Full Camera Control Underwater: How Outex Gives You Access to Every Button and Setting
Mar 24, 2019
One of the most common concerns photographers have about underwater housings is losing access to their camera controls. With rigid hard cases, this is a real limitation — you're restricted to a fixed set of external buttons that may or may not map to the functions you need, and you often have to relearn how to operate your camera inside the housing.
Outex works differently. The flexible polymer cover gives you direct, tactile access to every control on your camera — exactly where you expect it to be.
How It Works
Think of it the way a surgeon operates with gloves. The gloves don't eliminate dexterity — they maintain it while providing protection. Outex's proprietary compound is engineered specifically to maximise tactile feedback, grip, handling, and elasticity, so the cover becomes an extension of your hands rather than a barrier between you and your camera.
The 2nd generation clear cover takes this further by adding full transparency — you can see every button, dial, cable, and accessory inside the housing at a glance, making it even easier to confirm your setup and operate confidently underwater.
What You Can Control Through the Cover
The Outex cover gives you access to all of the following — above and below water:
- All buttons and dials — shutter, aperture, ISO, exposure compensation, drive mode, AF/MF toggle, and any other controls on the camera body
- Zoom rings and focus rings — full rotation on any lens, at any focal length
- Touchscreens — the flexible cover allows touchscreen interaction on cameras that support it
- LCD screen — fully visible and operable through the cover or via the rear glass (Pro Kit)
- Viewfinder — accessible via the rear optical glass on the Pro Kit
- Mode dial and custom function buttons — all accessible without removing the housing
- Accessory controls — triggers, cable connections, lighting controls, and tethering connections via the T-variant cover openings
There are no controls that require you to remove the housing to access. You operate your camera in exactly the same way you do without the housing — in any shooting mode, including full manual.
Does It Work the Same for All Camera Types?
Yes — the Outex cover works with DSLR, mirrorless, film, medium format, and cinema cameras. Because the cover conforms to the shape of your specific camera body, the controls are always in the same position relative to your hands. There is no fixed button layout to learn.
For cameras with rear controls that sit behind the rear glass (Pro Kit), the patented rear glass mechanism allows you to move the glass aside when needed to access those controls directly, then return it to position.
See It in Action
The videos below demonstrate full camera control through the Outex cover across different camera types and shooting scenarios:
For additional videos, visit the Outex YouTube channel.
Ready to Shoot with Full Control?
Browse the full Outex system — including Pro Kits with rear glass for complete viewfinder and LCD access — in the Camera Kits section.