RE: [Paddlewise] EWA camera casings

Hi Rick,

	I just went through this exercise a couple of months ago. Here's what I
found. I bought my camera (Canon G2) for the features first and worried
about the housing second. Canon does not make an u/w housing for my camera.
The cameras that are available with manufacturers u/w housings have slower
lenses (less capable in low-light) and generally favor a reduced feature
set.

Ikelite makes very good u/w housings but they are designed for diving. They
are large, bulky and heavy in kayaking terms. Lastly they aren't cheap ($750
or so). Most other u/w camera housing cost significantly more than my
camera.

	Ewa-Marine makes high-tech vinyl bags with optical grade glass ports for
the lens. At $150 for my camera they aren't cheap but it keeps my camera dry
and at the ready. Condensation can become an issue as cold water hits the
housing condensing the water out of the moist air inside the housing. (The
same would happen to any housing) You can open the bag to let the
condensation dry or place a desiccant inside the bag.

	I've used my Ewa-Marine bag about a dozen times so far and I like it just
fine. You would need to be careful that the port is aligned with the lens or
risk vignetting.  I do wish Canon would make a hard-shelled housing for the
G2 but even hard shelled housing fail at the "O" rings from time to time.
There's doesn't seem to be any perfect answers for this issue.  Best of luck
with your choices.

Jed
Team North Atlantic

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