Underwater housing for the DVX

[Wild Imagination Films]

Now before anyone says I'm crazy, there was never an argument. Don't know why I decided this was the weekend I had to have an underwater housing for the camera, but it was.

So a short version of the process.
The first step was to remove the handle from the DVX. The reason for this is the difference between 6 inch pvc and 8 inch pvc. 8 inch comes in lengths of 20 feet and costs about $200. So, carefully removing the handle was far easier and much less expensive. With the handle off, the camera slips into a 6 inch pipe like it was born to.

I went with standard 6 inch couplings for the end with the glass and a threaded plug end for the load end. I got creative with the joints and some 3/4" pipe and made a nifty handle. The second version will have a slightly different joint between the handle and the body. I wasn't satisfied with this one.

The glass was the only part I outsourced. Regal plastics did the discs for me and got them back the same afternoon as I ordered them. They rock and are always very helpful.

Clear silicon and pvc glue abound and the whole thing is watertight.

Yellow and black paint after the deep water testing is finished.

Here are the pics of. Footage from it soon.

All the bits:
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/20598/1204934638.jpg

The joint I'm not crazy about:
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/20598/1204934669.jpg

The handle exploded and assembled:
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/20598/1204934658.jpg

All together, less the paint:
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/20598/1204934685.jpg


The second version will also have control functions. The first one is just a turn it on and shoot everything while you're down number. But hey, right now it's perfect.

[Kdawg]

Hey, if it keeps your dvx dry, its perfect. Nice Idea there. Looking forward to some footage with that bad boy.

[Jason Miller]

i built a rig like that once, as long as you're not going to deep like past 35 40 ft, you can put your remote control ina couple of good ziplock bags and take it with you.

[Wild Imagination Films]

What happens after 40 feet?
I'm not dive certified, but I do enjoy snorkeling and some free diving. Once I get the weight on it I plan to go do some shallow free dives here in Austin and in the surrounding area and just get some interesting stuff.
A friend of mine has an "underwater green screen" and I was thinking about doing something in the pool here at my apartments.
Like I said, it just popped into my head to make it, so I did.

[dory_breaux]

I plan on building one of these for a film I'm shooting this summer that will require a good deal of underwater shots. I'm planing on building it so that I can look down at it while shooting strait (mirors). Yours looks pretty slick tho dude!

[Wild Imagination Films]

Dory,
If you're using the design idea I did, you will have to take the handle off your camera. It's not difficult, just delicate.
Otherwise you'll have to use 8 inch pipe and it's hard to get all the parts in small quantities.
Good luck.

[Jason Miller]

Wild, as you go deepwe the atmo pressure gets stronger, one atmo per 33 feet, so at some point depending on the remote the pressure will press all the buttons down. on the old sony remote i had for the handycam it was around 40 ft.

Jason

[Wild Imagination Films]

Ah yes, pressure.