"x0.25" Al bar, grade 5052)
1 each- P/N 8579K34 (12"x1.25" delrin rod, black)
1 each- P/N 8707K151 (12"x12"x0.5" polycarbonate sheet, clear, scratch resistant)
1 each- P/N 9557K252 (1/8" EPDM orings, 5 5/8" inside diameter)
Total price for this order= $216.96 + shipping/handling
Now, to cut the price a little go to your local plumbing supply warehouse (not Home Depot, mine doesn't carry it) and ask for a damaged piece of the Scd80 PVC. That could trim $40 off the order. Also, the orings come in a pack of 9. I saw this as OK because you'll need them in the future anyway.
Orings are CHEAP compared to flooding your camera. Treat them with "kid gloves" to avoid knicking them. Clean them with hot soapy water and give them a fresh coat of silicone grease before every day's diving too.
These are just the materials that I used and not necessarily a requirement. If you find something better or a cheaper supplier, go for it.
Glad to help out in explaining my project. Only thing I ask is to post your projects as you go along. This housing was the result of ALOT of information gained from reading this forum. Please continue to share your ideas, hurdles, and successes, too. It will help out others who may have the same questions, including me.
Thanks!
WD
Once again I put this list together but please review it before you place your order to MC to make sure I didn't leave anything out. That was my disclaimer.....
Here goes:
1 each- P/N 48855K42 (5'x6" Sch80 PVC pipe, grey)
1 each- P/N 8747K118 (12"x12"x1" PVC sheet, grey)
8 each- P/N 1794A43 (stainless internal compression spring draw latch w/ catch)
1 each- P/N 9135K331 (12"x2"x0.25" Al bar, grade 5052)
1 each- P/N 8579K34 (12"x1.25" delrin rod, black)
1 each- P/N 8707K151 (12"x12"x0.5" polycarbonate sheet, clear, scratch resistant)
1 each- P/N 9557K252 (1/8" EPDM orings, 5 5/8" inside diameter)
Total price for this order= $216.96 + shipping/handling
Now, to cut the price a little go to your local plumbing supply warehouse (not Home Depot, mine doesn't carry it) and ask for a damaged piece of the Scd80 PVC. That could trim $40 off the order. Also, the orings come in a pack of 9. I saw this as OK because you'll need them in the future anyway.
Orings are CHEAP compared to flooding your camera. Treat them with "kid gloves" to avoid knicking them. Clean them with hot soapy water and give them a fresh coat of silicone grease before every day's diving too.
These are just the materials that I used and not necessarily a requirement. If you find something better or a cheaper supplier, go for it.
Glad to help out in explaining my project. Only thing I ask is to post your projects as you go along. This housing was the result of ALOT of information gained from reading this forum. Please continue to share your ideas, hurdles, and successes, too. It will help out others who may have the same questions, including me.
Thanks!
WD
DeepThinkers
Guest
Willy
Great job on your housing!
Back in '91 I wanted to take underwater video and couldn't afford the $1,500 price tag ...so I built my first housing out of PVC and lexan. I didn't want to drill holes for controls, so being the 'nut' I am, decided to try alternatives. Some research and several experiments later ...I put my Sony remote control (along with a small silaca pak) inside two, individually tied 'heavy duty' condoms. I would turn camera on/Rec/Standby(pause), then put it in the housing and seal it in. I was very pleased with the video quality and controls.
I nearly lost my remote on the first try. After that I devised a small lanyard which went around my wrist. The Sony remote is IR driven and works well underwater (even through two layers of latex) ...you may want to check to see what type 'signal' is sent by your Canon remote.
BTW ...I currently use a Sony DVR PC 350 which does digital vid and 3mp stills inside an UnderSea Video Housing (magentic controls). The cyan filter really does make a big difference in your color quality, but only use it deeper than 10-15' or everything will have an orangish cast.
You can see some of my stills at http://DeepThinkers.us
Bill
Great job on your housing!
Back in '91 I wanted to take underwater video and couldn't afford the $1,500 price tag ...so I built my first housing out of PVC and lexan. I didn't want to drill holes for controls, so being the 'nut' I am, decided to try alternatives. Some research and several experiments later ...I put my Sony remote control (along with a small silaca pak) inside two, individually tied 'heavy duty' condoms. I would turn camera on/Rec/Standby(pause), then put it in the housing and seal it in. I was very pleased with the video quality and controls.
I nearly lost my remote on the first try. After that I devised a small lanyard which went around my wrist. The Sony remote is IR driven and works well underwater (even through two layers of latex) ...you may want to check to see what type 'signal' is sent by your Canon remote.
BTW ...I currently use a Sony DVR PC 350 which does digital vid and 3mp stills inside an UnderSea Video Housing (magentic controls). The cyan filter really does make a big difference in your color quality, but only use it deeper than 10-15' or everything will have an orangish cast.
