Disposable underwater camera with flash. $9 at Walmart. Ever Used, Modifiable?

[jaimey.brown]

Has anyone in here ever used a disposable underwater camera for diving. i know this is a cheap way out but is there any way to modify them to use below 35ft. do they take good pictures up to 35ft. just curious

[Insta-Gator]

We used to have a Ikelite housing that would let you put inexpensive disposables in it for diving. Didn't take great pictures and it was terribly positive (buoyant)

[Hashime]

I bought a re-usable film camera new from a dive shop in Tobermory for $25. It is rated for 33m. No word on picture quality yet though.

[jaimey.brown]

let me know when u find out about the quality of the pics. im goin to the devils den this weekend and im going to try out the walmart camera. ill see how good $9 is underwater. lol

[jaimey.brown]

insta-gator. how bad were your pics and were the cameras just standard above water disposables?

[KWS]

when i used one it was <20$ you can open and replace the film if you want. death is normally when the batteries die for the flash. can still useit though. film is limited to the original one as ther is no shutter speed adjustment.

[Bob3]

The biggest reason the "throw-away" u/w cameras take "less than" thrilling pictures is the close proximity of the flash to the lens causing "backscatter", where the smallest particulate matter suspended in the water looking like a snowstorm/blizzard in the finished picture.
If you're in very clean clear water, it's not that much of an issue.
The reason they can't be used very deep is the shutter release button stays depressed from the water pressure.

If you're after something you can use deeper (90-120 ft., if I recall correctly), we *probably* have something in a more robust housing, though with the same problematic location of the flash.
You'd be looking at the neighborhood of $35 for a 35mm film camera.
(we switched over to all digitals)