When looking for a waterproof case for your DSLR camera, there are more options available than you might think. I’ve been in the market for a waterproof case for my GH2, which I’m using on my current feature film. For me, this case was a great choice and served my needs well, and I’ll explain why. However, for many, this may not be available at all depending on the user’s specific needs.
The advantages of this type of housing are very simple. For starters, it costs very little but still gets the job done. Image quality doesn’t suffer as the build quality is better than I expected in this price range, and the fact that the glass covering the lens is UV-coated shows it. I’ve only taken test shots of the case so far, but the images look great and after testing there’s no doubt I can use it for my purposes. The case itself is essentially a waterproof bag designed for your camera. The mechanism that keeps the case waterproof is a ziplock seal on the top of the case that rolls up when closed and locks into place with two Velcro straps. This doesn’t sound safe, but I’m impressed by how well it actually works. As long as it is used correctly, there is no risk of leakage. The back of the case is nice and clear, making it easy to view the screen or use the EVF.
Some features that are supposed to be the product’s strengths appear to be lacking and often are the product’s weaknesses. For example, the housing has two finger holes near the lens and one finger hole near the shutter. This should allow you to change the focus/aperture ring and use any function in and around the shutter area. Unfortunately, changing focus in this way is very difficult, especially with some lenses. I tried three lenses and the worst was my Lumix Leica 25mm 1.4. This is a fairly small lens, and the focus ring is very delicate, which makes using the finger hole in the housing very difficult. I found that it only worked if I first set the focus and then put the camera into the housing, which was annoying since that’s the lens I needed to use. My SLR Magic lens is easier to use because it has a built-in focus gear ring. One idea to solve this problem is to mount a follow focus device on the lens and see if that makes it easier to grip the housing. Additionally, the product is advertised as adjustable to fit different sized lenses. This characterization of the case is imprecise. In order to adjust the length of the lens case, you basically deflate the bag until it fits snugly around the lens. Again, this doesn’t work perfectly by any means. On my small 25mm lens, it was difficult to get it short enough, so I ended up having to grab the glass part of the housing and pull it closer to the lens while shooting, which worked. My 12mm SLR Magic lens is too wide to use in a case because you can see almost the entire case ring in the lens.
All in all, this case is worth the money. For $140, I can’t imagine getting anything more than that, especially considering that any better solution to the above problem would probably cost at least $3000-$4000. If I had to shoot a lot of underwater footage, I would definitely invest in a different product. But for single shots, I can make it work and know my gear is safe. Who knows when I might use it next, because it’s just sitting there.
I will update soon with footage of our underwater shoot.
