Camera storage

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Nickkw

Nickkw

Joined
Nov 9, 2009
Threads
9
Messages
32
Location
Matagorda, TX
So after the past week of fishing, I've decided I need to get a good waterproof case for my camera so I can take it in my kayak. Missed out on way too many good picture opportunities. Just browsing around Bass Pro I found the Pelican 1150 (Pelican Products 1150 Case) and it seemed to be about the right size. How waterproof are these? Don't want risk getting my camera wet out in the surf. Basically, if my kayak were to capsize and the case became submerged would I be ok? If not, or if there is a better option, what would it be?
 
What kind of camera?

My Nikon Coolpix fits in a zip lock bag, my wife's set up would take a suitcase

FWIW I can get some pretty nice pictures with my camera, and if it gets dropped over board I won't lose any sleep. It's the camera we take on more extreme off road trips just because it can be replaced easily. Just a thought, but why not get something similar and save the good camera for more controlled environments?
 
I used a similar case on an 18 day whitewater rafting trip down the Grand Canyon and it proved very waterproof. Camera was safe even after we flipped the raft twice in the most extreme rapids.
 
I carried my SLR camera in an ammo can until I got a little digital and now I do the ziplock thing. Make sure the seal on the ammo can is good and it will stay water proof. Cut some foam to fit and it will protect from shock as well.
 
I like the two-prong system:
1. good waterproof case, like, say that Pelican number, and maybe even a ziplock freezer bag for good measure.
2. I only use a cheap camera for my trips and expeditions. This is not to say that it's of poor quality, I shopped around until I found a well-made camera that took satisfyingly good pictures at a reasonable price, used AA batteries (so it's interchangeable with my GPS and headlamp), was fairly lightweight, was small enough to fit in the bucket flap of any one of my packs, but not so small my fat butcher's hands wouldn't swallow the thing up, and replacement screens and components were plentiful. Then I found that exact camera on flea-bay used and in good shape for half the store's asking price.
what I have is the Samsung s630, and on the highest resolution setting (8MP) it churns out a nice picture, isn't a total power hog (one week in Yosemite on the same two batteries, plus another month of semi-idle useage.) It's not overcomplicated, and can be set to "shut up" mode (my favorite mode) as well as other settings, like night shot.
This thing's slipped out of my shirt pocket on day hikes, and been booted ten feet over rocks in The Palisades, it slipped out of the same pocket from ten feet up on a rock-climb, got dewey in the mountains, and been in the very top of my pack as it went end-over-end out of the back of a van, and still keeps on tickin'.
Plus for kayaking, if it takes a dunk, yank the batteries and SD card out right quick, and leave the whole thing to dry. the camera should work still, and I promise that the SD card will dry and be useable.
 
Pelican is what I've been using for years. B&H Photo has good prices and a large selection Hard & Watertight Cases

During the summer I'm out on the water a lot and use Pelican cases to protect the photo gear and binoculars with the cases being exposed to rains and water coming into the boat. No leaks so far.
 
+1 on Pelican. The # 1400 case with pick & pluck foam holds my DSLR, two lenses, filters, the charger, lens hood, cleaning stuff.
 
Pelican cases rule....(I'm a Pelican case geek)....You'll love having your gear in one the first time it falls on the floor, something slides on top of it, a window is left open on a dusty road, or you need to sit,step, climb on it and then use it as a table for a cold one.

Good luck.
CPC_0167.webp
 
There are "inexpensive" waterproof cases for many point and shoot cameras. I have one for an old Canon Elph. It's very simple & reliable and rated to 130'. Ewa-Marine makes a heavy-duty underwater camera "bag". No one that dives takes Ewa seriously, but for Kayaking it would be fine. The obvious advantages to a waterproof case is that your camera is always available, you can shoot in adverse conditions, and your camera is afforded some protection.
 
Thanks for the advice guys, looks like I'll be picking one up while I'm in Houston tomorrow. I'm not too extreme in the kayak yet, just bays and surf up to about 4ft (wouldn't take it out those days). Just want that piece of mind in case. Camera is a Nikon coolpix, so not too much money tied into it, but need it too last me a little while.
 
Nickkw said:
Thanks for the advice guys, looks like I'll be picking one up while I'm in Houston tomorrow. I'm not too extreme in the kayak yet, just bays and surf up to about 4ft (wouldn't take it out those days). Just want that piece of mind in case. Camera is a Nikon coolpix, so not too much money tied into it, but need it too last me a little while.
Click to expand...

That's the camera I have, you might just get a dry sack for it. They have some that are like mega mega heavy duty zip lock bags. Or even a wide mouth Nalgene bottle.
 
I'll see what kind of dry sacks I can find when I'm getting all my other rigging. What kind of yakking do you do rusty?
 
Nickkw said:
I'll see what kind of dry sacks I can find when I'm getting all my other rigging. What kind of yakking do you do rusty?
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None at this point but I drive an open top rig so everything has to be as water/dust proof as possible. Even so my Nikon has some dust in it that shows up in pictures. It will have to be replaced, the local camera shop won't touch it and the Nikon service center cost wouldn't be worth it for a four old camera.

My wife and I are planning to do some flat water day trips in rentals soon. I've been looking at ways to haul her DSLR when we do.
 
Another Peli-phile. 1450 holds my old-skool Minolta film bodies and lenses. served me well motorcycling across the western half of the US.

currently amassing pelicans for future uses, not too happy w/the Storm-Hardigg crossover, as those cases seem thinner to me. well suited for use w/a camera bag, as my dog show buddy does to cradle the Nikon d50 w/big moneymaking lens'.
 
While Pelican cases rule, consider the room you will have in the boat.

I haven't used this yet, but my plans for canoe trips is to put a my camera gear in a padded pouches inside a dry sack. For extra protection, I'll put that in a heavy duty waterproof bag and use my sleeping pad to pad between the outer heavy duty bag and the inner dry sack. The amount of camera gear I take on trips would fill a suitcase.
 
Dumb question on the Pelican cases

Where they give the interior dimensions, is that the measurement from the case to case w/o foam, or is it the recommended load size with the foam...
 
Kofoed said:
Dumb question on the Pelican cases

Where they give the interior dimensions, is that the measurement from the case to case w/o foam, or is it the recommended load size with the foam...
Click to expand...
Without foam. Note: corners are not square, but are curved, and wheels also take out a bit where they are.
 
Thanks for the help guys. Ended up getting the 1150 and mounting in between my legs on my kayak. Seems to work well enough, taken it out a few times now. Only problem is I got into some tailing reds the other day and the latches echo of the yak when I open it and scared all the fish away. Room isn't a factor with me, 90% of the time I use my yak is to take shark baits out in the surf.
 
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