Housing recommendations?

[Allen42]

I have a Sony TRV120 Digital8 cam that I'd like to get underwater every once in a while.

However, I don't even take a camera on that many dives, and I certainly wouldn't take a camcorder very often. Usually, I just want to dive and not be burdened by a camera. This means that I can't really justify spending a lot of money on a housing.

That being said, is there a recommended low-cost housing manufacturer? Is it feasible to rent such a thing on the days I'm interested?

And, why on earth are these housings so expensive? They don't seem to be that much more complex than the camera housings, but are quite a bit more expensive.

Any ideas out there?

-Allen

 

[friscuba]

In regards to pricing.....Most of the video housings, and many of the camera housings, are injection molded. Injections molds cost a fortune. You have to be able to sell a lot of housings to be able to make up the initial investment. The smaller camera housings available these days are cheap enough to appeal to the snorkeling, rafting and fishing people...this increases the likelyhood of selling lots of housings. Just go to any dive site and compare the number of camera housings versus video housings and you'll see that one meduim does have a much larger market share.

Most of the cheap injection molded housing for the cameras are produced by the manufacturer of the cameras and are small (which means significantly less expensive for the mold) and are produced in significant numbers. The manufacturers have the benefit of knowing how many units of a particualr body type of camera they are going to produce. For an independant company to spend 70-100 grand for a mold the size of a loaf of bread on the hopes that they will sell enough housings to repay the original investment and actually make some profit in the end, they have to be willing to take the risk that the body style they are producing for will still be around for a while so they can sell enough housings to make it worthwhile.

I personally have the same camera you have and use the USVH housings. It is the best housing in it's price range, but might be a bit more than a part time user wants to spend. Try looking a Top Dawg or Quest housings.

later

Steve

 

[mark1967]

I bought an aquavideo.com housing, simple to use...just place the camera in and you press an outside button to start and stop recording. Cost about 500.

Then I bought a NIMAR housing, from italy...with an external crystal wide lens for my trv-950. amazing video and controls.. about 1200...

just my 2¢ worth.

mark

 

[Allen42]

Are you interested in selling the old housing?