28 replies to this topic

[Viz'art]

In that same vein, aren't housings assembled by people for people? We should just get rid of people in general

Hey! I object!

[greedo5678]

Hey all, thought id add my thoughts.

I recently bought the 7d and nauticam housing from Alex Tatersall too, and i love it. Im currently in the Philippines, and of course when i arrived i immedaitely wanted to get it wet and see what my baby could do vs. my old point and shoot ixus, but after my wifes raised eyebrows, i agreed and took the housing down empty to 40m and tested each button a number of times. Of course there was no leak and that was a dive wasted!! (of course i would highly recommend a test dive after a period of non diving or flight).

Since then i have used it on a number of dives over the past month here and love everything about it. The ergonomics are great, and im quickly getting used to every setting that is at my finger tips. My piano keys work perfectly smooth, my latches are the 'newer' style locking versions which im happy with, and my leak alarm is suitably loud enough to be heard from the other room (my wife jokingly runs in to check 'my baby' is alright if i test my battery and contacts before i close the back) so how this cant be heard underwater, where we all know sound travels further and faster is beyond me. Ear/ Equalisation problems?

As for after sales, Nauticam and Alex have been amazing, responding to emails quickly and efficiently - and not one of my emails has been to do with a problem with the housing; ive been asking for tips and techniques and questions about my strobe setup.

Also, Steve, we all know that the rigourous testing that your housing had before its first trip, was in a hot tub shooting car cleaning mitts pretending to be anemones!! BRILLIANT! (My testing was my chest deep pool shooting a toy VW camper van).

And finally, why does it seem all these problems have come from brand new Wet Pixel customers? each one has only had 1 or 2 posts? (Not that ive had loads) but either they have joined up simultaneously to b*tch about nauticam, or it is proof that reading these forums, can and will elevate your knowledge so high that you are above and beyond floods and leaks.

Olly Wood

[Steve Williams]

it is proof that reading these forums, can and will elevate your knowledge so high that you are above and beyond floods and leaks.

Olly I hope you didn't just jinx a whole bunch of us.

Cheers,
Steve

[Drew]

And finally, why does it seem all these problems have come from brand new Wet Pixel customers? each one has only had 1 or 2 posts? (Not that ive had loads) but either they have joined up simultaneously to b*tch about nauticam, or it is proof that reading these forums, can and will elevate your knowledge so high that you are above and beyond floods and leaks.

Olly, I understand the skepticism of new members bringing out complaints but it's good to keep an open mind and be sympathetic and empathetic. There are many lurkers who glean the pages without being active. It is people who write about their experiences who can share their knowledge and sometimes spot an issue even the manufacturers are unaware of. Nauticam is new and they made changes to their housings from feedback from users. No brand is immune to issues. It's a matter of whether we hear about it or not.

So we shouldn't be too dismissive of people sharing their problems, until they prove to be unreliable, then we can toast 'em.

[shark8matt]

And finally, why does it seem all these problems have come from brand new Wet Pixel customers? each one has only had 1 or 2 posts? (Not that ive had loads) but either they have joined up simultaneously to b*tch about nauticam, or it is proof that reading these forums, can and will elevate your knowledge so high that you are above and beyond floods and leaks.

If I had just gotten into the underwater DSLR game, and had a problem with my rig, I would look for support/expertise online. To find wetpixel is probably a godsend for many of the newbies. They probably didn't join up to b!tch, but if they have legit problems (which may or may not involve operator error) they may be seeking advice from some of us so called grizzled vets (who of course never make any mistakes so we know how faulty equipment can be... ). Nauticam is a new company and will have a few bumps along the way. I have not used their housings so I don't feel like I can comment on them, but having seen and held them at trade shows I was impressed with their craftsmanship. I still prefer Aquatica because I have beaten the crap out of their housings and havent found a way to kill one off yet (as a note - as much as I try to take care of my gear - science, especially when conducted in far away places on small boats bouncing around = beat up housings). Once some nauticams have been around for 5+ years of abuse they will have a lot more of my attention. I do like the piano key design and I am sure they will address some of the leaks etc that have been popping up. In the end this will make their product stronger, and next time i upgrade i will be sure to give nauticam a good look.

cheers!

- MDP

[John Bantin]

Olly, I understand the skepticism of new members bringing out complaints but it's good to keep an open mind and be sympathetic and empathetic. There are many lurkers who glean the pages without being active. It is people who write about their experiences who can their knowledge and sometimes spot an issue even the manufacturers are unaware of. Nauticam is new and they made changes to their housings from feedback from users. No brand is immune to issues. It's a matter of whether we hear about it or not.

So we shouldn't be too dismissive of people sharing their problems, until they prove to be unreliable, then we can toast 'em.

Some people join Wetpixel to tell the world how wonderful they are (like me) and others are only prompted to join when a problem arises. That's fair enough, isn't it?

[JKrumsick]

I myself joined wetpixel for the updates and the knowledge. I still consider myself a newbie and I've found wetpixel INVALUABLE! I check it every day.

Anyway, I have the Nauticam 7D and have used it about 20 times and have yet to find any issues with it. Considering it is a new company and there aren't many out there that have used one of these housings over 500 times, there is still time for my housing to become a lemon (knock on wood that it doesn't). However, keeping the nascence of this company in mind, I am surprised at how many 'grey bearded' photographers have migrated over. It seems Nauticam has been welcomed in with the great companies and very quickly at that.

[greedo5678]

Sorry, i admit that it was a little harsh. I joined this forum for the weekly competition but soon found the wealth of knowledge here for newbies and keen photographers alike. When i was in the market for my new housing i was on here everyday discussing the advantages of each brand and found it amazingly helpful (and very happy at the descision i made). So yes i should of stepped back and remembered when i first joined. Of course im gutted for all parties concerned whose housings flooded; im newly baptised with a dslr setup and couldnt bare a drip of water in there! And if id spent that much money on something that wasnt perfect id want to tell the world about it, so yeah fair enough ...

Im just glad that Nauticam has found the problem, seemingly repaired it and solved the matter with its customers i what appears to be a fair manner.

Right, gotta go and get wet ... again. Laters.

Olly

[jbdiver]

30 dives on my 7D nauticam in both fresh and salt water. No leaks. Only minor issue I had was that a screw on the internal shutter lever came loose during a dive. Quick email to Nauticam and some blue loctite solved that problem -- just in time for my Red Sea trip. No problems with the piano keys. The shop I bought it from (AquaVenture) recommended that I work the piano keys and buttons a bit in the rinse tank after my dives.