I will be retiring my homemade video housing and buying a commercial made
one.  I no longer trust it.  It leaked in Key West this summer and I thought
I had repaired it, but it really leaked bad at White Star.

I noticed what I thought was a slow leak at White Star, but when I opened
it, water came pouring out.  The CAMERA SURVIVED!  The water soaked up into
the two soft weight packs below the shelf, which kept it from sloshing
around.  I did not even know there was a problem until one of my dive
buddies saw the water inside on the way out of the water.

I think the o-ring is hard rubber and was too hard due to the 64 degree
water temperature.  Never had this problem in my usual 80 degree temperature
in the Atlantic Ocean.  The warmer temperature seemed to give the o-ring
more smoosh factor.

My camera is a Sony DCR-TRV33 that I have had for three or four years now.
I would have been mildly upset to ruin it, but there are even better cameras
now for less than $300.  However, I hope to get the Sony HDR-HC3 HD
camcorder and there is no way I want to take that kind of a chance on the
housing holding up or not.

It was a good try, but like they always say, in the end, you do get what you
pay for.  I admit defeat, give-up, and surrender.  Shame too, I really liked
my housing, when it worked, and it was cheap, too.  Someone built it for me
for $200.  Can you feel my disappointment coming through as I write this?

Anywho, onward and upward.  Now which new housing to get?  My choices are so
pricey.  And, I don't know why Sony doesn't just make the camcorders with
the right lenses.  You have to buy a wide angle lens to compensate,
somewhat, for the underwater optics.  Anyway, I need the housing and the
wide angle lens.  I will let you know how things work out.  I will be off to
Grand Cayman in November and I sure want to record that.

Humbler, but wiser.

Marshall Karp
Dover, OH
September 5, 2006