Fabien Cousteau and his team of aquanauts are spending 31 days underwater all in the name of science. The Mission 31 project (www.mission-31.com) is a combination of modern scientific exploration, tribute to Jacques-Yves Cousteau, and modern media to get the word out. And while all of that is in and of itself worthy of your attention, it's the fact that the team is using the Lumia 1020 that has our interest piqued.
In partnership with Nokia and Watershot Inc. (www.watershot.com), Cousteau's team can take the Lumia 1020 on their dives through a customized phone housing. That metal case can withstand 100 meters / 328 feet under the sea, which is extraordinarily deep. Watershot is selling a limited quantity of the specialty case, which cost $300 each. While not cheap by consumer standards, this is a specialty case for pros.
I have one, and this is an unboxing and quick tour of this magnificent piece of equipment.
Made from custom machined aluminum housing the case weighs 1.5 pounds (24 ounces). It also features:
- Integrated universal tripod mount
- Threaded Lens bezel for external filters and lenses
It is ridiculous in the most remarkable sense possible. As you would expect from such a specialty product, it feels fantastic to hold and it is solidly built. The latch is easy to operate, as can be seen in my hands on video, and it has four buttons in which to use the Lumia 1020 underwater.
Those buttons will allow you to:
- Turn the camera on; half-press to focus, full press to take image
- Power off the camera to conserve battery
- Toggle the Nokia Camera app between photos, video and smart sequence
- Review last image
As far as I can tell, they have thought of everything when using this case with gloves, underwater. You can even keep the Lumia 1020's lanyard attached, which is a good idea for easy removal from the covering.
Although 'normal people' would never need such a case for their phone, it's a unique and fascinating piece of equipment that professionals could certainly use in adverse weather conditions, or when on recreational SCUBA dives.
I did manage to put it underwater, well, at least my sink, and it held up well. We'll see about taking into a pool or even the ocean at some point for some real fun. But no need to take my word for it, just watch the above video taken entirely on the Lumia 1020 by the Mission 31 team, and you can see how they're making use of it as we speak.
Follow Mission 31 on Twitter at @Mission_31 to see their photos and videos as they go live and let us know what you think about it comments! Interested in picking one up? Here's where you can buy it.
