There are two things that differentiate the Light and Motion BlueFin Underwater Housing for Video Cameras from other underwater casings. First, while most casings utilize manual mechanical knobs and levers to access camera controls, the BlueFin relies on a combination of wireless buttons and manual controls. Second, it has its own high-resolution LCD monitor at the back of the housing.
Wireless fingertip buttons are mounted on the handles on both sides of the housing. Using lithium batteries, these connect to the video camera via a sealed port. With this design, there are less apertures on the housing that are potential sources of leaks. Among the wireless controls on the handle are on/off, zoom, record, auto and manual focus, mode, and play/pause/stop buttons.
At the back of the casing is a self-contained rear plate with a 2.7-inch high-resolution LCD monitor made by Sony. Instead of flipping out the video camera’s LCD monitor, this rear-mounted monitor is used for image composition and playback. It is this feature that enables the construction of a compact housing as it is no longer necessary to provide a space for a flipped-out camera LCD monitor. The monitor incorporates adjustment controls for brightness, color, and contrast. There are also indicators for low battery, recording light, and an alarm in the event of a leak into the housing.
The casing is made of extruded aluminum making the BlueFin lightweight and corrosion resistant. Its front and rear plates are machined. The few manual controls on the housing are all equipped with double o-rings to minimize, if not eliminate, the possibility of leaks.
The Light and Motion BlueFin Underwater Housing for Video Cameras has six variations. These are intended to support six different camera models. These are: Sony XR520/500, Sony CX500/520, Sony SR11/12, Sony HC9, Canon HF S-10, and Canon S100. The variations are necessary because of the differences in the physical layout and placement of the control buttons of these cameras.