The Ghostek Nautical Slim waterproof case was my ticket to underwater photography using my Pixel 6 Pro Android smartphone. Going on a trip involving two snorkel experiences drove me to take the big step, but there were so many choices. I subscribed to the Snorkeling Explorer newsletter that made a recommendation for the Ghostek Nautical Slim waterproof case. I ordered the case in anticipation of a trip to Indonesia involving two separate weeks of snorkeling.
The Ghostek waterproof case arrived a few days later, but I’ll admit I was a little nervous about submerging my phone in water. I followed the manufacturer’s recommendation to submerge the case without the phone to test the seal. Seeing that the inside stayed dry did a lot for my confidence in the product.
In reviewing the materials for the case, I learned:
When I received the product, I opened the port buckle at the bottom and peeled off the back to separate the two parts. I examined the pieces to ensure that they were clean and undamaged.
I pressed the pieces back together and made sure they were completely sealed. I thought the two pieces were together, but I saw some places that looked deformed. I pressed firmly around all the edges until they looked uniformly secure with no gaps or puckers. I pushed the port buckle in place to complete the seal.
I tested the seal by submerging the sealed case under water for ten minutes without the phone. An eight-inch square baking dish worked well at home; the sink worked well at the dive resort. After I dried the case with a towel, I could see there were no leaks. If you do this test and see any water inside, don’t use the product and contact the company.
The case came with some wipes, and while I used them I didn’t use the product for several weeks. Once I used it, I had it on and off quite a bit, so the cleaning didn’t seem relevant to me.
I followed the directions to remove the fingerprint sensor protection sticker and used the cardboard wedge over the fingerprint sensor. I didn’t need to rescan my fingerprint, but if it doesn’t work for you, you might need to rescan it.
I attached the included wrist strap to the bottom of the case.
The first experience was a 4-day liveaboard trip on the Samara I boat in the Komodo Islands off Flores, Indonesia. I was so enthralled by the underwater scenes I saw every day that I couldn’t focus on setting up and figuring out how to operate the camera on phone with the case. Besides, we had a guide and a photographer with us for every dive so I didn’t think my amateur photos would add much. We stayed together as a group and there wasn’t much time for me to be tinkering with buttons, but I was a bit jealous of everyone else’s photos and vowed to figure it out.
A week later, we were at a land-based resort, Papua Explorers, in Raja Ampat off West Papua, Indonesia, where I had more free time to fiddle around. I retrieved the case from the bottom of my suitcase, laid out the two pieces and eyed it, debating whether I wanted to deal with the distraction. Deciding I’d never be in a better place to get underwater photos, I tested it again in a sink full of water and then I set up the camera with the case. Figuring out how to take photos underwater took some fiddling initially. I had some free time at the house reef at the resort and after a few tries I figured out some tips and tricks.
I used the included wrist strap to secure the camera to my body. It didn’t feel very secure, but it worked, and I didn’t lose my phone. I usually never had the phone out of my hand. If I needed to stroke, I held the phone in my hand, and it functioned like a web.
I was unsuccessful taking photos initially because I couldn’t get the fingerprint sensor to work underwater. I finally figured out that the volume buttons on the side of the camera also function as the shutter. If you need to check or change this setting, go to the Pixel camera settings. On my Pixel 6, these are the settings:
Also, when my phone is asleep, a double click of the power button will open directly to the camera. Therefore, it may be a two-step process to take a photo.
Once I mastered taking photos underwater, I wanted to shoot some short videos. The only way I could figure out how to switch between the two functions was to flip over like an otter, press the button on the screen to switch to video, flip back underwater and use the volume button to start and stop the video. I used the same procedure if I wanted to change the zoom aspect for still photos.
I wrote to tech support, and they confirmed that the fingerprint sensor won’t work underwater, and my workaround is the correct method. There is a video on the manufacturer website about how to test and set up the case, but no information about how to take photos.
It made me very happy to get photos of what I was seeing, and I verified that Google Lens is incredible at naming the specimens. This was the only way I could start learning the names of the fish and coral I saw every day.
It works best to start at the bottom, at the port buckle, but sometimes I still have a hard time getting it open. I used a thin coin, but the manufacturer recommends using a credit card, to get the two sections to separate. When I was on the trip, I had no coins, but I used the lever end of my nail clippers effectively.
The Ghostek Nautical Slim waterproof case worked perfectly the whole time, and I never saw a drop of water inside. Once I learned how to shoot photos and video using the buttons on the phone instead of the fingerprint sensor, it was simple to switch between modes and shoot more photos and video than I could possibly use.
Ghostek Nautical Slim waterproof case for Pixel 6 Pro
Ghostek Nautical Slim on Amazon: $19.98
All photos by Inga Aksamit, unless otherwise credited.
Disclosure: I did not receive anything from the manufacturer. I purchased the product for personal use.
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
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