Homemade underwater camera housing

[Loose Gravel]

I've been working a project for myself and need to finish with some underwater photography -- in a pool. I've been thinking of a Nikonos, but most of the other pix in the project are LF and medium. I'd like to do these with a MF.

Anybody here made an underwater housing? Looking on the web, it doesn't look that bad except maybe winding the film. I'd like to use a Mamiya 7 with a 43mm, so focus is probably no a big issue. Seems as though most use a piece of pipe, but I was thinking about an ammo box with the side opened up.

Any thoughts would be great as always. --LG--

 

[Kevin Roach]

how about a periscope instead. Just an L=shaped tube with a mirror. That way you wouldn't have to risk putting your camera in a possibly leaky box.

 

[Steve Smith]

Another option would be to make your housing with an air inlet and use a small pump to apply positive pressure to the inside so air can escape through any gaps rather than allowing water in.

At fairly shallow depths, you would not need a lot of pressure.

Steve.

 

[gwatson]

Have to say, I think you're fairly mad. No offence and all. If you go down the biscuit tin route, I give you evens that you'll trash a very nice piece of kit.

You can get specifically designed 'bags' made from heavy duty plastic with a proper fastening device. You can only go to about 10 meters before the bag starts squeezing the shutter, but that should be fine for you. These sorts of things: http://www.camerasunderwater.co.uk/ewa_marine/compact/index.html

Geoff

 

[MattCarey]

I've been working a project for myself and need to finish with some underwater photography -- in a pool. I've been thinking of a Nikonos, but most of the other pix in the project are LF and medium. I'd like to do these with a MF.

Anybody here made an underwater housing? Looking on the web, it doesn't look that bad except maybe winding the film. I'd like to use a Mamiya 7 with a 43mm, so focus is probably no a big issue. Seems as though most use a piece of pipe, but I was thinking about an ammo box with the side opened up.

Any thoughts would be great as always. --LG--

1) There was a housing made for a MF TLR. I seem to recall it was Rollei and expensive. There is a picture of Gowland using this.

2) Keep in mind that with a flat view port will change the effective focal length of your lens. Your 43mm will be more like a 65mm.

3) the idea of a positive pressure housing seems very risky to me. A little burp and your camera is flooded.

I would contact either Backscatter in Monterey or Subaquatic Photo in Salinas. Dan Blodget at Subaquatic would be a great resource on whether this has been done or how you could do it.

Matt
Matt

 

[darinwc]

As above, I would not be willing to risk an expensive camera in a UW camera housing at all, unless i was specifically insured for it. You could try it with a holga or something... but I think the reality is that UW is a place best left for digital.. you dont have to wind or change film.

 

[Roger Hicks]

I've been working a project for myself and need to finish with some underwater photography -- in a pool. I've been thinking of a Nikonos, but most of the other pix in the project are LF and medium. I'd like to do these with a MF.

Anybody here made an underwater housing? Looking on the web, it doesn't look that bad except maybe winding the film. I'd like to use a Mamiya 7 with a 43mm, so focus is probably no a big issue. Seems as though most use a piece of pipe, but I was thinking about an ammo box with the side opened up.

Any thoughts would be great as always. --LG--

A friend of mine did this, for several cameras (i.e. several housings). He was a Chief Scientist at Kodak. Kodak paid for a lot of it -- which was just as well. It is far more difficult than it looks, especially with wide-angles. Ammo boxes may work for a metre or less, but even then, I'd be nervous.

Incidentally I've handled the Rolleimarin (for TLRs), in Bermuda 40 years ago. A friend of a friend had two (!). It was HUGE, and out of the water, very ungainly too.

Cheers,

R.

 

[MattCarey]

As above, I would not be willing to risk an expensive camera in a UW camera housing at all, unless i was specifically insured for it. You could try it with a holga or something... but I think the reality is that UW is a place best left for digital.. you dont have to wind or change film.

Good point--on a trip to Chuuk my brother and I both flooded our Nikonos cameras. Ouch (turned out to be a problem with the O-ring lube).

Luckily, we both had camera flood insurance. Yep, they sell it.

Now, one thing to consider is the possibility of multiple Nik V's. They are cheap enough--ebay has them for $200-300 with 35mm lens. A CLA and you are on the way. Maybe even skip the CLA. Shoot a roll each dive and swap lenses rather than reload film.

Geez--20mm lenses are about $200.

So, lets say you had 3 Nik V's, with 3 20mm lenses. You could do this for <$1k. I'd probably use one strobe setup--just to reduce bulk--and you are on your way for way cheaper than a digital. Way cheaper.

Or, have a macro and a WA setup. By the time you pay for a dSLR and housing, you could have a stable of Nikonos cameras!

I would have multiple strobe cables, though. Make sure that each camera has a cable setup before you get on the boat. Disconnect the cable from the strobe, reconnect to the fresh camera. Wrap the used camera in a wet rag to keep salt crystals from forming...Makes me want to get back out there!



Matt

 

[MattCarey]

Here is a useful description of UW MF

Dead Link Removed

Matt