Homemade DSLR housing?

[seaducer]

Hello all.
I was curious if anyone has made a housing for their DSLR? If so, how did you work around tripping the shutter and accessing the other controls? I can make a box but working the camera requires a little more engineering. I was also curious if there is a formula for figuring out how thick acrylic should be and what type of sealant and joints would be best for recreational depths?

I would really love to take my photography to the next level, but dropping big bucks on a housing for my old DSLR camera is not doable right now.

TIA

 

[hollywood703]

what kind of dslr? I picked up a canon 10d with housing for under $800 just for diving....Its not my mk3 but it takes good pictures.....check on ebay and check often....as far as building one, with a lot of buttons, you will start getting close to what it would cost to buy one. If i was gonna DIY, I would do a box with 1 button for the shutter. the more buttons the more chance for failure. I considered building one for mine but after parts labor and accessorries, it was just as cost effective to buy one that had piece of mind.

 

[hanachan]

Hi,seaducer;
I have made 4 DIY housings for olympus E-300(3 housings) and E-3(1 housing).
My first DIY housing ( I call this RED BOX) was made with wood!
As hollywood703 said, this housing had only 1 button for shutter.
Other 3 housings (I named them GREEN, SMALL, BIG BOX,respectively) were made
with acrylic.

I got the buttons and controls from the old waterproof cases for compact digital camera provided by Olympus.

Some buttons have caused water invasion. I made a space for the water pooling in the box and I have taken the photos while checking the volume of the invasion water.

I uploaded how to make these housing. If you have interest,please check the left side menu of my HP.
Explanation in Japanese but many photos may help you understand what I say.

Photos of the Small box and Big box:
myDIY housing:SMALL BOX(E-300) and BIGBOX(E-3)

Sorry my English.

 

[xariatay]

OMG! Wow! Visited your homepage, u even housed the flash & LED! Cool! Looks like water is getting into the housing tho, maybe o-ring can help?

 

[hanachan]

Thanks, xariatay.
At first the buttons (including O ring) transplanted from the old Olympus waterproof case worked well.
But as time passed the water invaded slightly from the buttons.
I experienced the invasion below about 15m depth and its volume was little.

My attempts to stop water invasion, for example the exchange of O ring, greace
and button axis had failed.

I think that the hole through the button axis is dofomred, then the oring don't work well.
It is very difficult for me to make the botton and the hole with minute accuracy.
So I cover the rubber sheet on the button to stop the water invasion.

 

[Packhorse]

Is that a DIY wide angle lens for a G10 on your page?
Way cool! What sort of lens is it?

 

[hanachan]

Is that a DIY wide angle lens for a G10 on your page?
Way cool! What sort of lens is it?

No. This is a (super)macro lens i.e close up lens.
I made this with two KENKO AC close up lens No.5(5 diopter) connected (->about 10 diopter AC lens).

I attached the Sea&Sea WA lens which I used for C-3030 to the G10 housing.
But maximum zooming up was necessary to eliminate the vignette. As a result
the WA lens was not WA.

 

[gert7to3]

If you coat the outside seams on your housing with silicone (RTV) it may help seal better than trying to do so from the inside. That's because the pressure is pushing the silicone against the seal.

Also, think about using the gel from a baby diaper or a gel filled absorbent feminine panty shield to absorb and contain leaking water. The second suggestion may cause some raised eyebrows, but those are about the right size.

You are very talented and skilled. Think about getting a small drill press with an x-y table for milling. You demonstrate quite well what can be accomplished when you stay away from TV and the internet. Gotta go.

 

[xariatay]

You demonstrate quite well what can be accomplished when you stay away from TV and the internet. Gotta go.

Haha! Really true! Should get things done & work on the idea rather sitting on my butt.

 

[hanachan]

If you coat the outside seams on your housing with silicone (RTV) it may help seal better than trying to do so from the inside. That's because the pressure is pushing the silicone against the seal.

Also, think about using the gel from a baby diaper or a gel filled absorbent feminine panty shield to absorb and contain leaking water. The second suggestion may cause some raised eyebrows, but those are about the right size.

You are very talented and skilled. Think about getting a small drill press with an x-y table for milling. You demonstrate quite well what can be accomplished when you stay away from TV and the internet. Gotta go.

Maybe this is a reply to me...

I think I have known your advice well however I would like to say thank you very much for your kindness.
---------------------------------
1) I would like to add somewhat comment about water absorber. I don't raise eyebrows (I know this mean for the first time) because I had used the sanitary pad as water absorber about 8 years ago.

At that time there was a discussion about the water absorber at an U/W digital camera formula in Japan. Many divers taking U/W photos recommended a ladies sanitary pad without evidence. So I had examined how the pad, a facial tissue paper and a silicagel absorb water. The result was uploaded at my HP on Dec 12, 2001 (sorry in japanese).

here and here.

The polymer in the sanitary pad immediatly absorbed the water but it took a few minutes to intake and fix the water.

2.5g silicagel, half the kleenex papaer and 2x3cm sanitary pad absorbed about 2ml water immediatly. This implys that the sanitary pad is not much effective than silicagel and kleenex in QUICK absorption of water.

My conclusion was that
if the predicted water invasion is much and the inner space of the housing is enough,
a piece of sanitary pad wrapped by the kleenex paper is recommeded.
if the water volume is not so much and the inner space is not enough, a silicagel wrapped by kleenex paper is recommeded.

Actually I use a piece of ADULT diaper wrapped by facial tissue paper.
Because it is cheap and easy to buy and I occasionally use it at a very long time diving with dry suits.
----------------------------------

2) My DIY policy is as cheap, easy and safety as possible.
Really I'm not talented and skilled so I want to get a drill press and lathe but it may be against my policy to use these machines.

The professional produces a housing with 10mm or more thick acrylic plate and bend it by heating. This is very difficult and almost impossible for me.

My method is to use thin acrylic plates (usually below 5mm) and the strength is gained by adhesion of 2 or 3 plates. To make a box some acrylic plates are glued by acrylic adhesive.

This method enabled me to cut acrylic and make a hole very easily with a saw for plastics, mini-rooter, mini-drill and mini-vise. So I could produce my housings at the very small area in front of the PC on my desk while looking at TV and doing internet.

Thank you, again.