Nauticam D700 underwater housing field review 
Wetpixel's Alex Mustard tests it in Australia
Last Update: 17 March 2010 05:05 PM
14 comment(s) | discuss in forums
Author: Alex Mustard ( Alex_Mustard )
Conclusion
My time with the Nauticam housing left me in no doubt that this is a very important new line in the world of underwater photography. I’d like to see improvements to the shutter speed knob, but even taking this into consideration, this new housing brand has better ergonomics than many existing lines. Furthermore, Nauticam, the company, give me the clear impression that they will keep refining their designs with each new generation of housing until they are as good as they can be. The D700, for example, does not have their innovative “piano keys” solution for the push buttons seen on their newer designs.
In conclusion, the Nauticam outshines many existing housings in the critical areas of ergonomics and design innovations. And this is not just my opinion. Others, who I dived with in Australia could immediately see better solutions on the Nauticam than their own housings. And then there is the price. Much of the Nauticam line brings this quality for a significantly lower price of many other brands. Although not so their D700, which is undercut by the Aquatica, for instance.
One issue I cannot address in a short-term review (I returned the housing before flying on to Tasmania) is how these housings will age, how they will cope with the abuse underwater photographers general throw at things. Watch the Wetpixel forums for this. It is also not possible to discuss the owning experience. A few housing manufacturers have cropped up over the last few years, caused people to switch and then suddenly fallen from fashion. Nauticam gives the impression it is here for the long haul. They have lined up an impressive roll-call of dealers around the world. It sends the message that customer care is clearly a high priority. I would have no doubts about investing in Nauticam from an after-sales perspective, either.
Without a doubt, we can believe the Nauticam hype. Their housings deliver in both quality and ergonomics. The Nauticam D700 isn’t as much of a bargain as some of their other housings, although it is still at the cheaper end of the scale. Across its range Nauticam has set a new standard for high quality and innovations at an affordable price. It has thrown down the gauntlet to other manufacturers to match it. This can only be good news for all underwater photographers, whether we become a Nauticam users or not.
If you are considering a new housing, look very seriously at Nauticam. I will.
Alex Mustard. Sydney, Australia. March 2010. If you found this review useful or have a question please leave a comment.
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Comment(s):Great review, Alex. One has the feeling of knowing exactly how this housing is and performs after reading it.
Posted by davichin on 03/17 at 02:42 PMExcellent, thorough review Alex. Great job as always.
Posted by Mike L on 03/18 at 04:51 PMGreat review Alex.
I have just completed 70+ dives with the Nauticam D700 in the Maldives shooting wide angle only.
I completely agree about the shutter dial, I was in strong channel currents for most dives and it was impossible to change the shutter speed with my thumb and hold on to the housing with a tight grip.
I also had a few other points which I have directed towards Edward directly but in short I found it to be a great housing and will house all our future cameras in Nauticam.
Cheers,
JasonPosted by muppetcam on 04/03 at 09:42 PMHi Alex
Same here with the shutter dial. Planning to make a home-made solution soon.
Cheers,Carlos
Posted by blueglass on 04/22 at 06:05 PMI think that good news is coming from Nauticam that the Command Dial Knob has been redesigned following feedback from some users - clearly a company that listens .....
Posted by digidiverdave on 04/22 at 11:53 PMAlex
Fantastic and helpful review.I’m looking for for a housing for the d700 and new strobes to encompass wide angle- I must make a decision.\
I’m not happy that the Nauticam is a larger more bulky housing (traveling issues) and that it appears that the housing will accept only fiber optics for twin strobes. I have been advised that using the internal camera’s strobes is a bad idea because of illumination issues (the water column)
Is the internal flash covered by the housing?
Are fiber optics the ‘new and dependable’ way to go?
thanks\
AllanPosted by allan on 08/01 at 12:36 PMThanks (belatedly) Alex. T’other Alex has made me an offer I can’t refuse in the context of positive reviews and my own shooting style, so it looks like ex-Nexus and newly-Nauticam!
Posted by tdpriest on 08/17 at 10:47 AMThanks Alex, good review. I’m quite frustrated by problems with my Nexus D300 recently. I hope to upgrade camera+housing next year, so eagerly awaiting to hear if a Nauticam D800 will come out.
Posted by christianloader on 12/16 at 09:15 PM
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