Wetpixel D7000 housing review 
A hands-on comparative review of housings for the Nikon D7000.
Categories: Reviews, Still Housings [home]Author: Adam Hanlon ( adamhanlon )
When Nikon released the D7000 SLR in September 2010, it was fairly immediately obvious how important this model was going to be for underwater photographers. For some time, Nikon shooters had lacked a model that incorporated many of the desirable features for underwater use. The D7000 changed all that, increasing the megapixel count and adding high ISO performance, a new EXPEED 2 image processing engine, new metering and AF systems, HD movies and 14 bit RAW processing. I think that prior to it's release, many Nikon owners were coming round to the fact that they would need to "jump ship" over to Canon. However, the D7000 has proved to be a similar performer to the 7D, and in some respects, seems to actually deliver better results. This in a camera that sells for around $1,300.
The new camera model started shipping in October/November 2010, and despite the excitement of this, most underwater shooters were realistic that it would be some time before they would be able to get this camera underwater. At DEMA in November, the only manufacturer to have working prototypes available was Nauticam, and in fact, the working prototype was reviewed for Wetpixel by Alex Mustard in early December. The purpose of this review was to get the camera underwater as soon as was possible, in order to establish it's potential. Other manufacturers followed on, with a review by Keri Wilk with the Aquatica AD7000 following in mid-February.
The D7000 presents several new challenges for housing manufacturers. It is physically compact camera, with a small form factor. Whilst the Canon 7D should have prepared the way, the fact remains that it has more controls to house in a smaller area. This means that the housings are by default, more complicated to design and build than those for bigger bodied cameras. Unique challenges included a very awkward (for housing design), but important focus mode selector button, and a Live View lever which incorporates a button for video mode.
From the housings reviewed thus far, it is important to note is that they are all several steps up from what has gone before. For some reason, the D7000 has really got designers creative juices flowing! All the housings reviewed thus far display significant innovation, in general and specific to each brand. The imminent releases and specifications of housings from other manufacturers also seem to promote this. I think it is very likely that whichever D7000 housing you buy, it will be significantly better and improved from what your previously had. I think it is crucial that you take this idea with you as you read the individual reviews.
At DEMA in November, I had floated out the idea of a comprehensive review of available housings, in the form of a side-by-side comparison, involving multiple testers. My original intention was to complete this by late March. This has proved to be wildly over-optimistic! Nauticam were able to deliver a housing by late January, as did Ikelite, with Aquatica following in mid-March. I will add to the review series as other housings become available to me.
What follows is the start of the reviews as I envisaged. I have gathered the housings, camera bodies, lenses and ports (with great assistance from suppliers, distributors and manufacturers) and dived them. In addition, I have got others to dive them and give me feedback on the various designs. This process has proved fascinating. I noted on a forum post before the review that "ergonomics is ergonomics", and this assumption has proved to be substantially wrong. Different shooters simply do things differently! Hence priorities for control positions for example are influenced directly by how you shoot.
The diving was almost all carried out at Capernwray Diving center in a cool and green water setting. Most of the test dives were carried out wearing gloves, hoods and drysuits. I had planned to try to evaluate housing for both wide-angle and macro, but this has, for the moment, proved to be over-ambitious, and the testing was all carried out shooting wide-angle. Thanks to support from Inon Japan, the reviews were all carried out using their excellent Z240 strobes.
The review is intended to be read from start to finish, but if you wish to jump to a specific housing, here are the links:
Page 1 of 7 [ 1 2 3 > Last » ]
Comment(s):Great review Adam. Well done sir.
Posted by Steve Williams on 06/26 at 04:02 PMGood review Adam. I would like to see it updated with a review of the new Sea & Sea MDX-D7000 housing as it’s a significant departure for Sea & Sea.
Posted by JackConnick on 06/27 at 07:17 AMGreat review. Very timely considering my query on the DSLR forum. Thanks for taking the time to put good info out to us.
MattPosted by Longimanaus on 06/28 at 04:10 AMOn the Aquatica exposure compensation lever placement
“I find that I rarely adjust the EV underwater, and hence the easily accessible EV lever is not critical”
I feel that I should elaborate a bit more on Aquatica’s decision to locate the EV exposure compensation at its present accessible location, granted in still photography and with most of us operating the camera in manual mode anyhow, there is not much credit for making this accessible as it is, but given the high quality of video that this camera can deliver and the fact that EV compensation is the way to adjust the Video exposure on the Nikon D7000 camera, well, giving ready access to this ever made common sense.
As a side note, let me suggest to the D7000 users a good tip (no matter what housings they uses) you should explore the following Custom Setting Menu f7 feature, this allows the user to push a button and said button will stay engaged as long as you need or press another button. So when shooting video, you press the exposure compensation lever to engage the button and then you can correct the exposure while shooting video without having to press down on the button/lever all the time.
This f7 features is very handy as well for all other buttons, you don’t have to keep your finger on a button, hold the housing steady and rotate a command dial at the same time. ISO, Quality, WB and AF pattern modes are but a few of the features that would benefit from this.
Posted by Viz'art on 06/28 at 09:22 AMHi thanks for the review
For me the question with this new model is: does it
guarantee much better UW pictures compared with its predecessor, the Nikon D90? I doubt it. In addition, a new camera also means a new housing. That is, I assume that the D7000 will not fit in the Ikelite D90 housing.
