49 replies to this topic

[Drew]

Drew if I was to sell it and get another lens then I would get the 24-70mm f2.8L I like that extra stop !
I would rather just buy a 10-22 and keep my 28-70.

Err the 10-22 doesn't work on the 5D2 dude. You've grown up to FF now sonny. And that league allows you to use an extra stop in the ISO to compensate. The 24-105 is a great travel lens.

Does anyone have anything to say about the Hugy housings?
Just on the Aquatica adapter for Sea&Sea domes & ports, is there any particular reason why being able to adapt Sea&Sea domes & ports
is useful if you do not currently have any existing Sea&Sea ports?

Matt, I understand that choosing a housing is tough. All these questions, information overload and difficult decision to where to throw your bank balance. Unfortunately, you need to extrapolate the information given in the threads provided.
My recommendation for you is first to decide on a budget, which lenses you must have and decide on the housing which supports those lenses properly, with the proper extensions and/or MF controls etc while fitting in your budget. Most housings cover the basic setups as Jean has described.
Also list down the features you MUST have and then compare it with the products.
I would also suggest you check out the support you have for the various brands in HK (I think that flag of yours is the SAR flag). Many times, the euro brands require the housing to be sent back for major works. So check with the local dealer on how they handle repairs and what they are capable of, even if you are ordering via the web. You will need servicing sooner or later. May as well do it now.
Definitely go down to the store to handle the housings if they have one. Even the local brand 10Bar has a 5D2 housing.
Good luck.

[mattsea]

Matt, I understand that choosing a housing is tough. All these questions, information overload and difficult decision to where to throw your bank balance. Unfortunately, you need to extrapolate the information given in the threads provided.
My recommendation for you is first to decide on a budget, which lenses you must have and decide on the housing which supports those lenses properly, with the proper extensions and/or MF controls etc while fitting in your budget. Most housings cover the basic setups as Jean has described.
Also list down the features you MUST have and then compare it with the products.
I would also suggest you check out the support you have for the various brands in HK (I think that flag of yours is the SAR flag). Many times, the euro brands require the housing to be sent back for major works. So check with the local dealer on how they handle repairs and what they are capable of, even if you are ordering via the web. You will need servicing sooner or later. May as well do it now.
Definitely go down to the store to handle the housings if they have one. Even the local brand 10Bar has a 5D2 housing.
Good luck.

Yes you are correct.
Ok, the threads are very useful I will try to muddle through to some sort of decision.

In any case I will toss a few more questions out there, maybe someone is going through the same process.

I liked what Jean (Aquatica support) had to say about Aquatica and was hoping
that someone might be able to talk a bit about Hugyfot to balance things up.

Aquatica & Hugyfot have local support but not Sea&Sea AFAIK.
I cannot find an email for Sea&Sea to ask if there are any Sea&Sea housings to look at here.
I also emailed the listed Sea&Sea distributor but did not receive a response.
So its not looking good for Sea&Sea.

The Hugyfot is more expensive but not so much more that it is out of the question.
I do like the idea of the Hugycheck system, it could save a bundle in the long term.
There is good support for Hugyfot here.

I am going to have a look at the Hugy next week unfortunately there is no Aquatica to look at here.

As for lenses, I will use Canon 15mm fisheye, Canon 16-35 2.8 mkii and Canon 100mm macro.
I have a sigma 12-24 which I might also like to use sometimes.
Mostly I will concentrate on wide angle natural light.
Mostly still photography, a little video maybe?
It should be light for travel.
It would be good if the housing was tough and reliable (they both seem pretty good in this regard.)

Would I be correct for example, in assuming Aquatica is ergonmically similar to Sea&Sea?
And that both are different to Hugyfot?

Also if you were selecting this set up, would you want manual focus controls for all these lenses?
Also is a viewfinder adapter essential?

I have to make a decision between Aquatica & Hugyfot with limited information, that's why I am fishing for more info.
Not sure about 10Bar, I will have a look but will more likely go for one of the mainstream brands.

Anyway thanks to all who contributed.

Edited by mattsea, 15 August 2009 - 06:07 AM.

[Giles]

http://wetpixel.com/...showtopic=29970

another thread discussing hugyfot and aquatica for these housings.


Drew .. darn it .. ok i guess i meant a 12-24 or something !

