DIY Video Housing a success...

[Bobby_M]

My first housing still works fine, I just haven't had much time to dive lately so it's been up on the shelf. I have mixed feelings about trying to record dives in general because it is just one more thing to worry about. You tend to think a lot about your $500+ camera when you should be concentrating on your safety, etc.

 

[mikej_w]

I made an enclosure based on some designs shown here. I took a small camera with a good video mode (640x480, 30fps), and formed the enclosure around it. I used 4" PVC sched 40, heated it and formed it around a wooden form. I cut the ends square on a bandsaw, then sanded the ends smooth down to 320 grit. I needed about 4 inches long for my camera. I took 3/8" Plexiglas and glued it on one end, with PVC cement, and then used a router in a router table to flush cut the plexiglas to the edge of the enclosure.

The other end of the tube I had left long, and so now I cut it to length, and I had a cutoff about 3/4" long. So now I sanded the two new ends of the tubes (from the saw marks, again, down to 320). I took 3/8" Plexiglas and glued it on the new end of the cutoff. This would become my lense assembly. With the 3/4" tube glued to the plexiglas, the plexiglas is stiffened, and the plexiglas can be fairly thin, for the span across the largest dimension of the lense surface. I used this end of the body for the lense because the 3/4" tube protects the plastic from scratches.

I again used the router to clean up the outside of the plexiglass on the lense, but then I used the router in a router table with a fence, to cut a rabit in the plexiglas, (flat side down) about half the depth of the plexiglas, so that the rabit just fits into the body of the larger tube.

Instead of looking for an oring, I used silicone, and to make the gasket, I took the lense and covered it with masking tape, cut the masking tape flush with the rabit, filled the rabit overflowing with silicone, and clamped the lense assembly against a flat board with wax paper on it. The next day I trimmed the outside and took off the masking tape, and my lense assembly was complete except for a clamp to hold it on.

I added a way to mount the camera in the case, I added a set of handles, I filled the handles with lead until the case + camera was just slightly negatively bouyant, and I added a clamp to hold the lense on.

I found that this was far simpler than the other designs here. I'll try to add some pictures.

S'Mike

 

[mikej_w]

BTW - I have pressure tested the enclosure to 60', and ran the camera down to 45'...

The video is at vimeo.com -- video # 1231275


S'Mike

 

[MichiganDiver]

You describe some innovative adaptations of the designs here. I'm glad your enclosure is working.

Thanks for sharing.

David

 

[sioux]

Hi there,

dear friends, i´m trying to built an video housing too, do you know where can i find some plans for it ?
I would like to build it on plexy, and add some controls like on/off and maybe another one for zoom in/out.

Thanks for your help.

best regards
Nuno

 

[426Scuba]

Hi there,

dear friends, iŽ´m trying to built an video housing too, do you know where can i find some plans for it ?
I would like to build it on plexy, and add some controls like on/off and maybe another one for zoom in/out.

Thanks for your help.

best regards
Nuno

Why give your money to some one else? You got hundreds of post on this tread and ton's of ideas... Start reading...

 

[pdh]

Hi there,

dear friends, iŽ´m trying to built an video housing too, do you know where can i find some plans for it ?
I would like to build it on plexy, and add some controls like on/off and maybe another one for zoom in/out.

Thanks for your help.

best regards
Nuno

Take a look here - I've put links to some basic plans and pictures of how I built 3 different models and some controls.

Paul's Homemade Underwater Video Housing

Paul.

 

[sioux]

Hello to all,
426scuba : i´m not intend to buy anything, but ask to you all, plans how to contruct an video housing by myself. I´m now reading this tread, as you propose to. Thanks

pdh: hi there, thanks fot the link, i allready read that one, i´m looking for more .
I intend to built one in trasnparent plex like that one, but some how...with controls.
Sooner or later...i will make it. Thanks again for your help.

If someone else has plans, i "priciate" all help that you can have.

By the way, sorry about my english, but it´s too rusty

Best regards,
Nuno

 

[Padipro]

Dive lights, camera housings and more The sites open until February when MSN is going to close it. Take a look and you'll find all the information you need.

 

[TSwain]

Thanks for all the grea info about this. I have bought every thing and have the body built and just have to cut the front lens and mout it. I will post photos when it is all done. Thanks again for he great info!