calypsomultimedia

Well, the topic name pretty much says it all. I'm looking for a used, 2nd hand, Gates Housing for the Sony XR550/CX550 as I'm still using that camera. My current housing has thousands of dives and is now close to being non-serviceable unless I'm willing to put over 1000$ in it - which makes little sense for a 12 years old housing. Please let me know if you have one - and at what price.

Unfortunately not an option for me as waiting longer would put me out of business. Thanks for the advice anyway, guess I'll just have to get a spare camera while they're still in stock.

Thanks for the info Rebecca. I have been in touch with Pete who was indeed very responsive and helpful. However, couple of things changed - Ozzie friend no longer coming and Light And Motion not offering a mid price wide angle lens, putting the housing outside my budget range. Back to the drawing board, I have ordered a Gates housing from Scubacam in Singapore and a Sony XR550 as it seems the 520 has pretty much already been discontinued.

Thanks for your reply, David. I have emailed you. Rob

Thank you for the information Peter. I had in fact already emailed Scubacam 24 hours ago but, at this point, have not yet received any reply. I might have to call them. I have been a Gates user for the last 14 years and, until recently, would never have considered changing brand as I have found it to be a next to zero maintenance workhorse (my Gates housing is 12 years old, has done close to 5000 dives - as deep as 120m in spite of being rated for 76 meters - and, due to my working conditions hardly ever gets in a freshwater rinse tank! The last time I took the main o ring out of its groove was 8 years ago...) However, given the speed cameras are getting obsolete these days, I'm considering switching to a housing that could accommodate camera upgrades, hence my interest in Light And Motion. I have some questions some of you may have answers to. The housing I'm looking at is the Bluefin for Sony XR550, I initially was looking at the XR520 but it seems it's already discontinued. Now, to my questions: 1. Does Light and Motion sell a lens similar to the Gates GP25 - wide angle (80-90'), suitable for shooting both above and underwater. If yes, at what price? Alternatively, would the Gates lens fit the Light and Motion housing? 2. I'm using Alpha lights mounted on flexi arms (http://www.alphadiving.com/main.asp?content=lighting.htm). Would these fit on the Bluefin handles? 3. In your experience how reliable is the electronics in a less than ideal environment - tropical heat and moisture, fresh rinse water sometimes not available for several hours after a dive, no dry air con camera room available? I must say reliability has been the main reason I have stuck with Gates for so long. My partner use to have Amphibico housing and had nothing but troubles with the electronics (that is after a couple of years of use). In advance, thank you all for any answers, Rob

Hi all, fantastic thread, precisely what I was looking for. I have been running a underwater video business in Puerto galera and have finally decided to upgrade - well, my old trv900 has decided for me by dying, really - to the XR520. I have used Gates housings for the past 14 years and want to stay with them. Here's my questions, I have looked on line but without much succes: I am based in the Philippines but a friend from South Australia is coming in about three weeks and could bring me the camera and housing. Do any of you know any place in Australia retailing the housings/cameras and their contact. Any idea of prices in Oz? Cheers, Rob

Thanks for the info. Yes FX-7 seems to be the one for now but just too big. Any chance you could post a link to the video you mention above? Appreciate your help.

Thanks for your input. Indeed, in the setting I work, there's little time for post production as the films are in-camera edited and shown a few minutes after the dives. Any post production necessary is done after the clients place their orders so the two cameras option is not viable. Guess for the time being I'll stick with the 900 till I find the right solution. Will keep you posted if I find anything. ronscuba: Thanks for the info, will look into that. By the way, I'll never touch a light and motion housing again as I've found from experience that although their products are not bad their customer service totally sucks!

I have been shooting with the trv900 in a Gates housing for 10 years now and recently decided to move on to high definition. I bought an SR-12 but before getting a housing for it took it for a test dive in my (jerry rigged) trv900 housing. Checked the results (on an SD TV) and I could not believe how inferior they were compared to my "old" TRV. Low light capability, color rendering, sharpness, just about everything was better with the trv900. So I guess it's back to the drawing board, probably looking for a High Def 3 chips camera. Price, to an extent, is an issue but more important to me is weight and size. I film dives in a resort setting on a daily basis ( I'm based in the Philippines) and a lot of topside filming (briefing, speed boat rides to the dive sites, etc...) has, for logistical reasons, to be done with the camera in the housing, taking its toll on my back and neck. My current set up with lights is about 9 kgs/20 lbs out of the water. Does anyone have any advice regarding a set up, probably would have to be 3 chips, that would be a hi def match for the trv in terms of quality/size/weight...?

Hi KF, Didn't expect to find you on this forum. Anyway just to let you know that we're moving to Hi Def within less than 3 months. Cheers. Rob Jacobs-Calypso Multimedia Philippines

I was considering an Equinox but your post made me rethink about it. Why were you unhappy with the Equinox housing and what modifications did you need?