Does the pressure on the bottom of a lake have any effects on cell phones?
I’m no Bill Nye, but if you were to completely waterproof a case and lower the phone with video on, none of the micro components inside will get squished will they?
I think you would have to go very deep for it to be an issue.
Squished? I don’t think so. It would require more pressure then most of the lake depths around here provide unless you are thinking Superior. Will there be enough light to shoot at the depth you are thinking? That would be the biggest concern for me beyond the whole getting it soaking wet and frying it.
For every 33 feet the pressure doubles. So a “waterproof” case is a relative term, waterproof to what depth?
Most so-called waterproof cell phone cases are only splash proof or at best water proof to 3 feet or so. They are built to survive only being dropped into the water or being in someone’s pocket and falling in.
Grouse
Years ago, my fishing buddy had a good old fashion video camera. It came with a waterproof plastic body that you could put the camera in like a bubble. We used it all the time with no ill effects. Not great quality back then but it worked. I think your phone in the right case would work just fine. Getting the right case would be the toughest part. I’d worry about the pressure breaching the case seal unless it was rated specifically for underwater purpose.
My current phone has a light for the video, hopefully its older style which I still have and would be using for the project does as well.
Shouldn’t be to hard to waterproof it. If it fails, no loss for me.
For every 33 feet the pressure doubles. So a “waterproof” case is a relative term, waterproof to what depth?
Most so-called waterproof cell phone cases are only splash proof or at best water proof to 3 feet or so. They are built to survive only being dropped into the water or being in someone’s pocket and falling in.
Grouse
Grouse is 100% correct.
Years, eons ago, I built my own underwater case for scuba diving. Used a then current actual film movie camera. Welded a flange to each end of section of 8 inch square steel tube. Milled a groove for an o-ring and tapped holes around the perimeter. Used two pieces of lexan for the end caps.
Turn the camera on, slide it into my home built case, bolt on the end cap and start filming. It filmed continually until the battery ran down. Worked fairly well actually. I’ve got some nice footage from it.
Welded a flange to each end of section of 8 inch square steel tube. Milled a groove for an o-ring and tapped holes around the perimeter. Used two pieces of lexan for the end caps.
That’s way above my pay grade. I was thinking more along the lines of a sandwich baggie. 
Use the pressure to my advantage.
Yea…..I’m thinking about the components inside a cell phone, and it seems top me they’re all pretty much little solid chunks of silicon or whatever. Nothing to “squish”.
Same reason that when buying a watch it will say waterproof to ___ depth.
Pressure is real ! SCUBA diving one time with a portable waterproof camera… got one shot. The sides caved in under the pressure and I couldn’t wind it…I don’t think I was any deeper than 60 feet on that dive… 
2.31ft=1psi
Do the math based on your depth.
Lifeproof FRE: Operational Depth
6.6 feet / 2 meters underwater for 1 hour
Otterbox Armor (which they stopped making after iPhone 5): The Armor Series is waterproof for 30 minutes in 6.6 ft., survives 10 ft. drops,allows for zero entry of dust and debris and can withstand two tons of crushing force.
Sea level air pressure is 14.7 lbs/sq inch. Above sea level it is less as you increase the altitude. This is called 1 atmosphere. Every 33 ft in depth you descend adds 1 atmosphere of pressure. So at 33 ft, the pressure is 29.4 lbs/sq inch. At 66 ft the pressure is 44.1 lbs/sq inch. As far as enclosing an expensive phone in a baggie, I would not do it. Water always seems to find a way into the tiniest opening. I would not go less than triple bagged if you do and then you would probably have some clarity issues.
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