[Drew]

Giles, I would not try getting a Sigma 12-24 online. You never know what you get with Sigma QC. Go to a store and test out every copy they have. If none of them are evenly sharp, try another store. I tried 6 before I found one I liked. Then I dropped it and it was never the same again

Matt, you're not looking hard enough. ProDive on Lockhart Rd in Wanchai sell S&S. I've heard they moved to somewhere else in Wanchai and changed names. I don't shop dive stuff in HK so I'm not updated.

[mattsea]

Giles, I would not try getting a Sigma 12-24 online. You never know what you get with Sigma QC. Go to a store and test out every copy they have. If none of them are evenly sharp, try another store. I tried 6 before I found one I liked. Then I dropped it and it was never the same again

Matt, you're not looking hard enough. ProDive on Lockhart Rd in Wanchai sell S&S. I've heard they moved to somewhere else in Wanchai and changed names. I don't shop dive stuff in HK so I'm not updated.

Don't be too tough on me (after all I am only a clownfish )I did look up the website links but nothing led me to there.

I am aware of them so I will drop them a line.

Thanks.

Edited by mattsea, 15 August 2009 - 12:01 PM.

[Viz'art]

The Sea & Sea is about a pound and a half lighter

We are a tad heavier due to the wall thickness required to substain 400ft plus dive, our housing and all ports are rated at 300ft/90meters off the shelf but are upgradable to 425ft/130meters with some units on records has having gone down to 475ft routinely. That mean we cannot thin out the wall to the extend lower rated housing would, I realise it don't mean much for the average bloke, but it has made us a standard upon the technical diver groups, also our pins are made of stainless steel not plastic (are you out there Rusty ) pack up a 8 to 10 of thoses on a average housing and it also accounts for additional weight, but then again stainless steel does not shear off on a whim, you would have to be fairly brutal with the pins before they gave way. The housing is engineeredto be rugged and fairly simple to maintain in the field with a minimum of tooling. I realise it is not the housing for everyone, there is definitely some lighter and some smaller housings available, our design philosophy reflect a different approach based on user input, not a better or worse one, just a different angle on how to make underwater housing.

[gbrandon]

We are a tad heavier due to the wall thickness required to substain 400ft plus dive, our housing and all ports are rated at 300ft/90meters off the shelf but are upgradable to 425ft/130meters with some units on records has having gone down to 475ft routinely. That mean we cannot thin out the wall to the extend lower rated housing would, I realise it don't mean much for the average bloke, but it has made us a standard upon the technical diver groups, also our pins are made of stainless steel not plastic (are you out there Rusty ) pack up a 8 to 10 of thoses on a average housing and it also accounts for additional weight, but then again stainless steel does not shear off on a whim, you would have to be fairly brutal with the pins before they gave way. The housing is engineeredto be rugged and fairly simple to maintain in the field with a minimum of tooling. I realise it is not the housing for everyone, there is definitely some lighter and some smaller housings available, our design philosophy reflect a different approach based on user input, not a better or worse one, just a different angle on how to make underwater housing.

I myself appreciate the thicker housing. One of the reasons I left L&M was because I started experiencing strange things past 200'. Not housing flex per say, but wierd electronic issues.

regardless, the reason im posting is I wasnt aware the Aquatica could be upgraded to 475' free of charge. I never saw anywhere on the aquatica literature or website mentioning this. Can a Aquatica owner send their housing back and get retrofitted if they would like to take advantage of this?

The reason im asking is that most of my technical diving is done in the 200-300' range, but it would be piece of mind if I ever plan on diving deeper.

[Mariozi]

Just go to one or more shops, taking your camera with you, and try it out on Aquatica and Sea&Sea and you will see which one you like best. That's the best way for you to find out the "best valued" one for you depending on the cost of your money.

IMHO S&S is better finished, back in Brazil we have a lot of Sea&Sea's and Aquatica's housing.
At least for the model I use, D300 I would not trade a S&S housing for the Aquatica...

Good Luck

[Viz'art]

Can a Aquatica owner send their housing back and get retrofitted if they would like to take advantage of this?

Absolutely, you can also do it yourself if you are handy with maintenance or have it sent to one of the authorized Service centre in your area. PM me and we can figure out what is the best way.

At least for the model I use, D300 I would not trade a S&S housing for the Aquatica...

Mariozi, I understand from visiting your website that you are partial to Sea & Sea and all, and that you want to promote their products, but we are talking about a 5D Mk II housing machined from solid, the D300 was a casting, hence heavier and bulkier, its like me comparing our 5D Mk II housing to the plastic Sea & Sea for the Rebel, its a Sea & Sea housing, but its not that Sea & Sea housing

Cheers

[7iron]

any update?