seafox

Not sure I buy the dog analogy! The behaviour of a dog depends mostly on the behaviour of the owner. The same is true for an UW housing. The majority of floods are caused by human error / carelessness. Make a checklist and follow it religiously on EVERY dive. I might suggest as a general testing procedure, an anle weight outside the housing, on the handle, vs a bag moving around the inside. If you are sure it's not human error, send back to Aquatica for testing. They strongly beleive in customer service. And yes, you get insurance hoping that you never have to use it, so don't gamble, get insurance if you don't already have some! Good luck, 8)

That's correct. Aquatica does provide a neoprene cover for the dome port with the dome shade. I use the cover to protect the dome while on the boat, in and out of the camera tank. I remove it just before the dive and replace it back on board before putting the camera back in the tank. The cover has saved my dome from scratches numerous time! Great investment! 8)

NWDiver, I think the previous posts were referring to the 12-24 with a FUJI S2. In any case: I have never had any problem installing or taking off the zoom gear on the lens, installing it on my D100 in the Aquatica housing, and adding the extension ring and the 8"dome. It's a great fit, no forcing, no straches and it's easy! I am very happy with it and it works really well for me.

Sounds like you got a heck of a deal! You're going to be very pleased with both the Aquatica housing and the Nikon D100. That combo offers amazing flexibity resulting in awsome quality pictures. I use mostly the Nikon 12-24 and the Micro 60mm. If I had to choose only one to get started, considering your criteria "wife on deck of wreck, large sponges, ect...""I would pick the 12-24mm. Excellent WA and yet you can you get really close. The 17-35 would be OK as a starter. You can always sell it later when your budget allows! I also use Ike's D125's and I am very pleased with their performance. Enjoy, and don't forget to breathe!!!!!!!!!!

I use SanDisk "Extreme", (I dive in Canada!) CF 1 GB cards, and I am very happy with the performance and the reliability of the card. I recommend it, it works for me!

Highly recommend using a soft cloth and "Mirror Glaze" # 17! It's a clear plastic cleaner that I use on my Aquatica dome. Works like like a charm, and removes all minor scratches! It is usually sold at airports to clean aircraft's windshields. Made by: WWW.meguiars.com

I have had nothing but great results with my DS-125. It does indeed have manual settings, not as many as with the controller, but enough for me. I have a D-100 and do not use TTL, so I can't speak for the TTL capability. Unless you can fill with viewfinder with the subject, TTL doesn't give great results. Most UW photographers I know shoot manual, even if they have TTL capabilities (S2), and get superior results. On manual, the DS-125 has indeed several settings and is, in my opinion, an outstanding strobe. Humble suggestions: Back to basics! Check all your connections, if you have dual bulkheads, is it on the correct one ? Does the strobe fire? Do you actually see it fire? Is your camera menu config correct, ie TTL vs manual? Have you tried it in the pool, with different configurations? Do you know of and talk to a dive shop that does UW photography? As I said, I am very happy with Ikelite and with my DS-125! I am putting my money where my mouth/keyboard is as I have just placed an order for a second DS-125.

I am considering getting a Digital Light Meter. I am new to digital photography, and have been told that a meter would be a useful tool in my kit bag. Do many UW digital photographer use light meters, and if so what are the benefits? Thanks

Peter, Bobf, Thanks for your comments. I should have have mentionned that I was using a D100 with no TTL UW capabilities. Looked at the controller but decided that 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, would probably suffice. I will connect the DS125 directly to my Aquatica housing with an Ike syncord. Peter thanks for the link. Very informative.

Karl, Peter, Just received my DS125.Did not order the controller. Can you give me some insight as to the benefits of the controller. I understand there are 3 settings on the strobe. Do you find having 10 worthwhile, and under what circumstances? Thanks

One more thing: Get a red color filter. Re the strobe: I do not use a strobe on the P1. At times I wished the P1 had an easy way to attach one. The 0-rings are still available. Good luck Protect the sharks! Take away only memories, Leave only bubbles!

Hi, FYI every Aquatica housing is tested to 350 ft and rated to 300 ft. Give Aquatica a call to confirm.

Hi, I have a one of the first P1. I bought with the housing (MPK-P1). Now I used as a spare UW camera. I have taken some magnificent shots with this little guy. Ease of use and great resolution. I have taken it to 130ft without a problem. Change the Oring every year, don't overgrease it and wash it in fresh warm water after every use. Use defogger on the inside of the housing lens when the flash is being used, as heat is generated. I have had for 3 years and still love it! :freak:

Hi, I am also an amateur photographer. As well, I am a PADI diving instructor and teach "Photogarphy Specialty" to student divers. Until recently, I have been doing this with a NikonosV. I have had many requests for a digital course and decided to move to digital. I did much research on both camera and housing. I was surprised to find that there are several great cameras and many really good housings in the digital market. After much reading, looking and touching I decided that the Nikon D-100, the Aquatica D100 housing, and the Ikelite DS-125 were best suited for my needs. At this point I will only address the Aquatica purchase. Once I had decided to move to the Aquatica Housing I contacted the management of the company in Montreal, and had several thorough discussions with them on their manufacturing process, features, available accessories, after sale service, ect. I was pleasantly surprised with the level of service and responsiveness that I experienced. All my calls and e-mail were answered promptly and thorougly This customer focussed attitude and responsiveness was a pleasant surprise, as it is not often the case in the diving industry, and confirmed my decision to buy from Aquatica. Since I am training students and potential photographer, and therefore using and recommending products, I needed one more confirmation. I asked Blake Stoughton to allow me to visit his offices and manufacturing facilities and at the same time pickup my housing. He graciously accepted (few, if any manufacturers would agree to this),and I met Blake , Norma and Sandra in their offices in Montreal. I can honnestly say that I was impressed with their facilities but mostlyvery impressed with their level of commitment to the product, their customers and customer service. This was very important to me and sealed the deal. Norma was wonderful and took the time out of her busy day to demonstrate the functions of the housing as well as helping me install the camera and the accessories: dome port, flat port, brackets, arms...... I found the Aquatica team very professional, very knowledgable, and very focussed on customer service. Having had the opportunity to work with the Aquatica housing and to contact the Aquatica team for support after the sale, I can confirm that both the housing and the after sale customer service turned out to be above my expectations. I would recommend Aquatica without hesitation.