Gadgetory

water is the enemy of most technological devices cameras included so what are your solutions for keeping your camera dry while still being able to capture the memories that you're making in and around water terrons suggested buying an aquarium to put the camera inside and shooting downward like a glass-bottom boat but surely there's a better way let's look into it cool masters Master Casemaker five features they're freeform modular system allowing you to customize adjust and upgrade make it yours more info in the link in the video description let's open with a retro solution the classic disposable waterproof camera this Fujifilm quick snap is limited to 27 shots needs to be developed at a photolab cost $15 and isn't rated for depths greater than what you'd reach while snorkeling the advantages are that it floats making it hard to lose and if you're using an older smartphone the resulting digital negatives will deliver higher quality prints however I'm not a huge fan of the solution for the reasons outlines let's get into the more modern ones like this generic dry bag for smartphones this one is from J Tech these simple little pouches are shaped to fit your smartphone protecting it from splashes and dirt and even allowing you to fully submerge your device here is the biggest problem with using a dry bag like this as your waterproof solution using your screen can be frustrating most camera controls even the shutter button on most phones is controlled through the touch screen which would frequently fail to register touches my recommendation here is to map your shutter button to a hardware button on your phone which as long as you're happy with full auto operation will allow you to not have to fiddle with your on-screen buttons iPhones use the volume buttons by default and some Android phones have dedicated buttons but if yours doesn't there are apps that enable this functionality this will also allow you to press the shutter button underwater since touchscreens do not operate well when fully submerged the other possibly even more frustrating issue I face when using these dry bags was the frequent unintentional screen presses caused by water splashing onto the screen during use this is just a limitation of capacitive touchscreens so unless we want to go back to pressure sensitive technology it's likely you like me will end up with zoom ins and pictures taken that were never intended thankfully we don't pay for film anymore and without having to spend hours and Lightroom tweaking at least the image quality seems surprisingly ok but I would still describe these dry bags as at best a passable low budget solution if your main goal is to keep your phone safe from the elements which it did a great job of and the actual usage of your device is secondary if however consistent usage of your device is more you you might want to give a waterproof case made specifically for your model a phone a shot in this case we picked a lifeproof enclosure made for the galaxy s7 called the fray this solution proved to be much more functional since the buttons on the case are formed to your phone allowing use with your device's physical buttons to be much easier the case also did not register as many accidental inputs making the camera with water splashing around a much more manageable experience I found myself appreciating how much more comfortable the case was to use for regular use above water since the form factor was much easier to manage not to mention the advantage of not needing to suit up your phone before entering the pool cost-wise this case comes in that nearly 5 times more than a generic dry bag and it can only be used with a smartphone model it's made for however if you're a casual underwater photo taker and care about regular use of your phone while on a trip or you spend a lot of time around water this is probably the best option for you now for those of you who want something a bit more powerful action cams like our gopro hero4 black edition are a great choice image quality has gone from awful to actually surprisingly good in the last 5 years but the biggest advantage of using something like the GoPro in my mind is the sheer number of places you can put it the hero4 has a multitude of 1st and 3rd party accessories that allow mounting to basically anywhere your imagination wants it to go from using on a selfie stick jumping into a clear cenote using the head mounts to get a first-person view while running up a Mayan ruin and even capturing a sea turtle on a 70 foot dive we made great uses of all of these mounts during our trip in Mexico what's great about this is that it enables us to get shots that otherwise aren't possible due to space or operational constraints sometimes you just don't have any hands-free to hold a larger camera the biggest obvious drawback of a GoPro is that it does not by default have any way to preview your image on the camera GoPro solution to this is to monitor your camera through their app on iOS and Android which is fine if you're mounting esthetically and you are certain it won't get bumped when you're in the middle of the action but in practice this is not always simple to achieve while GoPros marketing is centered almost entirely on their products in extreme situations I included it in this roundup because with the hero4 black you can shoot 12 megapixel stills in a variety of different modes including single-shot burst mode time lapse and night lapse while the hero4 black edition is the highest tier model of gopro there are other models available at more affordable price points but overall even though the waterproof housing is included a gopro and mounts can end up being a dauntingly expensive option for casual users and on that note here's an even pricier option an underwater housing made specifically for your camera we've opted for the IKE light housing for the rx100 mark for a wonderfully powerful little point-and-shoot camera that is great for travel and that I explored in more detail here the i-clay housing allows you to use the rx100 completely submerged with a depth rating of 200 feet though you'll need to make sure to check your seals each time you submerge because Linus forgot to grease the o-ring and managed to get water into it on a 70 foot scuba trip though unfortunately the camera survived with the rx100 unlike the other options we have looked at so far you have a greater range in your field of view thanks to the rx100 it's great 24 to 70 millimeter equivalent zoom range now before you go out and buy a fancy underwater housing for whatever camera you love to use keep in mind that while this was the best option we looked at from an image quality point of view and no small part thanks to its 24 to 70 millimeter equivalent zoom range and the excellent 1 inch sensor from Sony with this particular eye clay I had no controls for the dial on the arts 100 forcing me to set my aperture and shutter speed before getting into the water along with a limited exposure control I found the zoom rocker on the housing to be very stiff to use I would turn it in one direction but it would very easily go past the focal length that I intended minor control hurdles aside housings like this are mainly made for those who are seriously getting into underwater video and stills since you'll pay upwards of $300 for the housing alone so in conclusion waterproofing your particular camera solution can vary from simple and hands-off to requiring patience and set up time I hope this video helps you make your decision regardless of your budget speaking of awesome things that you could travel with mass drop we have an awesome featured deal from them today the DJI phantom 4 bundle this bundle includes the Phantom 4 which you can watch Linus's review up here a water and impact resistant rolling travel case from Mustang and an extra battery for a total of 2 batteries included in this bundle they also have an optional add-on available that track Moe a tiny GPS - GSM device that allows you to track your drone or any other item across the globe at the time of filming this spot they're still working with the seller to get the lower price for you but they told me that the final price will be more than $100 less then you can find this bundle anywhere else so if all that sounds pretty great - you should check the out the bundle in the link in the video description that's drawed up /l TT - DJI - for so thank you guys for watching if this video sucked you know what to do but if it was awesome get subscribed hit that like button or even consider supporting us directly by using our affiliate code to shop at Amazon buying a cool t-shirt or with the direct monthly contribution through the forum now that you're done doing all that stuff you're probably wondering what to watch next so click that little button in the top right hand corner to check out my video on starter cameras under $1000 you might find something useful