Why am I writing this review? I'm writing it because I could find nothing online about the Meikon or Polaroid Canon T3i housings online. I wasn't sure about anything other than the fact that the housing was cheap. I'm sharing my experiences so that other people can make an educated decision on a housing setup, and that there will be at least some information out on the web on a cheaper alternative to expensive housings for people (such as myself) that are on a budget deciding which system to purchase.
Background:
I've used a GoPro (both the Hero 1 and Hero 3 Black) before and liked taking pictures and videos with it, but wanted to get something different. IMO, I think the GoPro is great if you decide you want to go spearfishing and film yourself while doing it. Lately, though, I've wanted to go out with the intent to take pictures/videos instead of spearing.
Well, I ended up selling all my spearguns and bought a Canon T3i with the money. I picked it up on Craigslist for $325 in used (but great) condition. If you're interested, there are some deals for them for ~$430 online.
The following morning I ordered an underwater housing on eBay for $350. The housing is made by Polaroid, but it seems like there are similar housings by a brand called "Meikon." These housings are identical to the Polaroid one I bought but are a little more expensive and ship from Hong Kong (they go for about $450). This housing is also available for the Canon T2i, it seems.
All in all the setup ran me $675. Not a bad deal, I don't think. The new GoPro Hero 3+ will run you $400 plus tax, so I spent a little more for a camera with a little bit different of a purpose.
Here are some stock pictures of the housing:
The Housing:
The build quality of the housing is good. It isn't flimsy and I trust it in the water.
There is no way to manually adjust focus while the camera is in the housing, so you'll be forced to shoot in autofocus or set your manual focus before entering the water.
The zoom wheel does not always match up with the lens: sometimes it jams, sometimes it works- I don't plan on relying on the zoom before entering the water on a dive because I don't trust that it will always be reliable. This is my biggest complaint with the housing. I'm not sure if this problem will only exist with the kit lens, as I haven't tried any other lens in the housing.
I've seen specs that say you can and specs that say you can't access the main dial. You *can* access the dial.
There is a small area for the camera's flash to spread in the water. I can't comment on how well it works in the water, but it seems alright on land. I've never needed to use it underwater. I wouldn't trust it to make any huge improvements on lighting underwater.
You can attach a tray to the bottom of the housing thanks to tripod inserts on the bottom of it.
Cant comment on depth capabilities, but the camera has 160' written on it, the manual says 130', and the Internet says both 100' and 120'. I've taken it down to around 40' with no issues at all.
I am not sure if you can attach strobes to this setup. There seems to be a spot on the top of the housing that would allow a strobe to be attached but I can't confirm this as I haven't tried to use it yet.
Sample Photos:
Background:
I've used a GoPro (both the Hero 1 and Hero 3 Black) before and liked taking pictures and videos with it, but wanted to get something different. IMO, I think the GoPro is great if you decide you want to go spearfishing and film yourself while doing it. Lately, though, I've wanted to go out with the intent to take pictures/videos instead of spearing.
Well, I ended up selling all my spearguns and bought a Canon T3i with the money. I picked it up on Craigslist for $325 in used (but great) condition. If you're interested, there are some deals for them for ~$430 online.
The following morning I ordered an underwater housing on eBay for $350. The housing is made by Polaroid, but it seems like there are similar housings by a brand called "Meikon." These housings are identical to the Polaroid one I bought but are a little more expensive and ship from Hong Kong (they go for about $450). This housing is also available for the Canon T2i, it seems.
All in all the setup ran me $675. Not a bad deal, I don't think. The new GoPro Hero 3+ will run you $400 plus tax, so I spent a little more for a camera with a little bit different of a purpose.
Here are some stock pictures of the housing:
The Housing:
The build quality of the housing is good. It isn't flimsy and I trust it in the water.
There is no way to manually adjust focus while the camera is in the housing, so you'll be forced to shoot in autofocus or set your manual focus before entering the water.
The zoom wheel does not always match up with the lens: sometimes it jams, sometimes it works- I don't plan on relying on the zoom before entering the water on a dive because I don't trust that it will always be reliable. This is my biggest complaint with the housing. I'm not sure if this problem will only exist with the kit lens, as I haven't tried any other lens in the housing.
I've seen specs that say you can and specs that say you can't access the main dial. You *can* access the dial.
There is a small area for the camera's flash to spread in the water. I can't comment on how well it works in the water, but it seems alright on land. I've never needed to use it underwater. I wouldn't trust it to make any huge improvements on lighting underwater.
You can attach a tray to the bottom of the housing thanks to tripod inserts on the bottom of it.
Cant comment on depth capabilities, but the camera has 160' written on it, the manual says 130', and the Internet says both 100' and 120'. I've taken it down to around 40' with no issues at all.
I am not sure if you can attach strobes to this setup. There seems to be a spot on the top of the housing that would allow a strobe to be attached but I can't confirm this as I haven't tried to use it yet.
Sample Photos: