Underwater Cameras for Streaming Video

[GameCzar]

With my plans to eventually set up a porch pond, I had considered getting a camera setup underwater so I could broadcast it on Twitch or Facebook, etc.

Looking around for my needs it seems to be tough to find EXACTLY what Im looking for.   A GoPro isn't an option because I can't really set it up to run continuously with external power (at least that I'm aware of) so I'd be limited by battery life, and wi-fi (which isn't a deal breaker). 

I can find several products that claim to be "Waterproof" but I'm not sure that would mean the same thing as submersible as it seems to just indicate it's safe for weather conditions and it leads to mostly security cams or dash cams.

The closest I've found is this model:

Barlus Underwater Koi Pond Camera

With my only issues being I'm not sure exactly how an IP camera works, and its a little pricey for my limited budget.


Does anyone here have any experience with filming underwater?  Ideally I can have a dedicated laptop set up pretty close to the porch pond (10-15' tops) so if I could just find a webcam that was submersible I think it would work.   I don't need 1080p, but I do want at least 720p. 

Any tips would be awesome! 

[Jungle Fan]

Found another one but if the Barius is stretching the budget this one would bust it with $299. Had seen it at Bass Pro, and Amazon as well but same price.I haven't filmed under water, but I've taken plenty of photos way back. I'm not using the old camera anymore because time and Megapixels have moved on and I sold both the camera, the under water Ikelite housing ( the price made me groan back when I bought it  between around $1,500 to $1,800) and the under water light to buy lenses.

May not be much help but I thought I'd post it just in case.

https://www.aquavu.com/AV715c

 

[GameCzar]

On 7/25/2021 at 6:06 PM, Jungle Fan said:

Found another one but if the Barius is stretching the budget this one would bust it with $299. Had seen it at Bass Pro, and Amazon as well but same price.I haven't filmed under water, but I've taken plenty of photos way back. I'm not using the old camera anymore because time and Megapixels have moved on and I sold both the camera, the under water Ikelite housing ( the price made me groan back when I bought it  between around $1,500 to $1,800) and the under water light to buy lenses.

May not be much help but I thought I'd post it just in case.

https://www.aquavu.com/AV715c

 

That's a pretty cool rig!

[Jungle Fan]

Yup, I'd just like to find the guy who told the camera industry that photographers can grow their own money, or that a rich billionaire uncle with compassion for the arts and their favorite nephew, or niece comes as standard issue with any photography training. 😄

[GameCzar]

On 7/25/2021 at 6:26 PM, Jungle Fan said:

Yup, I'd just like to find the guy who told the camera industry that photographers can grow their own money, or that a rich billionaire uncle with compassion for the arts and their favorite nephew, or niece comes as standard issue with any photography training. 😄

It seems like it would be simple enough to make a cheap-ish webcam that would be submersible.  

Edited July 25, 2021 by GameCzar

[Jungle Fan]

Always seemed like it would be possible to me, but the prices for any kind of underwater equipment for cameras through the years have kept steady at best, and gone up at worst, the water proof housings for full frame cameras are a prime example. 

[Streetwise]

The 4K Logitech webcam can take excellent photos and videos, including right next to the glass. It might be a dry solution for filming and streaming your aquariums.

If you remove the monitor mount, you will reveal a tripod mount. The software provides focal control, and you can use the focused feed live.

For forum journals, it can be a fun tool to film shrimp or fish. It needs a modern computer setup, but not any capture hardware.

[Jungle Fan]

Not much out there for your outdoor porch pond, unless you are a bit handy and you might be able to build it yourself with a 4K Logitech web cam as @Streetwise recommended that you could house in an underwater viewer like this DIY version:

https://home-building.wonderhowto.com/how-to/build-two-different-underwater-viewers-with-abs-and-lexan-0134408/

I'd probably try to create a compartment for the webcam at the end portion, and would try to mount it on one of the older aluminum tripods that can be had for very modest prices now on ebay, or at local flea markets. You can apply silicone for weather sealant, and to be sure you get no condensation you could even include some desiccant in the camera compartment (of course you'd have to keep checking on it because once it has absorbed enough moisture it no longer works and needs replacement).

I used to build some of my own contraptions for wildlife photography, but I'm not that industrious anymore but the idea came to me when I looked at one of my gold pans in the garage (rockhounding, and prospecting are some of my other hobbies), and I did remember the under water viewer I built years ago when I was looking for small nuggets in rock crevices. The  Video shows pretty much the same type of thing. So if you're a bit creative, industrious, and determined to get the equipment you might be able to build it for cheaper than the Barlus or Aquavu.

Hope this helps.

[GameCzar]

Thanks @Jungle Fan, I may end up going that route and trying to rig up a waterproof housing for a normal webcam.   I was just trying to get by the lazy way 😉

[Jungle Fan]

@GameCzarIt's always easier to buy off the shelf but hey, you might come up with something that catches on and that could make you the new YouTube sensation, or propel you into profitable entrepreneur status at which point budget issues  will be a thing of the past. In any case I usually had fun tinkering around and coming up with workable solutions myself, very few of my ideas went so wrong that they were disastrous, and even then I usually got a funny story out the whole deal.

[Taco Playz]

Once you set it up pm me the link and I'll be watching ALL DAY LONG. 😆

[GameCzar]

On 7/26/2021 at 11:03 AM, Taco Playz said:

Once you set it up pm me the link and I'll be watching ALL DAY LONG. 😆

Look for @BriannesFishFamtoo!  She's getting a Twitch channel set up!

