HAKUBA Dry Softbox – Waterproof Camera Bag

by Jakub HanMarch 10^th, 2019

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HAKUBA Dry Softbox is a new waterproof camera bag with IPX4 certification and clear window on the side. It comes in two sizes and two colors, but for now it is only available on the japanese market.

HAKUBA is a japanese camera accessories manufacturer. Among other products, they were also presenting their new Dry Softbox during CP+ 2019. Saki from cinema5D talked with Okumura-san from HAKUBA about this new product and its features. Please note, that CP+ is a local show taking place in Japan and as such, most japanese company representatives speak japanese only. We chose to highlight this product and bring you the video in japanese with english subtitles.

HAKUBA Dry Softbox

The HAKUBA Dry Softbox is a waterproof bag for camera gear. Well, basically anything can be put inside to be protected from humidity, but the box has internal padding specially designed to accomodate and protect camera and its accessories.

The company already produces plastic waterproof boxes for camera equipment, which they call Dry Box. That’s why this new product is called Dry Softbox. The closing mechanism of the HAKUBA Dry Softbox uses the same principle as waterproof backpacks for paddlers. You need to kind of roll the opening of the box and then connect both ends of the buckle to seal it.

The Softbox has IPX4 certification. This kind of certification is defined as protection from splashing water, no matter the direction. Just a reminder – the IPX certificates are used to evaluate waterproofness of various products, where the IPX0 means no waterproofness whatsoever and IPX8 means full protection, when immersed in water over 3 feet.

The HAKUBA Dry Softbox comes in two sizes – Medium and Large – and both of them are available in two colors – black and orange. The design of the softbox includes a clear window on the side to quickly see what is inside of the box.

Pricing of the HAKUBA Dry Softbox is 6,300 japanese yen (about $57 USD) for the Large version and 4,900 JPY (about $44 USD) for the Medium size. The product is now only available on the japanese market, but the company is considering to expand to some international markets too.

Personally I am not quite sure about usability of such a camera bag. It protects the camera from water, but obviously I have to take it out if I want to use it and then it is not protected anymore. It depends on the situation of course, but I might prefer some other waterproof bags which will allow me to use my camera, even if the operation might be limited.

What do you think of the HAKUBA Dry Softbox? Did you ever feel the need for such a product? Let us know in the comments underneath the article.