The Undy on test

by Brian Pitkin

Reproduced from in focus 36 (March 1990)

Greenaway Marine Ltd now offer the "Undy" a fully waterproof camera, rated down to 30 metres, for under P-50. Based on the Fuji 400 print film pack with built-in flashgun, the "Film Camera Marine" is a polycarbonate housing with wind-on control, shutter release and flash control.

The housing, made in Japan by the U.N. Co. Ltd, is 157 x 73 x 87mm and comprises a back and front half secured by two sprung case clips, one either side. The two halves are sealed by a recessed "0" ring. The front has a flat glass lens port and carries an easy-to-use, sprung shutter release control and sprung flash control button. The back carries the film wind-on control which projects above the top of the housing. All external controls, which are orange, couple with the internal controls of a Fuji 400 print film/flash pack via "0" ring sealed linkages. The housing comes with a lanyard.

Although inspected and tested in water at high pressure before despatch, the manufacturer recommends that you test the housing before use in case of damage in transit. Carefully check that the main "0" ring seal is clean and free of any foreign particles, close it up and immerse it in water. If there is no leakage of water then the "Film Camera Marine" is ready for use.

To use the system, open the housing and simply insert the Fuji disposable camera. Fasten the two clips and you are ready to shoot. Underwater, unless you are in clear, shallow water you will need to use flash. To charge the flash press in the flash control button until a small orange light, visible through the rear of the housing, comes on. Look through the viewfinder, compose your picture and press the shutter release. The flash is not that powerful, so you are recommended to restrict your camera to subject distance to about 1 metre for optimum results.

I took an "Undy" with me to Cayman Brac in the Caribbean, along with four Nikonos cameras and a housed Pentax, and found it incredibly simple to use. Getting an eye close enough to the camera back to see through the viewfinder and compose my shots whilst wearing a mask meant turning my head slightly to one side. Even then I did not always frame my subject correctly, but I would expect to improve with practise. There is an orange mark at the top of the back half of the housing which indicates the centre of the picture which, although easier to see, is not as accurate as the viewfinder.

All external controls operated without any problems and providing I was either very near the surface or no more than a metre from my subject when using flash the prints were correctly exposed and quite pleasing. My thanks to the barracuda which posed for me.

Backscatter, caused by flash illuminating small particles in the water, was not a serious problem in the clear waters of the tropics. However, due to the proximity of the flash to the lens, backscatter would degrade the resulting prints in less clear water.

The "Undy" fits easily into a stab jacket or ALJ pocket. The one big advantage over any other system is that should the housing flood all you lose is the disposable film pack.

The "Undy" is available ex stock, complete with one roll of 24 exposure film, a tube of silicone grease for "O" ring maintenance and silica gel packs to keep the inside of the housing dry when not in use for only £49.95, plus £1.00 post and packing, from Greenaway Marine Ltd, Broad Hinton, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN4 9PA. Additional Fuji 400 film packs with built in flash are available from some Fuji stockists at £7.95 each. Processing cost for 24 enprints is about £4.00.