Sony SPK-HCD Waterproof Sports Pack for underwater use with DCR-SR220, 45, 55, 65 Camcorders

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 6.4 inches ; 2.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012G990I
• Item model number: SPK-HCD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #95 in Camera & Photo > Accessories > Cases & Bags > Camcorder Cases
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

Water-resistant housing lets you capture beautiful underwater scenery to a depth of 17 feet. Includes built-in microphone and external controls for power, zoom, record, and photo capture.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exactly what I was looking for, A+, June 21, 2008

By 

Just "Steve" (Tampa, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony SPK-HCD Waterproof Sports Pack for underwater use with DCR-SR220, 45, 55, 65 Camcorders (Electronics)

This is perfect for recording under or near water. I bought it for boat trips and poolside events. It will definitely keep the recorder dry and the unit can be added to and removed from the plastic casing in only a few seconds. It is obviously heavier than the camera alone, but this was expected. The thing I liked best was that the casing itself has mic's built in, so whether in or out of the water you stll get great sound. This gets an A+ in my book. (p.s. although the description does not say it is compatible with the HDR-SR6, SR7, etc. it is. All of the attachments are included specifically for these other models. The instructions and users manual even state they are compatible, so I do not know why they were not listed in the first place).

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good waterproof case for Sony camcorders, August 14, 2009

By 

R. Barclay (Edmond, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony SPK-HCD Waterproof Sports Pack for underwater use with DCR-SR220, 45, 55, 65 Camcorders (Electronics)

Length:: 0:24 Mins

I purchased the Sony SportsPak to use on a family vacation to the Bahamas and was very pleased. This is video I took while snorkeling off Grand Bahama using the Pak with a Sony DCR-SR82 HDD Camcorder.

I highly recommend the SportsPak if you are looking for a good waterproof camcorder case for the ameteur videographer at shallow depths. I kept it at no deeper than 12-15 feet.

To open the case there are two buttons that you have to simultaneously slide that will reduce the chances of accidentally opening the unit underwater. The Pak comes with a long strap that you can place around your shoulder to drag the Pak through the water behind you as you swim/snorkel while not filming.

The Pak comes with a multitude of adapters to fit many Sony camcorders; however it is not large enough for my older DCR-TRV320 Digital 8 format camcorder. The Pak is about 9" long, 7" wide and 5 1/2" tall. In the water, the Pak is extremely buoyant -- which is good and bad. Loaded with a camcorder, the unit will rise to the water's surface like a cork so you won't lose your camera into the abyss, but the buouancy makes it hard to dive with while snorkeling. I suppose you could add some ballast to the Pak to make it neutrally buoyant, but I did not try it.

A wire on the interior of the unit plugs into your camera's AV output slot that activates the exterior buttons on the Pak. These buttons allow you to power on and off your camcorder, start and stop filming, and use the camcorder's zoom functions. It also lets you toggle to the Photo Mode of your camcorder, and toggle to Play mode -- however, for some reason you can not play your recorded video using the external controls -- only the thumbnails of the scenes are visible on the screen.

The supports that hold the flip-out mirror for the viewfinder in place detach rather easily and definitely could have been better engineered. And if you do not use the provided anti-fog drops, the unit WILL fog up. However, if you (1) follow the included instructions that tell you to load the camera into the unit while indoors (in the air conditioning and out of the humidity), (2) use the anti-fog solution, and (3) DO NOT OPEN THE PAK outdoors or in the sand, it stays clear with no fog.

The camcorder screen's reflected image on the viewfinder can be difficult to see in certain light; however, I also put the anti-fog solution on the Pak's viewfinder's mirror and that helped me to better see the image I was recording. (Of course, often it is difficult to see a camcorder screen's image just using it by itself in bright sunlight!) After use, you must remove the camcorder and wash the Pak thoroughly and lubricate the O-ring with provided lubricant to maintain the O-ring's longevity.

When using above the water, you will want to carry a towel to dry water droplets from the housing in front of the camcorder lens -- otherwise, you will have water droplets in your shots.

I can also envision using the SportsPak while filming kids' sporting events in the rain or using it on the boat at the lake just to protect the camera from an accidental drop into the water. All in all, we had a lot of fun filming with our new Sony SportsPak.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars High Quality But Missing One Important Ingredient, August 8, 2008

By 

M. Harris (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony SPK-HCD Waterproof Sports Pack for underwater use with DCR-SR220, 45, 55, 65 Camcorders (Electronics)

This is a product that meets most expectations. Quality components, advanced controls, etc. It was highly protective of my video camera both in and out of the water. Controls were easy to use. The electronic interface was easier to use than the manual controls on advanced still and video camera underwater housings. The recommended depth is somewhat shallow, and I will admit to taking it a bit deeper than advised without problems. One minor complaint: The supports for the mirror apparatus were difficult to keep in place while filming. One major complaint: The unit is not weighted to be neutrally buoyant. I required 6-8 additional pounds of weight to take the camera in this housing to depth.