You can see some of my stills at http://DeepThinkers.us
Bill
DeepThinkers
Guest
If anyone goes to my site to see digital stills...
I just realized that photos in Album One were taken with Sea & Sea Motormarine II EX and YS-60 Strobe.
Album Two photos were taken digitally with a Sony PC 120 and/or 350 video camera all with natural light only and auto white balance.
Bill
http://DeepThinkers.us
I just realized that photos in Album One were taken with Sea & Sea Motormarine II EX and YS-60 Strobe.
Album Two photos were taken digitally with a Sony PC 120 and/or 350 video camera all with natural light only and auto white balance.
Bill
http://DeepThinkers.us
OP
willydiver
Guest
DeepThinkers:
Bill,
Both albums are great! Sweet pictures from the Sony DV cam! I've got to rig up my housing so I can switch it to take a still while diving. I ripped some stills out of the vid, but with it only taking a handful of frames/second, it's tough to get a still that isn't blurry.
So you recommend fitting the lens with a color correcting filter? I'll look into that and see how I can do it. Hopefully I can buy one that snaps over the camera lens. I'm still tickled at taking videos while diving! Your pics took me back to bonita Isla de Cozumel!!
Thanks,
Will
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Will,willydiver:
UR Pro sells a red filter for the Sony MPK-TRA/B housings. It's 5.8" OD (147mm) Might be close to fitting over the front of your housing, with some sort of an inside tapered holder that you could turn from some of your leftover plastic sheetstock. It's how Quest did theirs - see attached pic. That would allow for removal u/w if needed. Which you'd likely do if you're going to use lights or film deeper than about 60-70'. Last year in Bonaire, I noticed a light level fall-off deeper with the red filter installed.
They also sell a screw-on filter for your camcorder, but you have to buy a step-up adapter also - and be sure that you are going to want to film the whole dive with it in place...it will cause yellowing of footage shot above 15' or so, or anything on the surface in bright sun.
http://www.urprofilters.com/content.do?region=WhichFilter
Given any thought to just taking your camcorder's remote with you to the divesite? Not to dive with but to start/stop the camera through the front port of your housing. I hate to open my housing on the boat or beach for any reason.
Really nice job on the housing. The quality of your/your dad's workmanship is apparent.
canuckdiver
Contributor
Looks really good! Very pro looking!
Been thinking about something like this myself for a while, I think it will be the project for this winter
Been thinking about something like this myself for a while, I think it will be the project for this winter
Nice Job on the housing. I've built several housings for my Sony 8mm camera using nearly the same idea. My lenses are a little different but everything else is the same. They work great and will take more pressure then you think. I've had mine down to 132 feet and it worked prefectly without a single drop of water inside when I got back. It's like you used something thicker then Sch 80 pipe though. Maybe 1/2 inch pressure pipe? It looks much thicker then the pipe I used so yours should withstand the pressure of a dive twice as deep as mine maybe even more.
BTW the controls are easy to add to the housing. You can buy them from Ikelite, they have an entire list of controls available on their website. I used the 5015 which is machined so you can bend the shaft to any angle you want so it will operate the camera controls. You just need to drill a hole in the housing, thread the housing (PVC threads very easy) put thread tape on the gland threads and an O-ring on the gland seat, slightly counter sink the area on the housing where the O-ring will seat and install the control. Vala, you now have control over the caneras functions.
You can checkout my DIY site for more pictures of the housing and canister light I built along with hundreds of pictures of lights, housings and other stuff other have built. A semi set of instructions are posted in the documents section but you have to be a member of the site to view them. No worries though it's free to join and you're welcome to use any of the ideas posted and post pictures of your DIY projects.
Here's a couple of pictures of the housing with and without lights. You can see the controls on either side of the housing as well as a mini 2" color TV I added to make viewing what I'm shooting easier then trying to look through that little view finder on the camera
BTW the controls are easy to add to the housing. You can buy them from Ikelite, they have an entire list of controls available on their website. I used the 5015 which is machined so you can bend the shaft to any angle you want so it will operate the camera controls. You just need to drill a hole in the housing, thread the housing (PVC threads very easy) put thread tape on the gland threads and an O-ring on the gland seat, slightly counter sink the area on the housing where the O-ring will seat and install the control. Vala, you now have control over the caneras functions.
You can checkout my DIY site for more pictures of the housing and canister light I built along with hundreds of pictures of lights, housings and other stuff other have built. A semi set of instructions are posted in the documents section but you have to be a member of the site to view them. No worries though it's free to join and you're welcome to use any of the ideas posted and post pictures of your DIY projects.
Here's a couple of pictures of the housing with and without lights. You can see the controls on either side of the housing as well as a mini 2" color TV I added to make viewing what I'm shooting easier then trying to look through that little view finder on the camera
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