Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/30

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Subject: Re: [Leica] OT: plastic bag for camera
From: "Henning J. Wulff" <henningw@archiphoto.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 1999 14:25:52 -0800

At 1:05 PM -0800 11/30/99, Mark Rabiner wrote:
>Xavier Logean wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>><Snip>
>> How do they work : is there a plastic or glass  lens on the bag to fix
>> on the lens of the camera ?
>>
>> Thanx
>>
>> Xavier
>
>Would condensation again be the issue?
>Your camera needs to BREED!
>Mark Rabiner
>I can't BREED!

Nothing to do with breeding (I've left a number of Leicas together for long
periods of time, also 2 at a time in various combinations, and the number
never increases - maybe it takes more than 6 together to breed??) but I do
know about the 'plastic bags'.

Apart from the basic plastic umbrella type of devices, or those that are
left open at the bottom to stick your hands into, there are the Ewa-marine
heavy vinyl bags, with glass ports and methods to align these ports with
the lens. They have a 'glove' going into the bag with which you operate the
controls. A sturdy clamping bar is used to seal the bag. I don't recall to
what depth they are good for, but it's more than I normally snorkel, so
probably at least 6 meters. Various shapes and sizes are made to accomodate
everything from P&S to SLR's with 20-35 zooms and large flashes on top, or
various camcorders. I have one that I've used for about 20 years, and last
time I checked (about 2 years ago) it was still OK. I test them very
thoroughly before going underwater, obviously. I tend to use an SLR with
motor and autoexposure for the most part, and a lens in the 20 to 28mm
range. Manual wind is sometimes difficult, especially at greater depths, as
is measuing light. Results are OK, considering my relative lack of
experience in underwater photography.

They are also very useful when taking pictures on a boat, especially when
it's windy and there is lots of spray, or canoeing, etc. You can usually
determine the bouancy by varying the amount of air you enclose before
tightening the clamping bar. For 'normal' winter weather here in Vancouver
they are overkill, as they do make operating a camera more clumsy, so a
plastic bag with opeinings for the viewfinder and the lens (held in place
with rubber bands) is more suitable when the camera has to be out in the
rain for extended periods. With Leica M's that's not necessay for me, as I
carry the camera over my shoulder under the jacket, and only lift it out
for the picture, but a big SLR with large lens doesn't always fit, so I
have used the plastic bag on occasion.

   *            Henning J. Wulff
  /|\      Wulff Photography & Design
 /###\   mailto:henningw@archiphoto.com
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