tangler

G'day Jef. I use the D7000 in a Hugy and I add my vote to the tok 10-17. It's just a very versatile lens underwater; almost as if Tokina designed it with u/w photogs in mind. I love it. I only wish I had more opportunity to use it at my local dive sites (it's been a real macro year). Also, I got the kenko 1.4 tc for CFWA. FYI the hugy zoomgear that works with that combo is the one for the Canon 10-22mm (6.442 + 6.445). Cheers, Dave.

I agree with Antonio. I've been using their acrylic dome and have no complaints. Having said that, Zen are now making their glass mini-dome for the Hugy mount, which is very tempting! Dave

Haha yes I've also forgotten a couple times. Actually I've left the lens cap on too and only realised when I was already in the water! Just got to develop a routine and stick to it. However it would be nice if the hugycheck had an on/off switch so the battery could be left in place, though no big deal.

Hey Davichin. Nice review. I was going to post one myself as I have this housing too, but you beat me to it I agree with you about the lack of o-rings on the balls. It's not a big deal, but IMO they sure clamp better with than without. I also agree with Alex and jefdriesen's comments about the control dials, but mainly the front side one (aperture). It's a bit awkward to use and I have to move my hand so I can grab it between thumb and forefinger to turn it. This needs to be improved so it can tweaked easily with a finger while the hand is still gripping the handle (or in the neoprene strap). The standard viewfinder is much like all other standard viewfinders: an abomination. Unless you need it for 75m+ tech dives or have masochistic tendencies, the 180 or 45 finders are essential kit and should be at all times! I use the Inon 180 and love it. I will note some other things. Firstly, I read somewhere it's possible to suck out air through the Hugycheck valve with your mouth in the event the pump fails or runs out of battery. I tried this, and at the risk of my head imploding I could not reach a sufficient vacuum to make that hugycheck LED turn green. My guess is this is near impossible, although someone comes to mind who might be able to achieve it. I also tried removing a port while the housing was fully vacuum sealed. I was able to rotate the port but not pull it out. You could probably do it, but it would take considerable force. So this is good. As far as handling goes, much is made of the one-handed operation of Hugys, so I will comment on my experiences. With the standard flat port, 60mm micro, 2 x UCLS arms, and 2 x Inon Mega Float arms (390g buoyancy each), the rig is slightly negative, nicely balanced, and easy to use one handed. A joy. Also, the extra mounting ball allows the option of attaching a strobe arm to the top and removing a handle. If a single strobe is enough then both handles can be removed. This makes it a bit easier to shoot recalcitrant subjects in tight spaces (tasselled anglerfish look out!) or get right down low in the sand. With the acrylic FE dome, Tok 10-17, and no float arms, the overall buoyancy is much like above, however the rig wants to flip dome up, making using the neoprene strap uncomfortable (the rig is trying to turn your wrist back). In my experience it's necessary to revert to gripping the handles, which is fine. Adding some counter weights to level it out is the way to go. A big glass dome might be a different story, and I suspect a Zen mini dome would handle nicely as-is. I should note the when shooting vertically there is no flipping problem and it's quite easy to shoot one handed. My only problem with the housing was the review lever slipping out of adjustment after a couple of uses. Pascal sent me some new locking nuts for the control and so far so good. Overall a great housing and I'm very pleased with it. All the other controls are fine; it's quite ergonomic; very sleek design, and I really like the shutter lever which has a nice action and I have no difficulties doing a half press.

