Soft plastic bag housings for underwater house

[Progen]

Has anyone used one of these before? I know it's going to sound a bit silly to trust a camera (was planning to put my EOS 550D / Rebel T2i in) in one of these bags but all I need is for it to go down to 4 - 5 metres maximum to record myself when I'm practicing at the bottom of a diving pool or when I'm snorkelling. Won't be using it in actual scuba situations.

Can they be trusted to go a few metres underwater for say 20 - 30 minutes at a time?

 

[KeithG]

Have not used one. They appear to be suitable for keeping a light mist off the camera. Nothing more.

I am not sure that you could operate the camera controls. Shutter is often on top....design of the bag does not seem to provide access...

Once submerged, the air inside will compress and the bag will collapse in on your camera. This may press one or more buttons.

I would also be skeptical about how waterproof they are.

 

[diversteve]

IDK about those but ewa-marine has been selling bag housings for decades and are considered very reliable. They even allow you to get some depth - 33, 60 or 150' - ewa-marine: Underwater housings & rain capes for video & photo cameras

Downside is they're several hundred dollars U.S.. May have more safety/functionality than you need for the bottom of the pool. Apparently this is your nearest dealer: Blue Forest Dive - Enrich Your Dive Experience

 

[Progen]

IDK about those but ewa-marine has been selling bag housings for decades and are considered very reliable. They even allow you to get some depth - 33, 60 or 150' - ewa-marine: Underwater housings & rain capes for video & photo cameras

Downside is they're several hundred dollars U.S.. May have more safety/functionality than you need for the bottom of the pool. Apparently this is your nearest dealer: Blue Forest Dive - Enrich Your Dive Experience

Thanks for the link, diversteve. I suppose this is where the Chinese copied theirs from although I wonder whether the Chinese copies have the glass port. I'll still be going for the Ikelite in the end but with all money concentrated towards my courses, I need a cheap one for just that few metres of swimming pool use.

---------- Post added February 22nd, 2013 at 03:15 PM ----------

The EWA Marine ones sound a bit ambiguous though.

"As the internal and external pressure are always the same in the flexible housings. (the air inside the housing gets compressed as you dive), a housing that is waterproof at 1 ft. will also remain waterproof up to 100 ft and more."

Also says the dSLR ones are rated from 20 - 60 metres. Now we know that's a HUGE difference between 20 and 30 metres so when do we know how deep is too deep for the bag in between that 40 metre difference?

 

[DevonDiver]

How many of these would you be prepared to stack on top of your camera?

'Only' 5 meters deep? So that'd be 3.5x 2lb weights per inch?

1ata = 14.7 psi
5m = 1.5ata
.5ata increase = 7.35lbs per square inch

It might not leak...but...crunch...goodbye!

 

[Progen]

I'm definitely physics challenged but that statement of theirs just doesn't make sense because if it's waterproof at 1 foot and still waterproof at 100 feet, does that mean I can take it to any depth I want?

 

[DevonDiver]

I'm definitely physics challenged but that statement of theirs just doesn't make sense because if it's waterproof at 1 foot and still waterproof at 100 feet, does that mean I can take it to any depth I want?

Waterproof and pressure resistant being different concepts. Pressure being equally capable of destroying a camera as water-logging is..

 

[charlesml3]

They even allow you to get some depth - 33, 60 or 150'

For all that's holy under His Noody Appendage, please tell me how a bag is going to hold back the pressure at 33, 60, or 150'. At just a few feet, these bags shrink down as the air compresses and start to collapse around the camera. At that point, most of the buttons will be unusable. Not terribly useful if you actually want to take photos.

-Charles

 

[Wisnu]

For all that's holy under His Noody Appendage, please tell me how a bag is going to hold back the pressure at 33, 60, or 150'. At just a few feet, these bags shrink down as the air compresses and start to collapse around the camera. At that point, most of the buttons will be unusable. Not terribly useful if you actually want to take photos.

-Charles

I don't use it; not interested nor recommend it - but to answer the question, here:

ewa-marine: Flexible housings: What's that ? And how does it realy work?

it work though not comfy to use at shallow water

 

[Damselfish]

I might trust a cheap camera in a cheap bag. I don't know how much I would trust an expensive camera in a cheap bag. The good bags seem like they are reliable as far as staying dry - but for the money, if you're looking at a housing down the road, might be better to save the money towards that. My husband had one of these for his Rebel, with the idea of using it kayaking and maybe snorkeling. He felt it was too awkward to use even above water.