Another DSLR housing/camera post...

[davichin 18]

Well, finally, it seems that I won´t be able to bear the pressure much longer and I will "have to" buy myself a dslr set... . After looking around I have a doubt that may seem dumb but I would really like to know what do you think:

I have some sets I´ve been looking at: canon rebelXT+Sea&Sea or Ikelite (I have a ds125) ttl housing (this is the cheapest), nikon D200+Ikelite, canon5d+Ikelite, canon 20D+subal/seacam...The questions:

Are ikelites housings much worse than the subals/seacams etc...(at least the price is really "different")?

If so what would you prefer: a better camera (like 5D/D200) in an Ikelite or a lesser quality camera (say 20D) in a subal/seacam?

 

Thank you very much!!

[kdietz 0]

Buy the best camera and lenses that you can afford

 

The housing won't make better photos...only you can do that

 

Karl

[james 0]

I agree w/ Karl - as a new DSLR underwater photographer, you probably won't take advantage of the extra features offered by a high-end housing. So avoid that cost and use it on lenses...:-)

 

A good start, heck a great start would be a D200 and and Ikelite housing and strobes.

 

Perhaps later you'll want to move up to a more $$$$ housing, after you've outgrown the capabilities of one that is less $$$$.

 

Cheers

James

[Steve Simonsen 0]

Great answer Karl

[KenByrne 0]

I agree w/ Karl - as a new DSLR underwater photographer, you probably won't take advantage of the extra features offered by a high-end housing.  So avoid that cost and use it on lenses...:-)

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I'm not sure what extra features you get. I use a D70 in and Ikelite housing and all controls are accessible, also Ikelite were the first to provide ITTL not sure if anyone else is offering it as standard yet.

 

I know there is a least 1 control inaccessible of the Ikelite D200 but I'm not sure any other housing is providing access to all the D200's controls.

[ChrisJ 0]

agree with ken,

the one place where i dont get envious is the housing, i might get envious about strobes, lens, cameras. i am totally content with my ike d70 ittl housing.

[james 0]

Hi Guys,

 

The "features" that I'm referring to on the higher end housings are:

 

Able to change f-stop and shutterspeed w/o taking your hands off the handles or eye away from the viewfinder

 

Magnified viewfinder for us "older folks"

 

Ease of swapping out lenses, zoom rings, ports (quick release camera plate, mount to the front, etc).

 

To some people (most people) these features aren't "worth" the extra cost for a higher end housing. However, having used a housing with the above features, it sure was nice to have.

 

Cheers

James

[Rocha 0]

I completely agree with James. There is also the question of how much you will use your housing. If it is for 2-3 short trips per year, you will be fine with any housing. But if you are serious about your underwater photography and use your housing a lot, you will certainly miss the high end housing features that James is talking about.

 

Luiz

[betti154 5]

I've got a 350D + Ikelite housing/strobes.

 

I've no regrets, but if buying a first camera and housing again, I'd get the same Ikelite housing but would opt for a 20D instead (same on the Nikon camp I think).

 

In the grand scheme I think it doesn't make that much differnece in dollars or function, but as said above, you may as well get the best camera you can.

 

damien

[KenByrne 0]

Thanks for the clarification James. Can't really comment as you don't miss what you never had. Most of my friends use Sea & Sea housings which cost at least 1/3 more than the Ikelite housing and I can't really see an advantage that justifies the cost. As an oldie myself I don't have a problem with the Ike viewfinder but that's not to say there aren't better ones I've just not tried. What I would like to try is the Subal right angle finder.

[PRC 2]

I have a D70 and Ike housing. Am in the process of buying a D200 and will again get the Ike housing, ultimately I will probably sell the D70 and housing when the D200 kit arrives.

 

The housing works just fine - keeps the water out and there is the confidence that you can see inside.

 

I have had my D70 and housing to 76m ( way beyond the spec ) - and regularly to 60m and it has always worked fine - though it did make a couple of creaking noises at 76 !

