aqua pac's

[L4MBOLUV3R]

hi this year i am off to oz, and besides being a keen petrol head and photographer i also love the water and if my instructor noted down all my sessions properly i would be a qualified scuba diver (basic qualification). so when i get to OZ i plan to go on the reefs snorkelling/diving/shark cages/deep sea fishing. so as you can imagine there our some great pictures to take but problem being my camera isnt water proof, dang!

i have a fuji films s9600 yeah i know its a dirty hybrid but it does the job pretty well bar the fixed lens. either way through the gadget show i know i can use a water proof case called aqua pac http://www.aquapac.net/ukstore/erol.html of course never owning one there's a few question niggling me...

1/ has anyone got one? if so are they any good?
2/ it said before on the site it wouldn't fit my camera (the guide is currently down) but all the dimensions it suggest fit my camera? why do you think it said it was incompatible?
3/ what alternatives are good?

thanks LL

[SamHH]

In my experience of using them on the surface, they are OK, but they do sometimes leak especially after they have been used for a while. Not massively so but I personally wouldn't want to risk a camera in one. I've not got any experience of using them at depth, but I imagine any problem would be worse. Also the window can go a bit opaque with time and with the ones I've used, I don't imagine operating the buttons on a camera would be terribly easy. I know that you can get hard waterproof cases but I think these are quite expensive. Maybe try asking on a scuba diving website.

[Slimmy]

I bought one of these before my honeymoon in St Lucia.

Well-made, elegant design, and 100% waterproof (as far as I have used it). I have a Canon Ixus 800 and was wary the first time I put it in, so tested it in running water, then kitchen sink, before taking it abroad.

Few things to point out.
- Picture quality is pretty poor unless there is blazing sunlight and you are not too deep (pretty obvious I suppose).
- It's a bit of a fiddle getting my camera into the case the right way, getting the strap out the way and ensuring that the lens fits nicely into the hardened external plastic bit (I've got the aquapac with lens attachment)
- You need to be careful in humid environments that you don't get condensation on the inside of the case when you immerse it (they do supply a dessicant with the case)

Otherwise, I am relatively happy with it.