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the controls work with the SR12. I use it outdoors for keeping camcorder dry and protecting it from the salt air and water.It is hard to frame the subject because the glare is coming through the lucent case and the mirror from behind. It is hard to see the LCD which is turned inside out to visualize through the mirror assemblyWhat is the fixThanksRon
The Pak comes with a long strap that you can place around your shoulder to drag the Pak through the water behind you as you swim/snorkel while not filming.The Pak comes with a multitude of adapters to fit many Sony camcorders; however it is not large enough for my older DCR-TRV320 Digital 8 format camcorder. It also lets you toggle to the Photo Mode of your camcorder, and toggle to Play mode -- however, for some reason you can not play your recorded video using the external controls -- only the thumbnails of the scenes are visible on the screen.The supports that hold the flip-out mirror for the viewfinder in place detach rather easily and definitely could have been better engineered. I kept it at no deeper than 12-15 feet.To open the case there are two buttons that you have to simultaneously slide that will reduce the chances of accidentally opening the unit underwater. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R12DYAM3E5Q4TI I purchased the Sony SportsPak to use on a family vacation to the Bahamas and was very pleased. After use, you must remove the camcorder and wash the Pak thoroughly and lubricate the O-ring with provided lubricant to maintain the O-ring's longevity.When using above the water, you will want to carry a towel to dry water droplets from the housing in front of the camcorder lens -- otherwise, you will have water droplets in your shots.I can also envision using the SportsPak while filming kids' sporting events in the rain or using it on the boat at the lake just to protect the camera from an accidental drop into the water. These buttons allow you to power on and off your camcorder, start and stop filming, and use the camcorder's zoom functions.
I suppose you could add some ballast to the Pak to make it neutrally buoyant, but I did not try it.A wire on the interior of the unit plugs into your camera's AV output slot that activates the exterior buttons on the Pak.
The Pak is about 9" long, 7" wide and 5 1/2" tall.
However, if you (1) follow the included instructions that tell you to load the camera into the unit while indoors (in the air conditioning and out of the humidity), (2) use the anti-fog solution, and (3) DO NOT OPEN THE PAK outdoors or in the sand, it stays clear with no fog.The camcorder screen's reflected image on the viewfinder can be difficult to see in certain light; however, I also put the anti-fog solution on the Pak's viewfinder's mirror and that helped me to better see the image I was recording.
This is video I took while snorkeling off Grand Bahama using the Pak with a Sony DCR-SR82 HDD Camcorder.I highly recommend the SportsPak if you are looking for a good waterproof camcorder case for the ameteur videographer at shallow depths.
And if you do not use the provided anti-fog drops, the unit WILL fog up.
In the water, the Pak is extremely buoyant -- which is good and bad.
Loaded with a camcorder, the unit will rise to the water's surface like a cork so you won't lose your camera into the abyss, but the buouancy makes it hard to dive with while snorkeling.
(Of course, often it is difficult to see a camcorder screen's image just using it by itself in bright sunlight).
All in all, we had a lot of fun filming with our new Sony SportsPak.
I submerged into water, open case, dry and no leaks. Great Camcorder Housing case. I have tried it right out of Box, without camcorder because I did not believe it would work. Can't wait to try at the beach with Grandkids. Here is another satisfied customer at item and delivery.
I found this underwater box to be excellent, although the volume when using the box seems magnified loader than using the camera alone. I took this on Splash Mountain at Disneyland and got a great video of my daughters getting splashed.
I could only aim my shots by sighting along the barrel of the camera and avoiding fancy zooming.The rear of the housing has more than ample room to accommodate an oversize battery. On the boat or in Hanauma bay, the unit totally fogged up after a few minutes, which made any further shooting impossible.
It definitely keeps the camera dry -- no sign of leakage whatsoever. Used this with my HDR-SR11.
The clicking sound doesn't happen when filming out of the water.However, the worst problem is with the unit fogging up. It worked well on my first trial in a heated pool.
Sound quality underwater would be great except that it is punctuated by frequent clicking sounds, which are super annoying and wreak havoc on the volume auto-gain circuit. This is even with proper application of the anti-fogging solution and using a new desiccant packet.So, you need to either load the camera into the underwater housing on a really low-humidity day, or plan to film only in very warm water or only for a few minutes.The foldout underwater viewfinder works great at night, but is all but impossible to see during the day.
Sadly there is no way to add a wide-angle conversion lens in the front.
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