 

As far as I can see no controls are missing, I guess it may be marginally larger than some of the alloy offerings but with 2 * DS125 it is still -ve in the water.

 

 

I have no connection with Ike ( but live in hope of a free housing after this !

 

Paul C

[dmoss 0]

I have no problems with my Ike housing, but being one of the 'older' types, I do lust...long for...desire the improved viewfinders offered by some of the higher priced housings. Some time ago, there was some discussion of an optional Ikelite viewfinder in the works that would provide greater magnification and field of vew. Anyone know if that is on the horizon or was I just dreaming

[davichin 18]

Thank you all for your comments!. It´s curious to see that in an spanish UWPforum opinions are more divided. There is even a person that wouldn´t even house his new 5D in an ikelite housing (he probably hasn´t realized that with the difference in price can even buy a backup 5D body and be "floodsafe" ). What I can say from ikelite is that it has a superb and personal way to treat the customer and solve one´s problems even here...(this unfortunately doesn´t apply to Tecnomar, spanish dealer, but to Ike Brigham and his crew from America)

 

 

There is also the question of how much you will use your housing. If it is for 2-3 short trips per year, you will be fine with any housing. But if you are serious about your underwater photography and use your housing a lot, you will certainly miss the high end housing features that James is talking about.

 

Luiz

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The thing is that I am one of those crazyaboutdivingluckyguysthatlivebytheocean.. and dive a lot (sometimes 7 dives a week) and I usually treat myself with a longish trip a year and a shorter one.

One argument to invest in the best camera is that I can always upgrade the housing alone, but upgrading the camera makes one upgrade camera and housing (maybe not the case with canons 1D series but it´s the exception)...will keep thinking

[Rocha 0]

So, to answer your original question, if money was no objection I would get the best camera with the most ergonomic, lighter, more compact housing. Believe me, this helps, sometimes I am holding the housing against my face, changing the aperture with my middle finger, pressing the focus lock button with my thumb, and the shutter with my index finger, all at the same time. There are not many housings that allow you to do that.

 

But since you have a limited budget, I think would get a 5D (or D200 if you go the Nikon road) and an Ikelite (which is a good housing). As you say, you can always upgrade the housing down the road, and a year from now, when Canon announces the 6D (or Nikon announces the D300), there will be plenty of cheap, used high-end housings for the 5D and D200 in the market.

 

Luiz

[ikelite 0]

One problem is we assign a selling price without much thought to costs, indicating the management is not smart enough to know how to price products. I can readily see we can't rise above "low end" status, regardless of our advanced features that other manufacturers have not duplicated, without charging more money. My greedy and money grubbing ways find this desire to pay more very exciting. What am I bid? Or just send us the money. The money is why we are here, not the glory........

 

guess who?

[bvanant 195]

Ike: We are all glad the you and your housing brethren don't see the need to make pharmaceutical manufacturers profit margins (85%), but then again, you probably don't spend as big a % on research as those guys. Your products certainly could go up in price without I expect losing too much share, but that is always a risky experiment.

bill

[AndyBarker 6]

HI All,

I also own a D70 which I think is a great camera, I think some of

the problems are that manufacturers keep up dating cameras &

some of the views are that the old models are now not good enough.

One which makes me laugh is the amount of mega pixels 3,4,6,8,10

how many make a good picture? It really doe's not matter as long as you

are happy with image. Sorry for getting off the point, look at it from

the point there are some very good bargains to be had, If you can put up

with a camera which may be 2 years old. Buy the best your budget will allow

& get shooting.

 

Andy :ph34r: :ph34r:

[allen 4]

Andy, is spot on with his comments. 20 years ago when I was developing software for GIS systems we had a sign in our office that something to the affect "Any software running was obsolete." Meaning that a newer version was already being worked on to replace the current. 20 years latter that comment stil rings true. However, that does not mean what is running is a POS.

