Opteka UC-SLR Underwater Case/Housing for Nikon D3, D3S, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D300S, D700, D3000, D3100, D5000 & D7000 Digital SLR Cameras

by Opteka

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B002UDZZK0
• Item model number: OPT-UC-SLR-NIK
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 21, 2010

Product Description

The Opteka UC-SLR underwater housing will protect your digital SLR camera while swimming, boating, skiing, fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving (up to 30 feet). Features a secure clamp closure, accordion lens tube with two finger adjusters, UV coated lens cover, neck strap and deluxe carry case. Will work with any digital SLR camera up to 8" X 8" with lenses up to 80mm in diameter (The accordion lens tube can extend up to 5")

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A decent option for the occassional underwater photographer, December 23, 2009

By 

J. S. Martin (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka UC-SLR Underwater Case/Housing for Nikon D3, D3S, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D300S, D700, D3000, D3100, D5000 & D7000 Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I'll start the review by discussing the seller, as this item was not ship/sold from Amazon but instead 47th street photo. While the order took a day or two longer than Amazon itself usually requires all told from order to delivery was a little over a week. The product arrived in perfect condition so no complaints regarding the seller.

In terms of the product, it's important to set realistic expectations for what you can do with it.

1. Take it underwater. Clearly this is the most important aspect of this product and I found that my camera was safe and secure for up to 20 feet underwater (the farthest I went) without any issues of leakage.
2. Fit. I have a Nikon D60 and used my standard 18-55mm lens to get the largest area for my shots. As a result the front of the case was not snug to the lens requiring I told it firm, or shots were nearly impossible to take. In the future I may use a longer lens or other means to fix this issue.
3. Picture control. In short, you need to set the camera on auto with a decently high ISO to get this to work. Between the plastic on the case, the finger controls only being adequate, and the difficulty of seeing the LCD underwater you cannot change settings on the fly. Not sure you'd need to, but something to make note of.
4. Focus. I had a really difficult time with getting my camera to focus. This could have been the result of somewhat murky water or the lens not butting up against the end of the case but for every 5 shots I tried to take I only got one or two. This was a bit frustrating to get out of the water and only discover you got 10 pictures and not 40 or so to choose from.
5. Air. The only other issue I encounter was getting enough air out of the bag. Because air was trapped it made it a little more challenging to work with under the water. Not impossible mind you, but a little difficult.

I'm sure over time I will get better at using the case and it does what it is meant to do - protect the camera from water. So if you're looking to get some pics underwater this is a good option but it shouldn't be confused with more expensive hard cases which will provide much more control over the settings and an overall more pleasurable experience. Still for $90 (on sale) I think it is a good interim step before buying a hard case or for the occasional underwater photographer.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Opteka, camera saver*, June 4, 2010

By 

Suman Vadlakonda "Nikonfreak" (Dallas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka UC-SLR Underwater Case/Housing for Nikon D3, D3S, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D300S, D700, D3000, D3100, D5000 & D7000 Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

Pros: This is a pretty robust one. I am happy with its ability to handle the camera, and the twists in water. We took it for Canoeing and we flipped over in the water. It did not do any damage to the camera and I was happy.

Cons: Its very bulky. Hard to manage the lens, zoom, and taking pictures. I have a Nikon D90 and it was moving around . I had to put a lot of padding to keep it in place so that I can access the photoclick button. I kept on getting a spherical ring whenever I tried to zoom out. It was difficult to keep the lens at the center, and it kept on drifting. Another disadvantage is that we cannot use Flash. When the flash popped up in auto mode, the pictures seemed to get worse. So, I prettymuch had to use it with my flash off.

Manufacturers: It would be great if you can make the size at the front end fit the lens with the protective lens cover. This way, it gets locked to the lens and it will stay there. If you can create an additional holder for camera when its placed inside the bag, it will be held in place and will be very easy to take pictures or zoom the lens.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars it works but not perfectly, January 18, 2010

By 

P. Y. Yu (SF, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Opteka UC-SLR Underwater Case/Housing for Nikon D3, D3S, D3X, D40, D40x, D50, D60, D70, D80, D90, D100, D200, D300, D300S, D700, D3000, D3100, D5000 & D7000 Digital SLR Cameras (Electronics)

I bought this housing for my Nikon D50 camera. I put it to the test during a Caribbean cruise where I snorkeled 3 times and took hundreds of photos underwater. In the same trip my wife used her Intova dive camera to take pictures during a scuba diving and 2 snorkeling trips. Here are the summary of my experience:
The housing did not leak so I was able to take photos at a much faster rate than the Intova point and shoot camera. Still it is a rather expensive plastic housing. Its useful lifetime will depend on how long the plastic will not become brittle.
My biggest problem was using the viewfinder. With my snorkeling mask it is difficult to look into the viewfinder to see what I am focusing on. One way to avoid this problem would be to get a newer Nikon with live-view in addition to a viewfinder. To get as much into the photo as possible I used a wide angle lens. However, it was difficult to zoom the lens in and out since it is difficult to rotate the lens.My wife's Intova did not have this problem and can change the zoom easily.
Another problem I encounter is using the built-in popup flash. It is difficult to keep the flash pop up. Without the flash I have to rely on the sun and also cannot take photo of objects more than 10 feet below the sea level. Again my wife's Intova with the built-in flash did better than me.
Overall, the underwater housing was cheaper than a new Intova camera and housing. It allows me to take advantage of the faster recycling time of a digital SLR. My best pictures are better than those taken with the Intova. But my percentage of good pictures are much lower than those of the Intova. It need a few improvements for this housing to maximize the advantage of a SLR over a point-and-shoot for underwater photography..