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DIY – The Cheap Yet Shamefull Underwater Camera Housing

Apr 13, 2007 by Udi Tirosh 1 Comment

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under water camera housingIt is reported that Navy SEALS commonly use two condoms to seal firing assemblies for their underwater explosives, having thus coined the term: “Dual Waterproof Firing Assemblies”. This article is a tribute to their ingenuity, and it expands on the concept of the waterproof condom, in order to make a waterproof housing for my digital camera (and other consumer electronics).

(OK, OK, the original title was “Dual Waterproof Consumer Electronics – the condom housing”)

It starts with a humoristic video, detailing how I bought the condoms (not as simple as it sounds!), and showing the building process, as well as some of the uses for the housings.

under water camera housing 00

Buying the condoms!

Sounds simple right?

However, the main dilemma lies here: you will need condoms that are very clear, so as to give a clear picture, and you also need them unlubricated, so the lube would not cover your camera (or prevent the glue to adhere).
My local chemist’s were not much use in giving me advice (as you can see from the vid), but in the end, they did not have unlubricated condoms, so I purchased some normal ones.

I also ordered some Trojan unlubricated condoms online, but the problem with them is that they are coated in some sort of talcum powder, which makes them a bit blurry (as you can see from the pics and the vid). The obvious answer is to wash this lube or powder, but the condom is then unrolled, which makes it much harder to slip on the camera…

Speak of problems, huh!

under water camera housing 01

Protect the objective (ie camera)

If you do not want to strip the gears in the zoom motor, protect the objective with a roll of cardboard (here I used two rolls, one inside the other, for strength: a piece of loo roll, and a piece of kitchen towel roll).

under water camera housing 02

Place a dessicant bag…

… one the camera to prevent condensation forming in the housing.

By the way, these tend to absorb ambient humidity, so if it has been sitting in the house for a while, it’s unlikely to work well…

Put it in the microwave for a minute before use, and make sure not to burn yourself when you get it out.

under water camera housing 03

Slip the condom on…

… tie a knot ; and seal with a glop of wetsuit glue

under water camera housing 04

Slip on a second condom…

… tie a knot, and apply glue again.

under water camera housing 05

And there you have it…

under water camera housing 06

A dual waterproof housing for all your consumer electronics. Works great on car key remote controls, for surfers who are fed up with leaving their keys under a wheel, and having all their clothes nicked…

This article was contributed by Sam Noyoun a member of the DIYPhotography.net instructibles group (check his other instructibles, and videos – this guy ROCKS!)

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Filed Under: DIY Tagged With: DIY Photography & Studio, Travel, underwater

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.net

About Udi Tirosh

Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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