Recommended Splash Housing for Panasonic GF-1 and 14-45 Lens
Started by Kari Post ·
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Recommended Splash Housing for Panasonic GF-1 and 14-45 Lens
4 posts
I will be leading several extended backcountry trips this summer and will be bringing along a GF-1 as a way to keep my pack light but still have the opportunity for excellent image quality. For a portion of the trips we will be doing canoeing, kayaking, and sea kayaking, and I would like to have the opportunity to shoot while leading these activities. I'm looking for an inexpensive surf/splash housing that will protect the camera from rogue waves and spray, as well as an accidental dump in the water. It doesn't have to be waterproof to depth, just enough that it can survive the few minutes it would take me to fetch it. A lighterweight "bag" housing option that floats would be perfect.
What would you recommend? The lens moves a good bit when zooming and focusing so I'm not sure how well it would perform in a Ewa housing. Suggestions?
EWA-Marine makes a line of Plastic "bag" type housings that would fit your needs.
Phil Rudin
I'd leave the DSLR type camera at home, and bring along a waterproof point and shoot. Those EWA bags look really clumsy to me.
I've used Ewa and similar housings and never had a leak as long as I was careful to seal them well. Operating the controls through the plastic is a pain, but they keep the water out.
Bringing a waterproof P&S isn't an option for me, and I'm not looking for P&S quality photos. I used a G10 on a 109 day bike tour across the US, and I got the GF-1 for more control and higher IQ for my multi-day backpacking trips in West Virginia, Maine, Algonquin Provincial Park, the White Mountains, and the Adirondacks this summer. The longest of these will be a 20 day trip combining backpacking and paddling, and I won't have the option of switching out cameras at every convenience. I could probably leave a lightweight small bag with the canoes when we are not on the water, but I'd rather not leave a nice camera lying around. I'm interested in more than just "share the memories" type of photos so I want to have a quality camera with me.