Just updating my own thread again! For everyone's info the zoom gear for the Canon 10-22mm is suitable for use with the Tokina 10-17mm and 1.4 TC. Hugyfot part numbers are 6.442 + 6.445. Dave

I thought someone might know this, but no bites so far, hehe! Anyway I've heard back from Hugyfot who advised they will have a zoom gear solution for the Tokina 10-17 + 1.4x TC combination soon. I'll post again when I have more info. Cheers, Dave

My own experience is Ike housings are prone to crack at certain points such as where the tray bolts are drilled into the acrylic, causing a leak. I'm not sure whether that's due to mechanical stress or the thermal expansion and contraction of the bolts. Either way a bit more thought in the design could probably solve it. Also accidents happen on dive boats in lumpy seas, and acrylic is more easily damaged. I can speak from experience again, having busted out a bulkhead! Regarding avoidance of the DS51 raised by Otara; the reason is the battery closure, which is a poor design and a flood waiting to happen. Compounding that is the interior base of the battery compartment often develops a crack, so when the flood happens, frequently the whole strobe is ruined and not just the battery compartment. I and everyone I know who owns a DS51 (with one exception), has flooded it despite fastidious care and assembly. Aside from that the DS51 is a great little strobe

All the above are made by Seiko and simply branded accordingly. I had the Cressi Archimedes II and was quite happy with it. Unfortunately I lost it, so it's been replaced with a Dive Rite NiTek Trio (which is the next generation in this Seiko family of computers). Where did you hear about the button sealing problem? I'd be interested to know if the problem has been resolved. Cheers, Dave.

My single tank setup is: SS backplate weighted single tank adapter 30lb Oxycheq Mach V wing (love this baby) basic hog harness Before switching to above I used a Scubapro stab jacket BCD for many years following by a Zeagle Ranger. The latter was OK, but overkill: too much lift, too much bulk, too many "bits". I'd never go back now. I find the BP/wing so comfortable, secure feeling, uncluttered, and streamlined. For travel I can ditch the STA and swap out the SS plate for an ultra-lightweight one. The whole rig weights next to nothing and packs down small. I've also never had a problem with being pushed forward at the surface. I think this stems from too much air in the bladder. If you only inflate enough to raise the head out of the water there's no issue. I also don't miss BC pockets at all. I always found them in an awkward place and a bit of a fumble to use. Thigh pockets at the right level are the only way to go. My 2¢ ~Dave

I use Apex XTX50 primary and XTX40 occy. Had them down rather deep on a few occasions and they performed beautifully. I'm very happy and have no plans to change any time soon. Great regs.

Hi everyone. I'm wondering if there are any Hugyfot users out there who are using a Tokina 10-17mm fisheye (latest model) with a Kenko 1.4x TC? If so I'd really appreciate some advise on what Hugyfot zoom gear to use with that combo? A friend of mine with a Nexus rig has found the gear for the Nikon 12-24mm f4 does the trick for him. Perhaps the same would apply to the Hugy? Cheers, Dave.

Hi Jim. As I've dived with you numerous times I know first-hand how careful and respectful you are of the marine life and it's habitat that you photograph. However I believe it's your images that convey this the best. For instance many u/w photos I see are quite stunning, but I'm sometimes left with the feeling that the creatures and scenery contained therein are secondary to the photographer's ambition and ego. In your photos by contrast, the star is always the marine life, and what always comes through for me is simply a love of that life. Of course they are always beautifully crafted photos too. With regard to the rock flipping, while I'd be very concerned if this became a common practice, as you, I, and most other Melbourne divers know, ignorance about the incredible diversity and beauty of the marine life of Port Phillip Bay is almost total, which I think accounts in large part for how the catastrophic dredging project proceeded with minimal public opposition. So on balance I think it is important that there are some photos out there in the public domain of the prickly anglerfish. People just have to know such things are down there, otherwise they will not care enough to fight for The Bay the next time it's threatened. Also, for the benefit of non-locals, the exact location where the "prangler" photo was taken was absolutely hammered by a severe storm in recent times, eroding significant amounts of Portsea beach, damaging the pier, and giving the bottom a good thrashing. That is the environment the fish has evolved to cope with. What really worries me is pollution, climate change, and certain fishing practices. Cheers, Dave. P.S. This is my first post here so a big Hi to everyone! Some of you may better recognise me as "funkyfoton" on flickr.