Not long ago, Thomas and I had the chance to check out a few DXG HD video cameras.  While I really liked a lot of what I saw, I had one big complaint.  Yeah, you guessed it, you can’t take these cameras deep sea diving…or even get them wet at all.  OK.  Maybe that was not really the big complaint about these cameras, but I have always been intrigued by waterproof cameras cases, and I was thrilled when DXG contacted me shortly after we posted the initial review to ask whether I would be interested in checking out their underwater value pack, which they were nice enough to send along.

The underwater value pack consists of the DXG-U579V camera and an underwater case to go with it.  Since the camera is almost identical to the one Thomas looked at in our joint review, I am not going to discuss it or the picture/video quality in this review.  You can check out the previous review for that.  Just to give you a highlight, though, Thomas had this to say about the DXG 581V, which was the follow up to the 579V:

it’s great to see an attractive, vertical sub-$200 camcorder with a flip-out screen. It’s a great form factor, but the design – especially the lens – need some work. It’s tough to film yourself at arm’s length or use with a tripod with the sensor tilted upwards, but it’s the picture quality that could really use a boost. At $170 the DXG-581v is an affordable video camera, but it’s really HD in name only, and I’d probably look elsewhere for a camera.

So, that gives you an idea of the camera you can expect and the picture quality you will find.  Today, however, I really wanted to spend some time talking about that waterproof case.  I wasted no time putting it to the test.  I tested it in three different places. 

First, I took it to the pool, where I shot some photos and video of my boys swimming and jumping around, mostly from a submerged vantage point.  Then, I took it on vacation to the lake, where I filmed some splashing around, before tossing it in the kayak and snapping some nature shots from the far reaches of the lake while paddling. 

Finally, simply for documentation purposes, I took it to the kitchen sink so I could snap some shots of it being splashed and submerged.

The case itself is made from a hard plastic shell, which fully encases the camera.  A rubber gasket runs along the inside of the seam, ensuring a water tight seal. 

The whole thing is held together by a large, plastic lock.  I loved the fact that this is really large and graspable, meaning it is easy to use, even when you are underwater, wearing gloves.

On the back of the case is a button panel, which gives you access to all of the major functions of the camera.  This worked really well, allowing you to switch between video and still photos mode, begin and stop recording, snap photos, zoom, toggle the light, and even playback recorded media.  The only thing you cannot do from here is power the camera on or off.  To do that, you will need to open the case, which I found to be a bit annoying.  The camera runs on AAA batteries, and does not last an awfully long time.  Since you cannot toggle the power on or off from within the case, however, means the camera is going to spend a lot of time turned on but not in use (even with the sleep mode active).  It would have been nice if the power could be toggled without opening the case.

The other thing I found was that the case made it extremely difficult to see the LCD screen in order to frame a shot, especially when the camera is wet or underwater.  This was a real problem.  I found myself eyeballing a shot and then taking the picture blind and hoping for the best.  This is no way to take important pictures.  An underwater case needs to do a better job of making the camera usable.  With no viewfinder and a hazy LCD screen, the case really does not do this camera any favors.

Despite these drawbacks, I was really impressed by how well this case protected the camera.  Like I said, it got splashed, dunked, drowned, and pretty much anything else you can do to attack a delicate electronic device with water, and it withstood all of this and probably would have taken plenty more.  Through it all, nary a drop of water made its way to the camera (except for when I opened the case to turn off the power). 

I was also impressed to find that if you do lose the camera while swimming, the case is designed to float, making it easy to find; and it even comes complete with a wrist strap, coated in rubber, to make sure the camera will not float far while you are out to sea (or swimming in the shallow end of the kiddie pool). 

I have always been intrigued by these underwater cases, and I thought DXG did a good job with this one.  I absolutely loved the flexibility it gave me to take photos and video from positions and angles I never could have reached with a camera alone: in the water, underwater, and ever boating across the lake.  It handled it all without flinching.   Of course, the proof is in the pictures, so check out a few photos I took in and around the water.

What I Liked:

• Underwater, underwater, underwater
• Access to all controls
• Easy to access buttons and controls for use underwater

What Needs Improvement:

• Can’t toggle power while in the case
• LCD screen is difficult to use while in the case

Where To Buy: DXG

Price: $149.99 (includes underwater case and camera)

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