BCscubadive
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hi guys, im looking for a way to built a cheap and quick camera housing for taking picutes underwater, its just a nikon coolpix cheapy camera
any ideas?? please help
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I do not have the expertise to even begin doing this, but I do know that you can get an underwater housing for almost any popular camera.
Bubbletrubble
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What's your budget?
For about $300, you can get a commercially-available low-end Canon P&S + Canon UW housing. These rigs take great pics considering the modest investment. Probably not worth your time to design a housing yourself unless you have the right tools, materials, and know-how to bring the project to fruition.
Maybe I was just a slow learner, but when I had fewer than 25 dives I exhibited good but not great buoyancy control. You should know that having great buoyancy control and excellent finning technique is critical to enjoying UW photography. I didn't even think about getting an inexpensive UW photo rig until I had about 80 dives. At our local dive sites, I see novice divers waving a camera around as they crash into the bottom and each other. You can see where they've been by following the silt cloud. They look downright silly. I don't think they "see" as much as they would if they weren't messing with little buttons. In most cases, they aren't paying enough attention to their buddy either. Make sure that your diving skills are up to snuff before task-loading yourself with operating an UW camera.
For about $300, you can get a commercially-available low-end Canon P&S + Canon UW housing. These rigs take great pics considering the modest investment. Probably not worth your time to design a housing yourself unless you have the right tools, materials, and know-how to bring the project to fruition.
Maybe I was just a slow learner, but when I had fewer than 25 dives I exhibited good but not great buoyancy control. You should know that having great buoyancy control and excellent finning technique is critical to enjoying UW photography. I didn't even think about getting an inexpensive UW photo rig until I had about 80 dives. At our local dive sites, I see novice divers waving a camera around as they crash into the bottom and each other. You can see where they've been by following the silt cloud. They look downright silly. I don't think they "see" as much as they would if they weren't messing with little buttons. In most cases, they aren't paying enough attention to their buddy either. Make sure that your diving skills are up to snuff before task-loading yourself with operating an UW camera.
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Look at eBay.
Even if there isn't a housing for your exact model, you can buy a 3meg point and shoot Olympus (or Canon, etc) for next to nothing and have an absolute blast.
If you want a housing for 10 feet shallow or less, you can build them out of a 30 cal. ammo box, some tempered glass, goop, and an electronic servo switch form American Science & Surplus : Supply house to the mad scientist in everyone Might be okay for a merit badge, but otherwise not a very time efficient project.
Even if there isn't a housing for your exact model, you can buy a 3meg point and shoot Olympus (or Canon, etc) for next to nothing and have an absolute blast.
If you want a housing for 10 feet shallow or less, you can build them out of a 30 cal. ammo box, some tempered glass, goop, and an electronic servo switch form American Science & Surplus : Supply house to the mad scientist in everyone Might be okay for a merit badge, but otherwise not a very time efficient project.
I've got a perfectly good Ikelite housing for an older Coolpix 3100. The camera died and we upgraded. It could probably be modified to hold your camera although all the buttons probably wouldn't line up. PM me if you're interested. I'd part with it pretty cheap.
OP
BCscubadive
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my budget is like 50$ so alot less, any ideass?
my budget is like 50$ so alot less, any ideass?
hummm . . . I hate to be the one to put a damper on your quest, but I need to point out that the typical housing tends to cost more than the price of the camera.
There are bags you can buy to hold any camera. Before you shell out any money for them, check the depth rating for the bag. Most of them are in the same realm as the 35mm instant cameras (about 10 feet). They are really made for snorkelers.
Perhaps you could hold off a little be and use the money to take an underwater photography class. That would get you an idea of what you can use effectively and inexpensively.
What I hate to see you experience is to take your camera underwater with insufficient protection and have both your camera and your happiness destroyed.
First point, you should try in the DIY sub forum or the UW photo forum.
Second, for the budget you have there is only those Aquapac bags, but they are only rated up to 10 mts.
The main problem is the push buttons for the controls. There is a lot of holes for those push buttons that add complexity and cost.
It's a lot simpler to do an UW case for a video camera than for a PS camera, as there are less controls.
And, as have already been mentioned here, the UW case is more expensive than the camera itself.
In my case, the Canon A570IS costed me $ 195 and the case $ 240
Second, for the budget you have there is only those Aquapac bags, but they are only rated up to 10 mts.
The main problem is the push buttons for the controls. There is a lot of holes for those push buttons that add complexity and cost.
It's a lot simpler to do an UW case for a video camera than for a PS camera, as there are less controls.
And, as have already been mentioned here, the UW case is more expensive than the camera itself.
In my case, the Canon A570IS costed me $ 195 and the case $ 240
Don't bother with the vinyl bags, not worth a penny unless you just want to keep your camera safe from splashes around the swimming pool.
$50 budget? Forget it. Parts and tools alone will cost more than than, even if you wanted to manufacture your own housing. You'll have better luck waiting for an uncle to die and leave you his underwater camera housing.
$50 budget? Forget it. Parts and tools alone will cost more than than, even if you wanted to manufacture your own housing. You'll have better luck waiting for an uncle to die and leave you his underwater camera housing.
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