Lord Morbius

I know underwater photographic gear is expensive, but why could'nt i simply put my regular digi camera or camcorder in a sealed plastic bag and shoot away underwater? i know it would'nt be completely ideal and you could'nt go too deep in case it got damaged by the pressure but surely it would be a hell of a lot cheaper than a dedicated underwater case... presuming you could get one for your make of camera.

Just wondering - Mervyn.

MidnightDiver

Well put it this way, i wouldn't go on putting that kind of expensive gear in a bag i'd be far too worried in what condition i'd find it after the dive. it's sometimes better to put in a little money but at least be sure to get result and not to loose money

Lord Morbius

Well... i can't argue with that sentiment, would fancy losing my pride and joy either for the sake of a harebrained penny pinching notion.

But i was figuring if the bag was tested, you know... you can buy multi purpose sealable bags i'm sure, rated to certain depth limits and try them with some unimportant item before risking your gear - that way you would'nt need to buy different cases for different cameras or everytime you upgraded to another model...

But i just wanted to know if there was some specific reason why this could not be done that i had'nt thought of, I guess you have answered my question.. The main reason is peace of mind - Mervyn.

mikeh269

It might not occur to you now, but go on a dive with a camera in a housing holding it or having it clipped to your BCD.

Even if it isn't intentional, I reckon you will probably bang it around a little, whether it be on your cylinder or the seabed.

Also, using a housing means you get a much better view of the controls and such. I have to say, they are somewhat expensive. Getting one for my compact camera would cost only a touch less than the actual camera.