Waterproof case for DSLR location shoot: Hi all. I want to shoot some local springs and I'm wondering what you guys are using to transport a DSLR say, while paddle boarding. I'm...

Alphabravo2020

Hi all.

I want to shoot some local springs and I'm wondering what you guys are using to transport a DSLR say, while paddle boarding. I'm thinking one of a Pelican or off brand hard cases large enough to hold a D850 with 200mm or less lens mounted and maybe an extra lens.

TIA.

PoppieJ Loc: North Georgia

I have a dry bag that I use for a canoe or raft that does nothing to pad the camera but it does keep everything dry

fotobyferg

Alphabravo2020 wrote:

Hi all.

I want to shoot some local springs and I'm wondering what you guys are using to transport a DSLR say, while paddle boarding. I'm thinking one of a Pelican or off brand hard cases large enough to hold a D850 with 200mm or less lens mounted and maybe an extra lens.

TIA.

Drybag secured via kayak webbing or under canoe seat. I wrap it in towel as necessary, but mostly I keep camera on my body. Less bulk than a Pelican.
Ah…paddleboard…I’d still use a drybag with shoulder straps.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Whenever I'm around lots of water, I use my Olympus Tough. For a DSLR, that inexpensive bag is effective and popular. Okay, I remembered: Rainsleeve.

https://smile.amazon.com/OP-TECH-USA-9001142-Rainsleeve/dp/B002TI71HQ/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=rainsleeve&qid=1628161958&sr=8-7

EDIT: this might be of interest.
https://digital-photography-school.com/when-starts-rain-prepared-keep-shooting/

sb Loc: Florida's East Coast

I have never seen anyone carry gear while paddleboarding. When kayaking I carry a small point-and-shoot camera inside a ziplock bag for easy access but with reasonable protection against splashes.

GLSmith Loc: Tampa, Fl

One thing to keep in mind, depending on where you're physically at and time of year i.e. Winter, summer. is if you're considering using a dry bag,to carry a DESICCANT bag inside the dry bag. I took a Nikon D300S & Nikon 24-70 in my kayak during the summer in Florida & was amazed at the amount of moisture that collected inside the dry bag from humidity.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

I kayak and SUP often. My kayak camera is a Sony RX10MIV and for SUP it’s the Olympus TG-6. I will occasionally bring another camera for location shooting and I’ll keep that in a dry bag until I get to the location. I have stretch netting fore and aft on my board.

tcthome Loc: NJ

fotobyferg wrote:

Drybag secured via kayak webbing or under canoe seat. I wrap it in towel as necessary, but mostly I keep camera on my body. Less bulk than a Pelican.
Ah…paddleboard…I’d still use a drybag with shoulder straps.

When in a canoe or kayak, tether everything to the vessel , JUST IN CASE MURPHY SHOWS UP! Us kayak fishemen call someone flipping over without having anything tied down a yard sale!
Depending on the lens your using, they sell clear shoot thru bags, maybe by a company called aqua-seal. I don't think it will a handle long lens combo thow.

Elias Amador

Paddle boarding with a D850 and long lens is asking for a drowned camera/lens.
First, insure your camera and lens. Second, borrow a D850 underwater housing.
Or better still, use an Olympus Tough, it will survive a shallow dive.

Riverrune

I have a couple Pelican cases that provide both padding and water proofing. I take my camera gear on multi day float trips on several western rivers, including the Grand Canyon. I wouldn't use anything less for expensive gear on the water, even flat water.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Elias Amador wrote:

Paddle boarding with a D850 and long lens is asking for a drowned camera/lens.
First, insure your camera and lens. Second, borrow a D850 underwater housing.
Or better still, use an Olympus Tough, it will survive a shallow dive.

As long as you’re not gonna shoot while you’re paddling a pelican case or dry bag is fine. Just make sure it’s secured to the board. Besides what I mentioned earlier about shooting my Sony from a kayak, which I only do in fresh water, (I’ve had other weathersealed bridge cameras killed by salt spray), I have an Outex silicon underwater cover. It’ll fit my D500 with the Tamron 18-400 but I prefer it with my Olympus E-M1X and 40-150 Pro lens and 2x TC. That lens is great because it’s an internal zoom so it stays the same length. The Outex cover wasn’t cheap but a lot cheaper than hard underwater housings and is the only option that allows a long lens.

halraiser

In college at BYU I had a bishop who was a recreation professor, got paid as a consultant to do things like take river rafting trips (and I concluded that I had picked the wrong major seeing the fun stuff he got paid to do). He found a cheap solution to this problem. He just put his camera in a zip-lock bag and could even take pictures without removing it from the bag.

As a search and rescue volunteer I've found those zip-lock bags extremely useful to protect all sorts of stuff from water.

TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

PoppieJ wrote:

I have a dry bag that I use for a canoe or raft that does nothing to pad the camera but it does keep everything dry

There are bags that have inflatable sides that provide flotation and padding.

Reefdiver Loc: NY

So two things:First, if you just want water proof transport to the springs and will then go ashore to shoot, you want a "dry bag". These bags are inexpensive and work well when the top is rolled down and secured. You might use bubble wrap or a towel to provide shock support, and consider some sort of tie down and/or flotation in case you capsize.
Secondly, if you plan to shoot from your board or other wet area, it gets more complicated. Proper underwater housings are expensive, heavy above water and will not accommodate a long lens. A plastic bag or cheap sort of wrap will compromise the IQ of your D850 and lens setup. Better to rent or borrow a GoPro or Olympus TG 5 or 6 which are all reasonably robust for modest immersion.