 

They key to any technology is when to jump. Digital cameras are new technology so in the past few years the manufacturers have been updating their lineup very regularly. Some of the early digital cameras were POS and were quickly replaced, other were not. Some companies, like Contax made some nice cameras but have exited the market.

 

IMHO the technology has started to mature enough to the point that I am willing to jump into the dSLR game. For instance, Canon has been updating the 10D, 20D, and 30D line up every 24 months. This is first time there has not been a jump in the MP size and the 30D was mostly a refinement of the 20D. Is the 10D a POS. No way, neither is the 20D, and the 30D will be replaced just like the 5D will be. I see the market stabilizing in the near future with fewer new releases and more refinement.

 

Finally, with any product, cost does not equal quality. One would hope it does but not always. There are products at all points of the cost spectrum that are POS.

[davephdv 0]

I shoot an Ikelite housing (CP 8400) and a Subal housing (D2X). Both are fine housings. Though I love my Subal housing; if I thought Ike would make a D2X housing I would probably have boughten one.

 

The things I would like to see in an Ike housing would be a magnified viewfinder. I have those aging eyes. Also a leak detector. For those rinse tank checks.

 

Of course a magnified viewfinder would add 400$ or more to the price of the housing. A third party leak detector can be added easily.

 

Don't think of Ikelite housings as lower end. They are rugged housings capable of a lot of abuse and can go deep. They also have an extensive list of accessories.

[TomR1 5]

Do what is the matter with the "The Ikelite Super-Eye magnifier provided with the housing offers enhanced viewing while wearing a diving mask" that is offered on the d200 Ike housing?

 

My dive mask has my prescription glue-in insert at a cost of about $150. If the "Super-Eye" Magnifier isn't good enough the prescription guys say they can grind a magnification section in the mask right where it needs to be.

[Rocha 0]

Tom, Ikelite's super-eye magnifier is no where near the other (very expensive) magnifiers out there. And adding a magnification lens to your mask doesn't help either, you want to look straight when you are composing, not just to a section of the mask.

 

Now, I think this is getting a bit circular. Every housing has its pros and cons. All of them are good at keeping the water out. I agree with Dave in that Ikelites are not low-end housings, they use less expensive materials and are easier to build. If you are satisfied with all that they offer, get one by all means, you will take great photos. If for one reason or another you can't use (in my case, Ikelite has no housing for my camera) or just don't like their spec list, there are many options to choose from.

 

Luiz

[TomR1 5]

I agree that the maginfiers on the bottom of the mask (like bifocal lenses) ain't worth squat but what about a magnifier on one eye at the proper location? Jack and Sue Drafel even recommend bi-occular masks (one lens corrected to far vision, one lense corrected to near vision). They say you get used it it quickly. (other people have poo-pood the idea)

 

I am bring this up because it's an issue to many people who, like me, are moving up from a digicam.

[KenByrne 0]

I use monovision contact lenses. My right I is adjusted for distance my left for reading. You do get used to it quite quickly. The important thing is to determine your dominant eye and adjust that for distance.

 

Diving I use a mask with half moon reading lenses for my gauges but look through the flat portion of the lens for the viewfinder which is adjusted with the on camera diopter adjustment.

[TomR1 5]

Ken-

Thanks. I see you have a D70. My d200 viewfinder is supposed to be better. I adjusted the camera to +2 (my prescription) and can see just fine through the viewfinder. Amusingly, the screen seems fuzzy until i look through the lower, reading section of my mask. If the INON case magnifier thingy does nothing more than correct for the presence of the enclosure I am OK. I also see that Nikon sells diopters of greater than +2 if my eyesite goes further to sh!t

[KenByrne 0]

My reading glasses are +3 my mask is only +2 but still seems to work for me. The D70 only has an adjustment up to +0.5 but this works for me without further correction above and below water.

 

I spoke to my optician about this and she told me that camera viewfinders project the image at infinity so the +0.5 is actually compensating for my distance vision not my reading vision.

 

So it maybe that +2 on your D200 is actually too strong an adjustment for you.