[Taco Playz]

Hm should I pm her?

[GameCzar]

On 7/26/2021 at 11:04 AM, GameCzar said:

Look for @BriannesFishFamtoo!  She's getting a Twitch channel set up!

https://www.twitch.tv/briannesfishfam

[GameCzar]

I may have found a cheap, easy solution.  It may take a little bit of DIY, but not much. 

A two pack of these buggers is 8.99, so I would just need to rig a cable for power in it by probably leaving the top of the bag out of water and some silicone. I can use the lanyard to secure it with a hook to the side of the tub I use for my porch pond. 
I've found a few aps that allow you to stream smartphone video to your home PC where I can pretty much put it where I want. 
These are supposed to be fully submersible to 100'. 
We shall see how this goes. 🙂 

Edited July 27, 2021 by GameCzar

[Jungle Fan]

@GameCzar "supposed to" might be the operative words here. Do they have a warranty that covers your phone if the bag leaks? Or do they have a legally handy dandy overseas business address? Not sure that I would trust my phone that costs almost as much as a lower end camera, definitely more than a used  what was considered top of the line camera 10 years ago to a gadget that looks like it comes out of a tv info-mercial. Just sayin' but sometimes if it sounds to be too good to be true, it just might be. At the very least I'd run some trials with something else inside it that shows you if, or when it might leak. Just speaking from experience with family members who could have filled sheds, and bank accounts with "cost  saving", and great sounding equipment that ended up not quite delivering the performance they were advertised to because the manufacturer ended up cutting cost as well. However I'm just a doubting Thomas, pinching my pennies, and carefully weighing the options of what rides I might let people take me on. I'm careful because I've gotten burnt a time, or two as well in my years.

[GameCzar]

On 7/27/2021 at 9:41 AM, Jungle Fan said:

@GameCzar "supposed to" might be the operative words here. Do they have a warranty that covers your phone if the bag leaks? Or do they have a legally handy dandy overseas business address? Not sure that I would trust my phone that costs almost as much as a lower end camera, definitely more than a used  what was considered top of the line camera 10 years ago to a gadget that looks like it comes out of a tv info-mercial. Just sayin' but sometimes if it sounds to be too good to be true, it just might be. At the very least I'd run some trials with something else inside it that shows you if, or when it might leak. Just speaking from experience with family members who could have filled sheds, and bank accounts with "cost  saving", and great sounding equipment that ended up not quite delivering the performance they were advertised to because the manufacturer ended up cutting cost as well. However I'm just a doubting Thomas, pinching my pennies, and carefully weighing the options of what rides I might let people take me on. I'm careful because I've gotten burnt a time, or two as well in my years.

Not that I'm aware of, but it does have a LOT of good Amazon reviews with some pic and vid examples.   I'm gonna be using an old smartphone to test it with just to be safe.

[HH Morant]

Hey, aren't the top end smart phones now rated to be water resistant up to a depth of 5 feet for 5 minutes? Just put it down there and click away!

I know, me neither.

[Jungle Fan]

That sounds like a very good means of testing to me, and is the route I would take. I remember when cell phones used to be $300 - $400 bucks, then the last time I got a new phone I took a hard swallow when I realized that they now cost more than I had paid for some of my old laptops.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Jungle Fan

[GameCzar]

On 7/27/2021 at 9:53 AM, Jungle Fan said:

That sounds like a very good means of testing to me, and is the route I would take. I remember when cell phones used to be $300 - $400 bucks, then the last time I got a new phone I took a hard swallow when I realized that they now cost more than I had paid for some of my old laptops.

Now you can get a lower end, but useable smartphone unlocked on Amazon for 50-75 bucks 🙂

[Jungle Fan]

@HH Morant a friend of mine bought into the advertising and took his smartphone, same as mine, snorkeling, took beautiful videos, only problem as he later found out the microphone can't withstand continued exposure to water, it's o.k. for a short dip but not continued under water operation, as he was informed by the manufacturer who quoted the warranty fine print instead of the marketing text brochure. Now his conversations permanently remind him of his day under water snorkeling because they sound just like it.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Jungle Fan

[Jungle Fan]

On 7/27/2021 at 8:57 AM, GameCzar said:

Now you can get a lower end, but useable smartphone unlocked on Amazon for 50-75 bucks 🙂

I've got a few laying around that I can no longer get batteries for that will hold a charge.

[Jungle Fan]

I think taking an older phone to test this out and check the waterproofing is a great idea. For the price of the device  you could get multiples, and even improve on the sealing. You might even seal it in permanent if it's an old phone that you are going to designate for just that one purpose. If later you change your mind it's not that much money down the drain if you just cut the bag.

PS: The charging cable might be the weak link in the permanent seal idea, not so much with the seal but the length of the cable the longest I've seen for Android were 10FT don't know if it might affect charging if you were to connect two.

Edited July 27, 2021 by Jungle Fan

[ARMYVET]

This looks nice but the price tag is not so much!

https://www.amazon.com/CHASING-Dory-Underwater-Drone-Palm-Sized/dp/B085DKWFCS/ref=asc_df_B085DKWFCS/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=416852484227&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18329039655910580198&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9051808&hvtargid=pla-901641274741&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=95587149804&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=416852484227&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18329039655910580198&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9051808&hvtargid=pla-901641274741 

[Griznatch]

Keeping an eye on this thread. I'd really love to see in my goldfish pond and guppy tub. I have so much plant growth I can barely see under the surface without moving a lot of plants.