Underwater Housing

[krandall]

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Does anyone know if there is an underwater housing made for the D-lux 4? Or is the only option an EWA marine bag?

 

TIA

[stuny]

If you elect to use the "bag" I suggest you not go any deeper than one or two atmospheres (30 feet).

[krandall]

I only need it in very shallow water... I take photos of aquatic plants and precious few can survive deeper than 10 feet. Mostly I am wading in hip boots when I am taking pictures under water!

[pgk]

AFAIAA your best option is probably a Ewa bag - they are messy to use though and not that cheap - dare I suggest that a cheaper camera and housing from another manufacturer might make more sense??? I specialise in underwater photography and ALWAYS advise people to buy camera and housing together because that way people get to see what is available as an 'outfit' and what cameras are best supported. Try digideep.com :: list of all underwater housings suitable for digital photography and videography... or Wetpixel.com :: Underwater Photography and Videography for more info. Digideep lists only one potential housing for the D-Lux 4 at well over €1000!

[krandall]

Thanks, Paul. I already own a less expensive (though not cheap!) digicam with dedicated housing, but have been really under-impressed with the photos it takes (dry or wet). Of course, this has been true of every digicam I've tried until the D-Lux 4. I need publication quality photos. It looks like my options at this point are to buy an underwater housing for my DSLR (MAJOR big bucks) or see if I can get away with the D-Lux 4 and an Ewa-Marine bag.

 

Since I need this equipment traveling overseas, and often have to carry it up slippery streams on my back, the D-lux 4 plus any type of housing is still going to be smaller and lighter than adding a DSLR housing to my pack. The factors that I have in my favor are that I only shoot in very shallow water, always in fresh water, and can easily carry a pack towel with me to dry off whatever gets wet.

 

I think for the $160-odd that the EWA marine bag will cost, it's worth buying one now and playing around with it close to home. My next big trip where I will need it under water isn't until November (Taiwan) so I have time to make other arrangements if I need to. Thanks for the input!

[steve70]

Hi,

As far as I know no one yet makes an undewater housing for a D-Lux4 and I doubt that anyone will, or at least make one at a reasonable price.

I do a lot of underwater photography and my suggestion, if you are on a bit of a budget, would be to purchase a Canon G11 along with the Canon underwater housing for it.

I own a D-Lux 4 and just purchased the new V-Lux 20 and indeed they would be great underwater, but I would not trust the bags. I currently use a Canon G10 and the Canon housing and i have to say that they work quite well, the quality is quite good and you can go down to 100 to 120 ft with no problems, leaks, etc.

[Geka]

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I have used this one when I was diving up to 8 m. in the Great Barrier Reef last year.

ewa-marine: D-SC

I made a lot of pictures and had no problems but you have to evacuate as much as possible air out of the housing before diving.

[krandall]

Thank you both for your input, Steve and Geka. I looked at the G11 before I bought the D-Lux 4. I really don't want another camera at this point. I chose the D-Lux 4 over the G11 mainly because it was much smaller and lighter. The G11 is a great camera, but it's a brick. I've already got 2 DSLR bodies and multiple lenses with me when I'm in the field.

 

I really don't need to worry about depth. Many times I only need to get the lens below the water surface. I'll never need to have it more than an arm's length deep. As I mentioned, this is not for diving... It's pretty special purposed.

[pgk]

What are you actually taking images of? I ask because I have on occasion shot aquatic plants (on dSLR) upon request, and will be doing so again soon I hope. Ewa bags are probably ok but in my experience they are awkward in use and limited because of the flat front 'port'.

[krandall]

I take photos of submersed plants (mostly aquarium plants or plants that we think have potential as aquarium plants) in their natural environment.

 

When you are shooting plants with a DSLR, are you doing it with a dedicated housing or in an aquarium? I shoot lots of photos in aquariums, but this is for shots in the wild.

[pgk]

I shoot underwater with a Canon 5D2 in a dedicated housing (though I do shoot in aquaria at times). If I'm asked to shoot plants, its usually marine or (infrequently) rare and protected freshwater species.

[krandall]

I don't do anything with marine macro algae. My work is exclusively with vascular plants. I'd love to be able to afford/justify the expense of a housing for my 50D, but it's not happening in the forseeable future.

[Lumistu]

Here's a couple of options, but they might be overkill for what you want and are not necessarily cheap:

 

List of underwater housings that turn the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 into an underwater camera

[Guest BigSplash]

In London there is a shop "Ocean Leisure" situated at the Embankment on the Thames that supplies marine stuff. Inside the shp is a specialist underwater camera centre that has housings for many makes. They are very helpful I would get in contact with them. The web site is: Cameras Underwater Ltd: London Showroom.

 

Good luck. There is also a similar company in Germany that exhibits at the Dusseldorf Boat show (January each year) ...I am sure you could track these people down also.

[krandall]

Thank you both! That helps.

 

Karen

[marcg]

I used a Ewa housing a few years ago wih a video camera. It was only snorkelling but the welded seams of the bag split and seawater damaged the camera.

 

I later met someone else with a similar experience

[krandall]

Did you contact EWA when it happened? What did they have to say about it? These bags are not inexpensive...