Everio Video Hunters! Marine Case Challenge in Lake Chuzenji! – Part 1 -

Hi there, it’s Toshi. Today I’d like to update you all on the kayak tour in Lake Chuzenji that was featured here last week. For the first time ever on ‘Everio Video Hunters!’, we tried out a marine case! I’d always wanted to get my hands on one, but this was the first chance I’d had to try a case for real. I’ve been kayaking a few times, so I’m pretty confident as far as that’s concerned, but I’m a novice when it comes to marine cases… it’s all pretty exciting!

On this trip, I used the WR-MG270 marine case! Inside the case I had an Everio GZ-HD620. The marine case, which is really compact, is specially made for use with Everio. With the case on, you can still use the zoom (tele/wide), start/stop recording, still shooting, and Power ON/OFF functions.

Setting Up the Marine Case for Filming

Before getting started with the marine case, there are a couple of points to check. It’s best to have some idea about them, so I’ll explain them briefly here. Saying that, I was really careful about getting everything just right as I’d never used a case before…

• 1) Apply the anti-fog liquid on the inner side of the front glass.
• 2) Remove the O-ring from the main case for inspection.
  (The O-ring and mounting area are the most important parts of the marine case. Make sure there are no foreign objects like sand or hair in the groove of the mounting area, and check for scratches and cracks. Be sure to check the O-ring itself, too.)
• 3) Apply grease to the O-ring and reattach it to the mounting area.
  *You MUST try submerging the case in water once without the camcorder inside to make sure that there are no leaks. Remember to close the case!

• 4) Insert the drying agent at the back of the base.
• 5) Insert the Everio along the attachment groove in the base.
  (The Everio LCD monitor can be tilted upwards to a maximum angle of 30 degrees, allowing you to check the visibility.)
• 6) Close the case tightly, and hold the case underwater to make sure there are no leaks.

Preparations are complete, and now we’re ready to go!

Time for Some Underwater Filming from the Kayak!

We have a two-seater kayak for this trip. Once we’ve got to grips with paddling, I can leave the steering up to the person in front and start filming with the marine case. You can use the camera just above the surface of the water without worrying about it getting wet. It’s not often you get the chance to take dynamic footage like this! Time to head in to the lake…it’s cold but it feels great! We’re getting some great footage of the bottom of the kayak and the paddles going into the water – things you never usually get to see. You sure can get some cool footage with a marine case.

OK, it’s time to head to the area that Eri talked about last week – Akaiwa, near the rock wall. Though the person rowing up front is a beginner, right now I can’t think about anything but the marine case. The kayak just doesn’t seem to go where we want it to! Avoiding tree branches on the way, we finally arrive at our destination. The water surface looks beautiful, sparkling with the light coming through the trees. But when you have a marine case, it’s the underwater world you really want to see. Without further ado, it’s time to start filming. Wow! The underwater light looks amazing! I’ve been kayaking several times, but I’ve never seen anything like this.

>> Continued next week

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