Cameras - Lost at Sea and Found Again

[Kev1n]

What's the chances of this one lads???

As many of you have spotted, I bought a waterproof video camera last spring to get some underwater video footage of fishing inshore.

It was only a cheap "action video camera", bought from China via ebay, so I didn't mind taking the risk of losing it, which is exactly what happened last September. I lowered it over the side into about 60ft of water by the yellow can at St Mary's Island, straight into a snag. The 50lb braid snapped as easily as bait elastic and I was resigned to not seeing the camera again - until someone called from the marina.

Four months after losing it, it was found, washed up on the rocks at the south end of Whitley Bay beach.

Amazingly, when the lad who found it opened up the case, the camera was still dry and worked. He identified my boat from the video still on the camera's memory card, traced it back to the Royal Quays Marina and returned the camera. There's some good people out there.

Battered but still working, the plastic case was all clear before the chips and scuffs from months at sea ground the edges to opaque white:

 

[Davem]

I think I would be buying a lottery ticket if I was you Kevin !

 

[lead chucker]

Wow, was it turned on when you lost it any footage

 

[Russ hud]

Canny advert for the camera, it must have taken some stick getting chucked around on the rough ground, big thumbs up too, to the guy who returned it

 

[Kev1n]

Wow, was it turned on when you lost it any footage

It was on when it snagged and I was keen to see what it had recorded when I got it back.

Unfortunately the water was too dark and murky to see much more than a dim image of the bottom. There's several hours video of the bottom, before the battery died.

 

[Davey1970]

there are some decent honest folk still out there.

 

[Norman]

Wow Kevin ...... What a crackin tale, I'm with Dave, get some lottery tickets while your lucks in

Norm

 

[Budgie]

Great story.

 

[kayos]

What a great story, so amazing! As said buy a lottery ticket and one for the guy who returned the camera to you, what a lovely guy!

 

[codhw]

Brilliant it just goes to show you just never know and very well done the lad that returned it. Are you going to use 80lb braid the next time you drop it

 

[Scotty91]

Whawwww class that is good people out ther

 

[The Great Wallsendo]

Cheap Chinese crap eh??

Great story Kev - food for thought when Team Slinky look to design a camera rig for this season

 

[Tadpoleman]

Love it ! Thats one for the grand kids Kev

 

[The seas away]

Quite amazing those s4000 china cams, the footage is almost gopro quality.

 

[Ian Alexander]

That's amazing! Can I ask what model it is. I've been thinking about a gopro but it's just for messing about, dog walking, fishing but just for a play really.

 

[Kev1n]

That's amazing! Can I ask what model it is. I've been thinking about a gopro but it's just for messing about, dog walking, fishing but just for a play really.

Hi Ian.

The camera was a generic "Action Camera" from Ebay, sold as, "NEW Black SJ4000 1080P HD Sports DV Action Camera Waterproof Car Camcorder 8GB"

After I lost it I bought a couple of replacements for about £12 each, delivered from China. The original gave pretty good footage and the replacements look identical even down to the packaging. The limitation seem to be that the lens diameter is small so isn't great in low light and doesn't always transition smoothly from light to dark condition changes.

 

[Ian Alexander]

Hi Ian.

The camera was a generic "Action Camera" from Ebay, sold as, "NEW Black SJ4000 1080P HD Sports DV Action Camera Waterproof Car Camcorder 8GB"

After I lost it I bought a couple of replacements for about £12 each, delivered from China. The original gave pretty good footage and the replacements look identical even down to the packaging. The limitation seem to be that the lens diameter is small so isn't great in low light and doesn't always transition smoothly from light to dark condition changes.

Thanks for that. Were the replacements as good as your original one?
I have just been looking on eBay and most are about the forty quid mark but there's a couple about half that much and I was wondering if they were the same as they look identical.

 

[Muad_Dib]

There are some good people, nice one.

 

[Kev1n]

Thanks for that. Were the replacements as good as your original one?
I have just been looking on eBay and most are about the forty quid mark but there's a couple about half that much and I was wondering if they were the same as they look identical.

The £12 ones I've bought look pretty much the same as the original and the packaging is the same. Playing with them at home they seem to give the same image quality as well, but I'll have to wait until a better day to try them out when fishing.

 

[Ian Alexander]

The £12 ones I've bought look pretty much the same as the original and the packaging is the same. Playing with them at home they seem to give the same image quality as well, but I'll have to wait until a better day to try them out when fishing.

Cheers Kevin, I'm ordering one tonight. I want to have a play about when I'm fly fishing. I also want to put one on my dog when we're out and about......daft I know but it's just a laugh.
Thanks for your help mate.

Ian