How Deep can I go?

[wetvet]

Hi everyone,

I have a Canon A40 digital camera with the Canon U/W housing. I know this is not state of the art, but I enjoy bringing home my souveneirs from my trips. My question is regarding the depth I can safely take my camera? It is rated to 100 feet, but I know this is a conservative number.

I am going to the Galapagos in October, and know that there are significant currents there, some of them in the downward direction. I also am hesitant to leave my camera on the boat, since you never know when it is going to be "the" dive.

If anyone has any experience, good or bad, I would appreciate your ideas on true maximum safety range for my camera.


Thanks

Wetvet

 

[jonnythan]

I would stick to 100 feet.

If I were you, the last thing I'd be worried about is how my camera is going to do.

 

[Warren_L]

I've found most of the photography I've done in the tropics has been at 50 feet or less. Not so much down deep, so I wouldn't worry too much about pushing it beyond 100 feet. And if you are worried about the down currents pushing you down below 100 feet, the camera would be the least of my concerns.

 

[Gilligan]

wetvet,
There is no answer to your question.
Some may say they have taken their 30 meter rated housings to 110, 115, 120 feet, or more, with no problems. Responses like that may give you a sense of security but it is a false one.
The housing is rated to 30 meters by the manufacturer, no doubt with a conservative built in undisclosed fudge factor.
It is simply a roll of the dice as to whether your individual housing will survive depths in excess of 30 meters.
Any of the small plunger O-rings may leak, the main O-ring may fail, the housing itself may fracture and leak, etc., etc.

 

[Warren_L]

You could also take the housing down without the camera in it first to see if it can take the pressure at whatever depth you want to go to. Maybe put a 2 pound soft weight in a baggie inside the housing to make it neutral. I think the manufacturer may recommend doing this test first anyway.

 

[MonkSeal]

Hi everyone,

I have a Canon A40 digital camera with the Canon U/W housing. I know this is not state of the art, but I enjoy bringing home my souveneirs from my trips. My question is regarding the depth I can safely take my camera? It is rated to 100 feet, but I know this is a conservative number.

I am going to the Galapagos in October, and know that there are significant currents there, some of them in the downward direction. I also am hesitant to leave my camera on the boat, since you never know when it is going to be "the" dive.

If anyone has any experience, good or bad, I would appreciate your ideas on true maximum safety range for my camera.


Thanks

Wetvet

Knowing the housing you have, I would stick to rated depth. Two months ago I saw two of them (both new) leaking at 110 feet (shutter O-ring). If you still want to go deeper, bring the empty housing first with silca gel bag and check for moisture after dive.

 

[hvulin]

Hi,

I have S45 with original Canon housing (also rated to 30m) which I used on depths up to 45m (although water temp. drops fast so I have to vory about fogging much more than depth, and yes, I use silicagel (3 bags))

but be carefull, after 2 years of diving with it you should replace your O-rings if you plan to dive at depths...

btw. what's there to photo on 45m that you can't photo on 20m??? (only logical answer would be wrecks...)

 

[MonkSeal]

btw. what's there to photo on 45m that you can't photo on 20m??? (only logical answer would be wrecks...)

A lot of ... E.g. In Adriatic sea you can't find red coral and purple gorgonia at shellow depths. You have to dive deeper then 45, 50m. Probably same goes for many creatures in other seas.

 

[wetvet]

The reason I am concerned about the depth capabilities is that I am afraid that the dive I do to 110 feet (or the dive I do to 80 feet with the risk of down currents) will be the dive when the whale shark comes within 15 feet of me, and swims beside me for 10 minutes (This trip is to the Galapagos, and I have never been anywhere that compares to the variety of life there). Thanks for all your suggestions. I might consider doing a "dry run" with silica in the case, but if it starts to leak at a depth, will that mean that I need to replace the seals, or will it still be reliable above that depth?

Thanks again

Wetvet

 

[Gilligan]

The first time you take it to 110 feet you may not have any problems. You may do it a second or third time and flood the housing. A dry run is not going to guarantee anything other than the results from that specific dry run. If it leaks on the dry run, where did it leak from? How many control plungers are there? Which one leaked? Or was it the main O-ring? Or did the housing itself crack?
The bottom line here is are you willing to risk losing the camera? If yes and you do, then there will be no more photos of the trip from that point on.