Using Existing camera

[clovis]

I recently purchased a digital camera (Panasonic DMC-FZ30PP). It renewed the phototophgry bug in me that been dormant for thr last 15 years or so. Big improvements in digital equpiment! I would now like to get into underwater pictures but don't want to buy another camera, I have finally gotten to the point that I can use this camera without stopping to think. My question is where or if I can find a good underwater case or if that is even a good ideal. I looked on line at several companies that make houseings for cameras but they don't have one for this model.
thanks

 

[Bobby_M]

You know, I have the same camera... well OK the FZ20, but I haven't thought to look at housing because I was so caught up in buiding one for my miniDV cam. I think you'll find that any housing manufactured for that camera specifically is going to cost a couple grand (if available at all), especially if you want full control. I wonder if a home-brew version would be workable. Maybe a box made of 1/2" acrylic with a couple Ikelite external controls for the most important functions like "shutter". After that, you'd have to figure out how to attach strobes because the built in flash just does not work underwater. The particulates directly in front of the lense get blown out.


Bobby

 

[Larry C]

Sounds like a great camera. High resolution, lots of zoom. Unfortunately, Panasonic is not a popular UW brand and your FZ30 is a brand new model. You have a couple of choices. Wait until and if Panasonic makes a housing-they are available in the US through Aiko Trading Co., mostly in the $350 range. Get a similar Panasonic model with housing available. Buy one of the popular model UW cameras from Canon, Olympus etc. that are available with a housing. You can read numerous threads here on the Canon S80, Oly SP350 and Fuji E-900 plus there are a significant number of lower models that are available and do a fine job underwater.

 

[RonFrank]

I recently purchased a digital camera (Panasonic DMC-FZ30PP).

My question is where or if I can find a good underwater case or if that is even a good ideal.

This camera has been around for a year. If there is no housing yet, IMO there will not be one produced. The housing market is small as it is, and manufactures are not going to dedicate the time to produce what is basically a custom design per body for a body that is not VERY popular.

Typically manufactures like Ike, Sea&Sea announce the housing within a couple months of the camera availability, and the manufacture of the camera generally will announce the housing as an available accessory IF they plan on producing one... sorry.

 

[f3nikon]

I recently purchased a digital camera (Panasonic DMC-FZ30PP). It renewed the phototophgry bug in me that been dormant for thr last 15 years or so. Big improvements in digital equpiment! I would now like to get into underwater pictures but don't want to buy another camera, I have finally gotten to the point that I can use this camera without stopping to think. My question is where or if I can find a good underwater case or if that is even a good ideal. I looked on line at several companies that make houseings for cameras but they don't have one for this model.
thanks

Do some homework checkout the basic SLR housings from Ikelite:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Under-Water-Hou...89QQihZ017QQcategoryZ4703QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I bought one for $20 which includes the dome and flat port. Waterproof to 300ft.
Your Panasonic looks to be about he same size as the film SLRs the tripod 1/4-20 mount is standard on all film and digital cameras and you may have to bend the shutter release lever on the housing to line up with your camera.

I did this with a Canon G-1 Digital in my old SLR film housing, worked just fine in automode