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Underwater camera housings are typically heavy-walled construction to withstand the pressures of deep water. Most camera housings are designed for normal SCUBA depths, up to 130 feet.
We have the capability to design housings for deeper work, and for shallower work. Part of the design consideration is working depth as a tradeoff for cost and weight.
Shown below are examples of designs we have done, with some notes about the requirements and how they were met.
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This was an experimental housing made in conjunction with a friend. By use of a modified os lens to Sony NEX5 adapter, mounted into an anodized Aluminum plate, with an acrylic box, a simple digital “back” was made for this series of lenses.
The housing was made large enough to use a small HDTV monitor as a viewing aid. A single control is used for both still and video.
Photos by Sid Macken.
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A water box is used to enable photography in murky water, by providing a path of clear water for the camera to shoot through for close-up work. In this case, a marine inspection company uses these to provide images of pilings that enable inspectors to look at corrosion, cracks, and other damage to pilings, and to provide documentation of changes over time.
The clearwater box is made of ¼-inch acrylic, with a tempered glass front port. The camera and its housing are mounted in a way to keep air bubbles from becoming trapped between the lens and the rear port of the box. De-ionized water is used in the box, filled though a hole in the upper left front corner of the box, allowing bubbles to burped out. There are waterproof inch/metric scales inside the glass port to enable accurate measurement calibration on the images. Lighting is accomplished by two strobes that can be mounted on two of three positions on the box, allowing for variable modeling for different subjects.
The first photo shows the first version of this housing, with a shaft to extend the trigger to the front right handle. The next photo is the second version with different handle and strobe mount placements, based on feedback from the customer. The third photo is a shot of a piling taken with the second box. Note the calibration scales on the left side and bottom of the frame.
Photos by Ken Sexton. In-water photo courtesy Ocean-Coastal Consultants.
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This is the next generation of the ard housings. This one is for a Canon 50D, battery grip, 20mm 2.8, and TC-timer. For the first time, this housing is made from two sections of polycarbonate, machined from thick blocks, and joined together with screws, interlocking joints, and JB-Weld.
The technique worked well, after a learning curve, and this housing has performed well for two seasons of tough survey work. We also added a removable guard to help protect the dome from scratches during handling.
The second photo shows the adjustable laser pointer mount on the bottom of the housing. It is angled to intersect the lens axis at a distance of 1M, the distance above the reef that the divers try to fly the towboard. The two laser pointers are adjusted precisely parallel, so that they project spots that are a known distance apart on the reef, as a calibration for measuring details in the photos.
Photos by Ken Sexton.
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This was a very unusual request, a housing for a Horseman 4x5 camera with a 50mm Schneider lens and Copal shutter. This means that the diver gets only one shot per dive, but with the image quality of a superb lens onto a piece for 4x5-inch film.
This housing had controls for aperture, shutter speed, shutter cock, and shutter release. It has provisions for easy stowage of the dark slide when it is not in the film holder. It also has an underwater connector of a strobe for multiple exposures at night, and mounts for a strobe flasher and chemical glow-stick for to make it easier for the diver to find it at night. Made of ½-inch clear cast acrylic and a 6-inch polycarbonate dome, it is designed for an operating depth of 160 feet.
The first photo shows the housing with the te strobe attached, and the wire finder frame standing upright. The second shows a closer look at the right rear corner, with strobe connector, strobe mount removed, wire frame closed, and the glow-stick in place.
Photos by Ken Sexton.
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This customer made a medium format camera by combining
a Schneider wide-angle lens with Copal shutter and a 120
roll film back on a body made of mahogany. He also added
a homemade motor drive. This housing uses a 6-inch
polycarbonate dome, and has controls for winder advance,
shutter cock, shutter release, aperture, and focus.
Photo Credit: Ken Sexton. |
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| Rear quarter view of the above camera, showing control details. The housing is made from ½-inch acrylic, and is designed for 160 feet [48M].
Photo Credit: Ken Sexton. |
This housing was made for the Kodak V1253 still camera and a fiber optic driven external flash. This housings uses o-ring-sealed buttons to press the controls located on the top surface of the camera body. |
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| Taken by the customer with this housing, this photo shows a goby off Catalina Island, California.
Photo Credit: Tony Hanna, with permission. |
Underwater Housings for Still Cameras |
Underwater Housings for Video Cameras
Surf Housings for Still Cameras |
Surf Housings for Video Cameras
Instrument Housings |
Telemetry Housings |
Other types of Housings
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