Water resistant camera + Otterbox for depth?

[edenn1423]

So I am still new to diving and I don't quite understand the effects of pressure exactly. I have an Olympus 770sw and it is rated at 10 feet. I have an Otter box that someone else on here has tested to destruction around 150 ft. For now, I am only diving in a lake that has a maximum depth of 30 ft.
My question is, if I use my camera above the approved 10 feet and place it in the Otter box before descending past it, will the camera be o.k.? The box will be flooded above 10 feet and sealed. I think it would be but I don't really want to chance it until I get some input. If it won't be o.k., I guess I have to surface and box it with air instead of water. Having it flooded would just be so much easier.
Thanks for the help!

 

[vladimir]

The pressure inside the Otter box remains at whatever pressure it was sealed at, because it is an airtight, watertight, rigid container. Much like a scuba tank, it is oblivious to external pressure. If you packed your camera in a zip-loc bag it would be a different story.

As an aside, the NY Times today reviewed three cameras that would be good everywhere in your lake. Here's the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/technology/personaltech/23basics.html?8dpc

and an excerpt:

For this article I pool-tested five waterproof point-and-shoot cameras that cost $179 to $400. They are waterproof to depths of 10 feet to 33 feet, which covers typical pool use as well as deep-dive snorkeling (but not scuba diving).

 

[edenn1423]

Awesome. I thought that would be the case, just had to ask the pros!

 

[iztok]

I am not sure this is going to be the case. Water is hardly compressible compared to air.

So if you have water in the box the pressure from outside will transfer easier to inside compared if you have air inside. Because otterbox does give a bit and since air compresses more the small give doesn't transfer to increased air pressure that much, but it does to water pressure.

 

[Doubler]

Why don't you just buy the Olympus Housing for the camera and not worry about the Otter Box?
Just my 2 cents.

 

[iztok]

Here is a thing that should help.

Put the camera in a box above 10ft then try to fill it with air from your regulator and then close it. Air will help giving you "air cushion" reducing the pressure you would normally have if box would be filled with water.

If someone has a pressure meter (depth gauge) that fits in otterbox it would be a good experiment. Put it in when on the surface and take it down to 30 ft and see the reading on it.

Then fill it in with water 1ft under the surface and take it down to 30 ft.

My educated guess here is that in first experiment you will perhaps see slight increase in pressure on the first dive and significantly different on the second dive.

 

[vladimir]

Iztok, I don't understand your reasoning. Either the Otterbox is watertight (like a submarine) under pressure, or it is not. If it is not, then water will enter and it will attain ambient pressure inside. If there is air inside it will either be forced out or it will attain ambient pressure as well. If the Otterbox is totally rigid and watertight under pressure there is no "transfer" of pressure from outside. If it is not totally rigid there will be a slight increase in pressure inside to the extent that the box is deformed and the volume inside is decreased--an increase probably too slight for your pressure gauge to discern.

 

[iztok]

Water is hardly compressible while air is highly compressible. Otterbox is not completely rigid.

Small squeeze in air doesn't increase pressure very much while the same squeeze can change the water pressure heavily.

If Otterbox squeezes for 1% that doesn't increase the air pressure that much. But 1% squeeze in water is significant change in pressure. What I am trying to say is that water inside Otterbox will transfer pressure easier then air.

 

[maynard.hogg]

Why don't you just buy the Olympus Housing for the camera and not worry about the Otter Box?

I second that thought.

FWIW, a month ago, after five years, I replaced my old underwater setup (Olympus mu-40) with a Tough 8000 (waterproof down to 10 m/33 ft) plus Olympus housing. I am VERY happy.

 

[RJP]

If it is not totally rigid there will be a slight increase in pressure inside to the extent that the box is deformed and the volume inside is decreased--an increase probably too slight for your pressure gauge to discern.

The box is NOT totally rigid. The box is designed to keep items inside it "DRY" not "FREE OF PRESSURE."

At depth the pressure in the box will increase substantially - well beyond that which the camera would experienced at 10ft - transferring that pressure to the water INSIDE the box. Since water does not compress well, that pressure is going to be transferred inside the camera, taking water along with it.