1.) Why should I buy a housing made by Del Mar Housing Projects?
2.) Of what materials are your camera housings made?
3.) Why do you choose to use fiberglass instead of aluminum or other materials?
4.) What process do you use to make your housings?
5.) Why are your housings "front entry"?
6.) How much do your housings weigh?
7.) Do your housings have an x-ring or o-ring?
8.) What controls do you offer?
9.) What type of material do you use for your port?
10.) What happens if I scratch my port?
11.) Can you make me a custom handle to suit my preferences?
12.) Are your housings rated to a specific depth?
1.) Why should I buy a housing
made by Del Mar Housing Projects?
Simply
put, our camera housings are the best, custom-made splash
housings available for action water sport photography and
videography. Period. Our advanced production techniques
offer an individually manufactured, high-tech product that
allows for an excellent degree of customization to suit the
special needs and preferences of a wide range of
photographers and shooting situations.
Plus, our pricing is extremely
competitive with our so-called "competition." Backed by
our excellent customer service, the choice is easy when it
comes to buying your next camera housing. Whether you have
been shooting from the water for years or are gearing up
to make your first housing purchase, Del Mar Housing
Projects is THE source for your new underwater camera
housing. ↑↑
2.) Of what materials are your camera
housings made?
Our
camera housings utilize a fiberglass/carbon fiber sandwich core
construction, which offers numerous benefits to the end
user. The composite housings are made from a combination of
resin, glass and foam, all machined or molded to exacting
tolerances. Overall, our housings are stronger, lighter and
more durable than any other housings on the market.
A major advantage of our sandwhich-core design is that in the
event of a catastrophic impact to the housing, the sandwich
core provides separation between two individuall, fully-waterproof fiberglass barriers, limiting the possibility of
a flooded housing by way of such an impact. ↑↑
3.) Why do you choose to use
fiberglass instead of aluminum or
other materials?
By utilizing the latest technology in
composite materials and construction methods, our housings
exhibit strength and durability characteristics that far
exceed any other available materials with which to
manufacture camera housings.
We set out to make the very
best camera housings possible, looking far beyond what is
possible with aluminum, acrylic, and even single-wall
fiberglass construction. Sure, we could have made it much
easier on ourselves and made a good product using more
common materials and rudimentary manufacturing techniques,
but we wanted to offer the best housings possible.
We did all the dirty work,
and we have now made these housings available to you! Do
you see the space shuttle being made from aluminum? ↑↑
4.) What process do you use to
make your housings?
Del Mar Housings are made utilizing sandwich
core construction and a vacuum infusion manufacturing
technique. The housings are first designed utilizing CAD
programs that allow for the proper planning of every detail
and to very close tolerances. For some parts of the housings,
molds, jigs and templates are created from the computer
drawings.
It is from this "tooling"
that the final parts for each housing are made. Some parts
are actually machined by the CNC mills themselves. The end
result is a highly consistent product with the exact
specifications desired. The smooth contours of our
housings, a result of the materials and manufacturing,
provide both safety and aesthetics; no sharp or dangerous
corners, no weld marks, just an ultra-strong, ultra-light
product to help you get the shot. ↑↑
5.) Why are your housings "front
entry"?
Our underwater camera housings are designed and built as front entries with several reasons in mind, including safety. Front entry housings put the majority of the major hardware away from the user's face and body, which can be very comforting in large and dangerous surf. The front entry design also allows for easy access to the viewfinder when shooting both still and motion pictures. ↑↑
Please check back for exact
weights, as we will be posting them soon. Because each and
every housing is custom made to suit your needs, we can
even customize your specific housing to make it feather
weight, or to be built like a tank, whatever your
preference or situation demands. ↑↑
6.) How much do your housings
weigh?
7.) Do your housings have an
x-ring or o-ring?
The main face seal of our camera housings
feature a close-tolerance machined o-ring groove for
performance and security. The properly machined o-ring
groove greatly reduces (and nearly eliminates) any chance
of 0-ring failure from blow out in even the most demanding
shooting environments. We have yet to have a volunteer to
do the necessary testing by taking a fifteen footer on the
head at Pipeline (though Russo has come pretty close), but
we will be doing dive testing in the near future, which
will provide an excellent reference, and be much safer than
the Pipeline test. ↑↑
8.) What controls do you
offer?
Our camera housings feature any number of
exact and accurate controls to suit the needs of the
individual photographer, including on/off buttons standard
for all video cameras (a feature many other housings fail
to offer). The manufacturing process for our camera
housings allow for a high degree of customization to suit
the specific desires of our customers with regards to the
layout and number of the controls.
Bottom line: no matter
what controls you need, we are happy to build you a housing
with the desired features. Your housing's controls should
be nothing more and nothing less than your exact wants and
needs. ↑↑
9.) What type of material do you
use for your port?
Bonded acrylic ports offer the best performance for our housings. We use only optical grade acrylic to help the user get the sharpest and brightest images possible. ↑↑
10.) What happens if I scratch my
port?
Scratched port? No problem! Included with the purchase price of each camera housing is a lens polishing kit. Sure, it takes a little elbow grease but the minor scratches that appear over time with regular use can easily be buffed out. For deeper scratches, pits and dings, we are happy to refurbish your scratched lens port for a nominal cost. Just give us a call... ↑↑
11.) Can you make me a custom
handle to suit my preferences?
Yes! And better yet, all of our housings
feature threaded inserts on their underside which allow the
user to remove the handle for ease of travel, or to switch
it out for a different application. True pistol grips and
other ergonomic handles are available to suit a wide
range of shooting situations and preferences. We are happy
to work with you to create a custom handle if we do not
currently make one that suits your needs.
The true pistol grips and
other ergonomic handles are an incredible advantage
compared to other crudely fabricated cylinders and metal
beams which often serve as handles. Not only does a true
pistol grip aid in composition, a quality handle makes a
huge difference after being in the water for an extended period of time. ↑↑
12.) Are your housings rated to a
specific depth?
Though not intended to do so, our housings have been taken successfully to depths of up to 75 feet. It is safe to say they are more than ready to take on any surf, skin diving or other water-related photography you can throw at them. ↑↑