Are there any universal camera housings?

Yes, there are. However, there are a number of difficulties with a “one size fits all” approach to housing an underwater camera.

First of all, truly universal housings are usually soft, flexible enclosures, which make them much less robust and more prone to failure compared to dedicated, model-specific housings. Image quality in these type of housings also often suffers on account of less-than-ideal port configurations that compromise on optical quality.

One company that produces stronger, aluminum housings that fit a variety of models (not “universal”, but pretty flexible) is EasyDive, but this technology is still improving and we have not used one, yet.

There are other brands that offer universal camera housings, from compacts to even DSLRs – including Ewa Marine, who produce soft waterproof bags for various camera sizes, and Outex, which are similar. We do not carry those brands, unfortunately.

Another well-known brand for universal video (camcorder) housings is Mangrove. Browse their housings here.

There are also some universal smartphone housings, and more and more are brought to market every year. We currently carry smartphone housings from SeaLife, Kraken, Nimar, Nauticam, and others.

These are very convenient for people who just want to take photos underwater without having to invest in an additional camera.

The quality may not be the same as using proper cameras, but the ease of use and affordable housing options can make this worthwhile.

You can find our smartphone housings here.