Can a $42 Plastic Bag Waterproof a DSLR?

Is a $42 dollar plastic bag sufficient underwater housing for the Panasonic GH5? Today Griffin Hammond is going to find out!

In this episode of Cheap Thing Vs. Expensive Thing, we take the $42 DiCAPac WP-S3 and a $2000+ Ikelite 200DL package to see how they compare in protection, usability and image quality.

The Ikelite 200DL is an underwater housing solution made custom for the GH5, with individualized buttons, switches and knobs that give you tactile control over the various menus, switches and lens functions on your camera. However, the DiCAPac WP-S3 is 50x less expensive, and still gives you waterproof protection up to 15 feet!

Which housing will win? Watch to find out!

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#Panasonic #GH5 #Underwater

[dazxmedia]

Given that I only shoot underwater maybe 3 times a year, $42 is the clear winner for me.

[pablodagostino]

I bought the Dicapac WP-S10 for my 70D when I went to Thailand last year and it worked great! I didn't do any filming - BUT it was amazing to be able to get DSLR quality photos while swiming, surfing, going on hikes next to waterfalls, etc.

[Jawmsie]

I feel like a lot of channels ignore the fact that equipment rental is a thing. For those of us who don't shoot underwater that much, the way to go would probably just be to rent the housing for the gig and pass that cost to the client.

That said, I think the dry bag really shines in one aspect, and that's for practice use. I would never use one for my main camera, but if I needed to practice the base concepts of underwater photography/video, the way to go about it would definitely be to buy a dry bag and toss my old GF5 into it. If the bag fails, I don't loose anything important to my income stream, and I still get to learn the ropes of what does and does not work in an underwater setting.

I understand that you have to produce these in batches to keep the release sustainable, so the feedback that is being tossed out right now will take some time to be processed. With that in mind, I'm gonna hold off on airing my disappointment or whatever, but I think including something like the above passage might be valuable when applicable.

[lucidmoses]

If the cheap thing is always going to be useless then these videos are not that interesting. For "on a budget film makers" it may be better to pick cheap things that still have a use in some conditions. To help people know where they can save money but what the trade offs are.

[cedrichelsemans]

I think the dicapac is the best option if you want to film surf/wakeboard/kite… footage.
It makes sure if you would drop your dslr in the water or you get a wave over your head it will survive but you can still get those dslr shots instead of a typical gopro shot.

[shadaiperez]

I didn't have either of these and I was still able to get an underwater shot with my gh5 and it looked great. Because I was only looking for a half in and half out shot I was able to use a fish tank.

[Wizkid]

Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed with the new content on Indy Mogul. The last three episodes I've seen have basically called for or shown pro-level equipment. In particular, this series has compared a dirt cheap item to a professional item twice and concluded that the more expensive item is better. This was always going to be a foregone conclusion. This series should be reworked to talk about how you can get good results *without* the professional level equipment, instead of just saying that the $2k+ custom hard-shell underwater case is better than a generic $40 dry bag.

You claim that price was taking into account, but that seems hard to believe since it was stated that both gave great photos (and presumably kept the camera dry equally well) but the $2000 case still makes the $40 bag not worth it? This show would work better if the contestants were at least more equal (a decent camera costs $50-$100 minimum, so how could a $50 drone produce usable video?), and their value was considered in relation to their price. As it is, your own video suggests that the dry bag is a viable way of taking a DSLR underwater and getting good video, at 1/50th of the cost of the hard case, so why not point that out?

[curtisjudd]

Great job Griffin. I've never shot under water so this really helpful for me.

[TommyCallaway]

LOL at that finger sleeve.. it's clever but hilarious

[AnthonyKoonce]

0:45 I watched Griffin's Sriracha documentary today, and couldn't help but notice the bottle on the counter 👀

[AmishGramish]

I have the cheap thing, and it works fine if you’re not planning on doing professional stuff. If you want to shoot photos or videos underwater, get it. Due to the shape, air inside, difficulty of use, etc., it won’t replace the expensive case, but it can be used on almost any DSLR/mirrorless camera.

Once you get used to it’s quirks, problems like it being on and recording at the wrong time won’t be an issue. I have an A7RII, and I only use prime lenses. The A7RII is very flexible with its button customization, and it achieves very fast autofocus, depending on the lenses and water clarity.
I separated focus from the shutter release, which helps really well for how I take underwater photos.

My main two issues are the amount of air inside and the lens cap. The air issue can be solved by adding weight, but I don’t want to lose my camera, and I can attach tape or do something else to the front to keep the lens cap stationary, but I’m too lazy.

[MabelVelazquezP]

Omg i got exited when i heard you came to DR 🇩🇴

[markhoffman]

Yes they do work - I have had three for over ten years and not one has failed - it is the essence of simplicity that accomplishes its aim and a affordable price.

[JacobCacho]

Congrats on 1 million subscribers! 😁 🎉

[willlscott]

Love the half in the water shots and half out!

[yurigagarin]

I really just want something to waterproof my camera for canyon dips and take it out of the housing when I'm out the water to shoot. Totally buying the cheap thing.

[angyls]

I bought the Zonman underwater camera bag from Amazon did the same work last month during my trip to Hawaii.

[AdamViklund]

I'm really digging this series, Griffin! Although I expect the expensive thing to win pretty much every time, you're doing a great job showing the similarities in quality and functionality between the two items. Filmmakers can see what the cheap one can do in comparison and judge for themselves if the extra cost is worth it for their budget. Great job!

[meatbyproducts]

The cheap thing on this one is great for a one-time shoot or a vacation that's kind of last minute. But if I was going to be doing multiple shoots underwater I'll go for the expensive thing every time. And I'm actually use both of these on multiple camera bodies.

[Isaac-uklm]

I use my camera for canyoneering where I will be rappelling down waterfalls, and swimming thru deep pools. I previously bought a camera housing for my old mirrorless camera and it worked but it was so bulky it made it a lot less functional for my application. It is important I am able to throw my camera in a fanny pack while I go rappel down a waterfall but I am able to have it handy for when I need it. I am looking at upgrading my mirrorless camera to a newer model and I am trying to figure out if I should go with a dive housing again or if I should just go with a bag. I am leaning towards the bag so my camera will be a lot more handy. and then I can take it out of the bag for when I set up a long exposure shot.