Cheers AlPosted by albert kok on 07/07 at 08:41 AMAl, no your D90 is to different to fit into a D7000 housings. the Nikon D7000 is a stunningly improved camera, granted, what is behind the mask in general, has generally more impact than the gear itself, still for someone looking for a new system of graduating from an older than D90 camera, it does make a lot more sense to move to the D7000 instead.
Posted by Viz'art on 07/07 at 09:19 AMThanks..I already suspected that the D7000 would not fit in the D90 Ike housing (we had the same problem some years ago with the transition from D80 to D90) I think that for me the two major improvements, the higher ISO performance and having more mexapixels are not convincing enough to jump to the new system..I also feel that the lense may be more important for satisfactory results than the body..
Posted by albert kok on 07/08 at 10:23 AMlove the reviews so must...can’t wait to see s&s;, subal may be seacam also review soon
Posted by ckchong on 07/10 at 01:04 AMThanks for the great review. The new housing have really improved over previous generations.
Posted by Don in Colorado on 07/22 at 04:08 PMAdam and WP Reviewers,
Thank you for taking the time to review the Sea and Sea MDX-D7000 housing. We really appreciate it and your feedback. It will help us as we constantly try to produce better products.
I think the Wetpixel readers will enjoy your very candid and straight forward evaluation of our housing as well as the other mfr’s.
I did however want to add that I have large hands (gloves XL) and use fairly thick 5mm gloves here in California and had no trouble at all accessing controls due to clearance between the housing and controls. You are right about not being able to reach the shutter speed dial at the same time as shutter release and aperture control though. Even for me with XL hands, that’s a stretch. In fast shooting situations (shark feeds, sea lions, etc.) I find that I need shutter speed control more than aperture, so when shooting wide angle with Nikons, I switch the command dial and sub command dial, so that the vertical dial on the Sea and Sea housing (easily reachable with hand on shutter release) can be controlled along with shutter release while looking through the viewfinder.
This brings me to your very appropriate point about ergonomics.. ....We all do it differently!Again we at Sea and Sea appreciate you taking the time and your feedback.
Almost forgot...The Sea and Sea fiber L cables are real tight in Sea and Sea housings! I guess we need to get Inon and Sea and Sea to mfr. the same diameter on the ends. LOL! if only it were that easy...:)
Posted by asallmon on 08/08 at 12:07 PMtoday i checked the ikelite housing for d7000. Looks like the picture shown here as ‘AE/AF lock’ switch is the LV lever switch. While there is a lever that can be used to access the ‘AE/AF lock’, which is on the main housing body
Posted by eleung on 08/09 at 08:39 AMFinally Nexus release D7000 housing.
Very light weight only 2.1kg on land and include AE/AF lock switch.
http://www.anthisnexus.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=401Posted by cyj2371 on 09/30 at 10:57 PMThe “Subal sync cord plugs” that were raved about in the article are a part from 10Bar in China and have been readily available for a couple of years now.
Posted by JackConnick on 10/25 at 02:02 PMVery nice compilation. Maybe a conclusion might be added, or even a Seacam D7000 review, if possible in near future.
Posted by Andrej Belic on 10/26 at 01:40 AMHi
This comment relates to an old problem with Nikon D80 and D90 camera’s fitted in the Ikelite housings. The ‘bent wire’ control of Ikelite does no seem to align 100% with the centre of the silvery Nikon shutter release button. The Nikon button is rather fragile (plastic?) and has the reputation to break off in Ikelite housings. The solution could be that Ikelite provides better rubber control tips for their shutter release control in their accessory package.Posted by albert kok on 10/26 at 08:36 AMgood and comprehensive. Pity you were not able to review the Seacam as well…
Posted by leonandclaudia on 10/27 at 02:54 PMHi, bought the D7000 last week, so I changed my mind! (see my earlier somewhatsceptical comment 3).
I agree with eleung (see comment 9)
that in the 6th picture shown in the Ikelite review the red arrows pointing at the AE/AF lock and LV lever switches should be the other way around. The AE/AF lock switch is located at the right side of the main housing body and can controlled by the right thumb, like in the D90 housing. I assigned the AF-ON function to this switch to avoid the akward focusing with the shutter release button.Posted by albert kok on 11/29 at 09:11 AMJust a follow up on my last comment on the Ikelite housing review. Just to get things right! On picture 6 showing the flat backside of the housing the left and right red arrows point to the LIVE View on/of switch, and video record on/of respectively (controlled by the right thumb). On picture 7 the red arrow points to the LIVE View on/of switch (NOT the AE/AF lock switch). The AE/AF lock switch (also controlled by the right thumb) is at the right side of the main body and can be seen on picture 8. Hope I am right! Cheers
Posted by albert kok on 11/30 at 09:20 AMThis may give a clearer picture of some of the D7000 Ikelite controls at the back:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fttpwwwflickrcomalbert/6460621581/in/photostreamPosted by albert kok on 12/05 at 09:08 AMOh you missed out the Seacam...what a shame :)
Posted by JACohen on 04/03 at 04:31 AMWould be good to see other significant housings reviewed too eg Hugyfot and Seacam
Posted by MichaelG on 04/04 at 12:57 AMHugyfot review should be live in the next week, Seacam likely in the next two to three!
Posted by Adam Hanlon on 04/04 at 01:02 AM
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