Customer Reviews

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

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1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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..

I was not happy with this product at all. i have a Nikon D3100 & the case swallows my camera. It leaked through the lens part of the camera, Luckily my camera didnt get soaked. I only got to use it once and the whole thing literally fell apart after i washed it out & hung it up to dry in my bathroom. The Lens part has all poped off & will not go back on.

My full size Nikon sits way too low on the bottom of the bag when inside in order to line up well enough to use the expandable lens hood properly The finger holes on each side are too clumsy to get at the smaller settings and buttons. Getting the straps and zipper unfolded and re-buckled is a nightmare.

Do not buy this thing. It is a piece of crap. Take the camera you are going to use, smash it with a hammer and save yourself the 80 bucks.
I did everything I was supposed to do, tested it first with a piece of paper, test swam with a cheap camera in a pool and the first time I used it snorkeling (1st frikking time), it let in 1/2 a cupful of salt water and turned my Nikon into a paperweight. They have the price set at $80 as though you are getting some sort of bargain, when in reality it functions about as well as a plastic shopping bag and seems to have undergone about as much testing. This is one of the biggest rip-offs available on Amazon: pay for the privilege of having the product you buy completely screw something you already own

I understand that the cost of this product is approximately 200 dollars, but I admit that is of very poor quality. the section where the camera lens fit, not fit, you have to keep liability holding the same, after having the camera in the water for about 10 minutes, the lens of this tends to tarnish.
is a product that is not made for its purpose, use it in a pool and every 5 minutes I was under the obligation to re-defogging the lens and can not see anything.
It does not work !!!!! I am very disappointed.

I order Splash bag, paid extra to have it delivered rushed and still the package arrived days after it was expected. I later called 47th st. photo to order another bag. They where un-willing to work with my situation, I wanted to place an order next day to the Cayman Islands, and where unable to give me options to make the order happen. For any professions needing quality service and products I suggest looking somewhere else. They are un-willing to provide services for customers in need.