If you regularly get out into the water for activities like snorkeling and scuba diving and you wish you could take your digital camera along then perhaps you should be thinking about a waterproof camera housing since there is such a plethora of life to see and photograph in this amazing underwater environment. Yet in reality there is no such thing as a truly waterproof digital camera or any type of camera for that matter. Surprised? It’s actually a “waterproof camera housing” that you’re looking for.

Your First Waterproof Camera Housing

Seriously though, this is good news. A waterproof camera housing is simply a specialized case that goes around your model of digital camera, allowing it to go underwater with you without you getting zapped or your camera itself getting fried. This is fantastic news because it’s usually a lot cheaper to pay for the waterproof camera housing than for whole new digital camera.

Most of the major camera manufacturers also make a waterproof camera housing for specifically for each type of camera that they produce. However, if you own an off-brand that may no longer be in business, or simply doesn’t have the capital to get into producing underwater gear, then all is not lost.

Think Twice About a DIY housing

I’ve been told of folks that simply try to put their nice shiny, expensive camera in nothing more that a ziplock baggie. Guess what? It didn’t work and their gear was ruined. Instead of trying to build your own waterproof camera housing, do a little research. There are several different companies that make a bag-like gizmo that is complete with its own hard plastic window to accommodate just about every camera ever made. One note though, if you’re thinking about just putting your camera in a plastic bag, froget about it. It ain’t worth the risk of having your camera getting fried. Chances are that water, especially if it is salt water, will get into the bag and soak your camera, effectively ending any useful life it was previously expected to have. It only takes one ‘well placed’ drop of water to lose the hundreds or thousands that you may have invested in your camera.

With this stuff in mind, also consider how you’re going to remove your camera from its waterproof camera housing once you get out of the water. Whether you go with ‘the bag’ housing option or the more rigid housing, it can be tricky. To open the waterproof camera housing as soon as you’ve exited the water still puts your camera at risk, so it is suggested by some to gently towel off the waterproof camera housing and/or wait at least half an hour or so after you’ve exited the water, doing an extremely thorough dry job. Some folks will even attempt to dry it with canned air or a hair dryer set on a cool setting. If your on a dive boat then maybe you could use the compressor to blast any remaining water off of the housing also.

Depth Ratings For A Waterproof Camera Housing

One thing to think about before dropping a load of money down on any waterproof camera housing for your digital camera is the depth at which you will be taking your camera. If you’re not already a certified or experienced diver, there are established depth limits depending on the type of air mixture you’re going to be using. I believe the depth limit when using regular compressed air is 133 feet for recreational diving. This depth limit increases when you graduate up to special air mixtures such as Nitrox and Heliox but these are usually reserved for search and recovery, industrial and archeological diving.

Being aware of your equipments pressure/depth ratings is critical. As we humans are exploring ever-deeper marine areas the pressures involved at depth may harm lesser housings. For these reasons it’s a good idea to check the depth rating for the brand of waterproof camera housing that you would like to use. These ratings may vary form one manufacturer to another.

Once you’ve found the right waterproof camera housing that is ideal for you and your camera you’re sure to have an exceptional time with your newly “waterproofed” digital camera. As with regular film photography, there is an exceptional array of aquatic flora and fauna to capture on film. As well, there are sunken wrecks and natural phenomena that can lend themselves to amazing photography.

Here is another intriguing post on underwater photography full of other considerations for you to read while pondering your needs in a waterproof camera housing.